Product Description

Sean Bean, Joely Richardson Adapted by Ken Russell from DH Laurence's classics novels, Lady Chatterley is a passionate love story, which portrays the tempestuous and scandalous affair between an aristocratic young woman and her husband's gamekeeper. Joely Richardson plays one of fictions most famous and passionate characters, Lady Chatterley, and Sean Bean is Mellors, the moody and intense gamekeeper with whom she falls in love with.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5130 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-10-07
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: PAL
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 210 minutes

Customer Reviews

Sorry, but this version didn't do it for me at all!
I bought this version because I had just seen the French adaptation by Pascale Ferran(which got many awards and the 'Cesar' award this year and which delighted me completely!) and I was suddenly curious (as I read the book) to see the British version of it. Especially as the two actors seemed familiar to me and as it was made by the BBC (it usually means the series or the drama is of good quality).
But I was very disappointed by this version. By episode 2, either I was bored or felt like laughing because some scenes were not very well-made. OK, I know I can't be objective (I've seen the French film and of course I like it very much) but I am going to do my best not to compare it to the French one.
One good point is that the two actors, Sean Bean and Joely Richardson are very good-looking and I can even say that Sean Bean fits the part of Mellors very well. The problem with them is that I don't feel anything for these characters, I can't relate at all to this Connie. Sir Clifford is too much a caricature...I think in the book the character has more depth than the one in this version. And Constance leaves me cold. I can't even feel sorry for the fact that she seems to have a boring life. But it is not really the actors' fault (I've seen other performances by Sean Bean and I know he is a good actor), it's a problem with the directing or the production.
I was a little disappointed by the scene when Constance sees Mellors for the first time at the hut while he is washing his torso outside, without noticing that she is looking at him. In the book, this moment when C sees Mellors's back torso is a key moment because for the first time in a long time she is really 'turned on'/overwhelmed by this sight of this half-naked man, in other words, her desire for a man is re-awakened for the first time. In the film, what happens? nothing, just a short scene, there is not enough time to see if the sight of him does something to her, I wanted to see some reaction on the actress' face, it seems that in the book, she just stares at him not knowing what to do while in the film, the whole scene just lasts a few seconds. So a major letdown but this is nothing compared to the love-making scenes in episode 2. Sorry, but the loud music that they put in these scenes is completely ridiculous and prevents me from being moved or touched by these scenes. Maybe the other problem is that these scenes are too fast-paced and I thought while watching the series that it happened too fast between them and I kept remembering that Mellors in the book was more unsociable and sullen than that.
And yet, there are some good moments. There are some beautiful scenes between the two actors(while looking after the birds for example, first attempts at communicating ) but there are too few and I can't say I will watch the series again. If you happen to see the French film 'Lady Chatterley' you may understand why I feel a bit lukewarm about this BBC version.

A wonderful cast and a satisfying story
A beautifully-filmed rendition of DH Lawrence's 'Lady Chatterley's Lover', which uses strands from each of the three versions of his story ('John Thomas and Lady Jane', 'The First Lady Chatterley' and 'Lady Chatterley's Lover'), to create a sumptuous and satisfying tale. It's so good that it's prompted me to go back and re-read the novel.

The cast is simply wonderful and each actor is so perfectly cast, at the right age to give this tale credibility. Joely Richardson plays the title role like a delicate bird fluttering hopelessly against the bars of its cage, longing for life and passion. Sean Bean is superb as the solitary and proud gamekeeper who recognises her need and fulfills her, and in doing so finds fulfillment himself. And Shirley Anne Field is extraordinary as the housekeeper/nurse who notices everything and says nothing. Each of them could have been born to play their respective roles.

The director Ken Russell does a fine job of pointing up the gulf between the working and upper classes, which makes the lovers' story so brave and beautiful. The only downsides for me were seeing Ken Russell himself popping up as Lady Chatterley's father (which brought me back to reality with a bit of a bump!), and the patchy music. Most of it was fine, but the (I assume, specially composed) music that accompanied the pair's couplings was raucous and I found it unintentionally funny. I tend to agree with the other reviewer who disliked the rather fast 'n furious 'wrap-up happy ending', which contrasted poorly with the gentle pace of the rest of the story, but it left me feeling happy all the same.

This DVD version retains its original format of 4 episodes, as it was originally aired on the BBC.

The film does follow the book(s)!
I have read the previous reviews and I fully agree that this is a very good adaptation of Lawrence's novel and backed up by a truly felicitous cast. However I would like to qualify a common remark made by two of the previous reviewers: that the film does not entirely follow the novel. I think the film actually reflects more of Lawrence's book than we realise as the director relied not only on the last version of the novel, which got published in the 20s, but also on the first two versions of the book. The film is, in my opinion, quite an achievement precisely because it is faithful to the book-as-a-writing-process, with the director bringing back to life memorable scenes that did not make it into the final version of Lady Chatterley's Lover.