Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #411 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-04-02
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 93 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The work of Jane Austen is being confidently mined by filmmakers at the moment, and Persuasion is the latest to be visited. And while there are some fair issues raised about just how faithful the film is to the source material, it’s nonetheless a lavish and enjoyable take on Austen’s story, with much to admire.

Much of the reason as to why this version of Persuasion works well lies with its talented cast. Rupert Penry-Jones, for instance, tackles the role of Captain Wentworth with skill, and Sally Hawkins too gives a performance to be admired. Backed by a primarily good supporting cast, the romantic drama is both watchable and engaging.

Inevitably, parallels are going to be drawn with the similarly strong 1995 television adaptation, and the truth is that some will favour one, some will favour the other. For our money, the earlier version just about nudges it, but the two takes on Persuasion both have enough ideas of their own to make them suitable companion pieces.

Diligently directed and suitably lavish to look at, Persuasion then shows little sign of dampening the enthusiasm for bringing Austen to screens of all sizes. And on the basis of the charming 93 minutes on offer here, that’s no bad thing at all. --Jon Foster

Synopsis
Though she refuses Captain Wentworth (Rupert Penry-Jones) in her youth, Anne Elliot's (Sally Hawkins) love for her handsome but penniless suitor never dies. When he returns eight years later--a wealthy and high-ranking naval officer--she has the chance to set things right. While the two leads ably carry the film, the highlight is Anthony Head's (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER) hilarious turn as Anne's snobby father. A splendid rendition of Jane Austen's final novel.

Customer Reviews

Good but not as good as the previous version
I agree with other reviewers on this version; it's not as faithful to the book (and therefore as 'good') as the Ciaran Hinds/Amanda Root version that was out a couple of years ago.
My gripes are:
1. The conversation Anne has with Captain Harville at the end of the book is the moment at which Captain Wentworth realises there is still hope. To have put that earlier in the play, addressed to Captain Benwick AND with no chance of Captain Wentworth overhearing was a pointless bit of interference with the storyline on the part of the writers and one that made no sense and made it harder for the characters to be reconciled at the end.
2. Some of the minor characters were, frankly, terrible. Mary was one of the worst - watch the Ciaran Hinds/Amanda Root version for the best way to play Mary. The actress in that was superb; this actress was very odd. Mr Elliot was wooden and that's about the best I can say for that actor - really terrible. He said his lines as though he had learned them by rote and had no idea what they meant.
3. What on earth did the script writers think they were doing having Anne rushing around Bath in pursuit of Captain Wentworth at the end and then brazenly telling him she accepted his proposal?!? Wrong, all wrong from the point of view of the storyline, characters and period of time the novel was set. No wonder he took so long to kiss her - he was probably repenting his decision to marry such a shameless hussy!
4. Then to crown it all; CAPTAIN WENTWORTH BOUGHT KELLYNCH HALL AT THE END!!!!!! What fairytale world was the writer living in??? He couldn't have done that as it was destined for the evil Mr Elliot and all tied up with legal entails...
Things that were right;
1. Rupert Penry-Jones. Phwoar!! What a wonderful Captain Wentworth he was ... it's worth watching just for him.
2. Antony Head. What a brilliant Sir Walter he was, although Colin Redgrave was equally excellent in the previous version.
3. The way it was structured did allow for a lot more 'explaining' than often happens; like when Captain Harville talls Captain Wentworth that he has entangled himself with Louisa and what to do to extricate himself. That worked well.
Basically, if you are in love with Rupert Penry-Jones (and who wouldn't be?!) buy this version and watch all the scenes with him in.
If you would rather have a version that is true to the novel, buy the one with Ciaran Hinds and Amanda Root in.

Reduces an emotional masterpiece to a common romance.
This adaptation is not suitable for anyone who appreciates the novel, but it does work as a freestanding romance film. That said, certain elements are faithful to the novel; by far the best of these is Captain Wentworth, who is exactly as the book describes, and is truly the star if the film. Similarly good are Sir Walter, Elizabeth, the Musgroves (all of them) and the Crofts. Mary is humorous, if a little over-done, although her accent was at best strange. Alice Krige is competent, if over energetic and youthful, as Lady Russell. HOWEVER, the protagonist and scrript truly let this film down. Sally Hawkins is not Anne Elliot; she is lacking both grace and dignity, and her portrayal is utterly unmoving. This was surely made all the worse by the screenplay, which seemed to have been written without any contextual research. Although this is apparant throughout, the ending is really the best example of this on three counts; firstly, the way Anne runs (or rather, sprints) through Bath looking for Wentworth, in a manner entirely unbefitting a lady of Anne's class, cultivation or personality. Secondly, their kiss outside of Camden Place is equally as undecorous. Did nobody do their homework? I appreciate that Miss Hawkins' may not be aware of nineteenth century etiquette, but Jane Austen's work is reliant upon this context. It is the rigity of social expectation which drives Austen's work, and which creates the claustrophobia with which all of her protagonists struggle. One cannot help but feel that this anachronistic portrayal of 19th century England guts the meaning of what is arguably Austen's most sensitive novel. The final straw was Wentworth buying Anne Kellynch Hall as a 'wedding present'. I'd really love to know whether he bought it off Sir Walter, who could barely reconcile himself to the idea of letting it, or Mr Elliot, whose ultimate goal is the attainment of the consequence Kellynch would give him. Utterly non-sensical. All-in-all, the film does have strengths, but it is a weak adapation which conveniently ignores the facts of regency society. It reduces Austen's emotional masterpiece to a common romance film.

Sally Hawkins is wonderful...
This is the first of ITV's Jane Austen season that I've felt compelled to write something about. As a male I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this mainly because of the mesmerizing performance by the rather attractive Sally Hawkins which was wonderful. You simply cannot take your eyes off her. As the producer said in the Making Of featurette after she's going to be a big star and I heartily agree.

As for the story itself, well they took a fair few liberties with the story and much seems to have been cut but I guess they concentrated on what interested them and probably what they thought would interest the viewer most too, namely the romance. It's interesting comparing it with the 1995 BBC version of Persuasion which I thought the ending was more uh, realistic with Anne going to sea with Wentworth rather than him apparently buying Kellynch? Seems more in tune with the dismissal of traditional values of the gentry that runs through the book.

Mostly the 1995 version did things better I thought the Musgrave girls seemed hardly to be in it and there was very little of Harville and Benwicks role hardly mentioned. The excoriating social satire seems to have been dispensed with too. Tony Head as the absurd Sir Walter Elliot was mildly amusing but wheres the author's contempt of his vanity and ludicrous snobbery? What was extremely well done however were scenes such as the unspoken communication between Anne and Wentworth such as when she falls over he's on to her like a shot to help her up and he's equally perceptive in noticing her tiredness and helping her to a lift on board the carriage. His actions speak louder than his unspoken silence. In fact, they positively shout at us.

What really lifted this however was the performance of the lovely Ms Hawkins which had me crying like a baby by the end. Not that I'd ever admit a word of this to my male friends. Heavens, no. Now, wheres my tape of Top Gear and cans of beer?