Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2732 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-11-13
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 3
• Running time: 480 minutes

Synopsis
From the fog and squalor of Victorian London to the idyllic tranquillity of rural England, Dickens' tale of tragedy, intrigue and love, and stinging satire on the English legal system, is faithfully recreated in this BBC drama series. The story closely follows the characters involved in the infamous court case of Jarndyce versus Jarndyce that relies heavily on the production of an up-to-date will in order to settle the inheritance. Three young people are taken in by the generous guardian John Jarndyce to be cared for at Bleak House while they await the outcome of the court case. Meanwhile a ruthless lawyer is determined to find out the truth surrounding the Lady Dedlock's mysterious past and after deep investigation he makes a discovery that changes all their lives.

Customer Reviews

Gillian Anderson gives the acting performance of my lifetime
By pure coincidence I read Bleak House twice just before it was shown on television. I enjoyed it so much the first time that I just had to read it again. When I heard of the BBC dramatisation I was pleased because it is always interesting to see if the casting of the actors and actresses matches the reader's own visualisation.

There were many performances to enjoy including the perfect casting of Alun Armstrong as Bucket and Hugo Speer as Sergeant George. I also felt that Denis Lawson as Jarndyce, Patrick Kennedy as Richard, Carey Mulligan as Ada and Anna Maxwell Martin as Esther did exceptionally well in their key roles.

Having said this, the reason I am writing this review is that I feel compelled to acknowledge what I consider to be the greatest television performance I have ever seen by any actor or actress. I am not a fan of the X-Files, and have seen no other films in which she has appeared, but I consider that Gillian Anderson has given the performance of my lifetime.

I would like to understand and try to explain to myself why it is that I can only watch Gillian's scenes as Lady Dedlock with tears in my eyes, not just once but every time.

In Pride and Prejudice, I was captivated by the performances of Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle as their mutual dislike turned to love. I read somewhere that Colin Firth strived `to do nothing' in certain scenes, a difficult thing for an actor to do, and maybe that was part of the reason for his outstanding success.

In Pride and Prejudice the communication is between the actors, Lizzie and Darcy. By this I mean that the viewer is not directly involved but can experience the joy of their love affair as it gradually blossoms. However, by contrast I feel that in Bleak House the main line of communication is between the character, Lady Dedlock, and the viewer.

Lady Dedlock has all the barriers up to everyone she knows. This has the effect of making the viewer the only person who understands her. There are many close up profile shots of Gillian - and what a profile! - where little or nothing is said but the viewer telepathically knows what she is thinking and feeling.

The beautiful blue eyes, trembling lip and fantastic body language scream noiselessly at you - isolation, despair, hopelessness, defiance! The tiniest of facial changes, such as when she seems to acknowledge Sir Leicester's profound love for her, pull your heartstrings in a way that I have never before experienced from a television show.

Her proud, disdainful manner, exceptional ice-queen beauty and yet utter vulnerability make for a potent and heady portrayal. You want to reach out and help her but you cannot. When Jarndyce and the girls ran through the rain to the summerhouse and encountered Lady Dedlock sheltering from the storm what a moment that was. The guarded dialogue that followed, the dismissal of Hortense with the latter walking barefoot through the wet grass, was terrific storytelling by Dickens.

Finally, and on a lighter note, it was amusing to see that Lady Dedlock's face appears alongside a lobster and lettuce in the opening credits - no, really! Mention should also be made of the nice little double act between Krook and his cat, Lady Jane. What a cat!

Excellent, true and Beautifully done!
There is only one weakness to this production, and it is a minor weakness: the transitions between scenes (very creative indeed) sometimes made me a bit sea sick with unnecessary motion.

Other than that, this is pretty well a perfect production. For those who have read the book, Mr. Tulkinghorn (brilliantly played by Charles Dance) is slightly more evil than in the book, if that is possible, and Lord Dedlock, though just as pompous, is a bit less gracious than his literary counterpart. Caddy dares to criticize her father-in-law, and Esther dares to yearn to know her mother. The murder of Tulkinghorn and the flight of Lady Dedlock are not so intertwined, and Inspector Bucket's pursuit of Lady Dedlock is not quite as efficient. Needless to say, none of these "alterations" harm the story in the slightest, and besides them, Dickens' 750 page book is absolutely faithfully represented with the finest talent. I often felt (especially in the scenes with Gillian Anderson as Lady Dedlock) that I was reading the book all over again.

The production quality is first rate. The acting throughout is superb. The story is strong. The subject matter is not for the silly and overly romantic, but a great literary work is well shown here. This is a fine addition to any DVD library.

Top Quality Drama!
I love this adaptation of Bleak House. I was gripped by it when it was originally shown on BBC and now I happily own this DVD boxset! The acting is outstanding, every performance is excellent but some of the standouts for me are Gillian Anderson - heartbreaking as Lady Deadlock, Charles Dance - vile as Mr Tulkinghorn and Burn Gorman - wonderfully funny as Guppy! The series was broadcast in the style of a soap opera with episodes ending with a cliff hanger (of course the novel was also originally published in monthly installments)but I think the DVD is equally as gripping and I found myself up way past my usual bedtime watching another episode followed by another and then another and so on. This boxset dosent have many extras but it's good value for several hours worth of top quality drama!