The plot: The story takes place in England during the extended period between World War I and World War II. Charles Ryder, a student an Oxford college, meets and soon befriends Sebastian Flyte, a charismatic young man. As the two become close, Charles gets to know the rest of Sebastian’s family, in particular his mother, Lady Marchmain, and his sister Julia. Eventually Charles and Julia fall in love, which doesn’t sit well with Sebastian, who has also fallen in love (or, at least, in lust) with Charles. At the center of everything is Lady Marchmain, a strong-willed Catholic who uses religion to effectively control the lives of her children (religion and faith figure strongly into the story-line, as Charles is an outspoken Atheist).
Does this sound like a film you want to see? Here’s a better question: did you like last year’s Atonement? If so, chances are you’ll like Brideshead Revisited, although it’s not at all in the same league as that film.
That’s not to say that Brideshead Revisited is a bad film at all. It’s well-acted, tells a great story and is absolutely beautiful to look at. But it doesn’t have the same emotional punch or epic scope that Atonement did; I didn’t come away from Brideshead Revisited feeling much of anything other than appreciation for having seen a good film. And considering that this is a film adaptation of a 355 page novel that begins around the first world war and ends during the second, at times it feels like a lot of stuff has happened offscreen that would’ve been helpful to know. Also, the film doesn’t quite manage to convey the vast amount of time that the story spans. Apparently there is a 1982 television miniseries that does a better job of telling the entire story.
At the same time, I was consistently entertained throughout the film. I cared about the characters and wanted to know what would happen to them; in particular I really wanted things to work out for Julia and Charles. It was also refreshing to see a quieter, more thoughtful picture during the summer months, when almost everything coming out is a big loud action film (though I am a little surprised that Miramax chose to release this now as opposed to the fall, during the traditional Oscar season). And, like Brokeback Mountain and The Village, Brideshead Revisited is the kind of film that I believe one is able to appreciate more on repeat viewings.
Long story short, if you liked Atonement and are up for another thoroughly old school British experience, Brideshead Revisited may be up your alley.
Brideshead Revisited gets a 4 out of 5.
Posts
