Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5574 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-10-06
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 90 minutes

Synopsis
An extraordinary tale of sex, passion and royal intrigue. This is the little-known story of Mary Boleyn who was mistress to King Henry VIII before he married her older sister, Anne. Inspired by Philippa Gregory's novel of the same name, this film is about great families jockeying for position and using their daughters as pawns in a deadly game. Set during one of the most notorious periods in British regal history, it is a powerful narrative and at its heart is the relationship between two rivals - the Boleyn sisters.

Customer Reviews

At Last
Since this BBC adaptation was screened I have searched continually for this version on DVD. Without any doubt this is one of the most engaging dramas I have ever seen. Stylistically it may not be to everyone's taste, with what appears to be hand held camera work and direct address to the camera similar to an interview approach. There is a grain to the film that only enhances the rawness and edge to the production.

It is the only historical drama that brings a genuine sense and vision of a Tudor court to life. The character developments are pertinent and emotionally engaging. The performances are exceptional and it is a great shame that such an exceptional work as this should have been overshadowed by a glossy Hollywood interpretation.

This film deserves to be seen by a much wider audience and far outstrips both the film and the book of the same title. Watch it, you will be mesmerised.

Far superior to the Hollywood film version
This is the TV adaptation which came out several years ago shortly after the book became such a success and is far superior to the more recent film version which starred Scarlett Johanssen and Natalie Portman. It conveys much more accurately the atmosphere and tension of Philippa Gregory's superb novel and doesn't have the glaring gaps of the 2008 film (in which Mary is suddenly marrying again with no explanation as to what has happened to husband No 1!). The performances are brilliant and I cannot recommend this highly enough. I am so pleased to have found it at this price and will be watching it to erase the awful travesty of the more recent film version.

If you haven't seen this but have enjoyed the book, you would do far better to spend your money on this than on the admission charge for the recent film.

Worth 5 stars for Jodhi May alone
This is worth 5 stars for Jodhi May's performance as Anne alone. It is a staggering, heart-wrenching, powerful, driven portrayal of a complex personality. The drama itself is well done and worth far more than the 3 stars someone else has accorded it. Why May has not become better known is past my understanding.