In This House of Brede (1975)

Wonderfull movie

I understand a lot of you have been disapointed by the movie after having read the book. But isn't often the case with books translated to movies ?
I couldn't recommend this movie enough. It is just pure wondefull acting, many of the actors are no longer alive and none, part from Dame Diana Rigg were known to me. This leaves you thoughtfull about the amount of talent there is in the UK, whatever generation and this coming..........from a frenchman.
Every caracter is real and moving. How not be touched by Diana Rigg and Judy Bowker ? and denis Quilley and Nicolas Clay, both no longer alive and who play men who've lost the women they love to God. You'll see very touching display of love and no tight british upper lip there I assure you.
Dame Catherine ( Gwen Watford ) is the lady Abbot one would wish to have is a nun and Dame Agnes part ( Pamela Brown ) is not an easy one to play and I was very touched to see that Pamela Brown died the same year when she plays her own death in the movie.
I have ordered the book and I am looking foward to reading it.
By all means, do buy it and you'll enjoy a very beautifull and inspiring story played by very talented actors.
I am not a christian but this movie really touched my heart. March 4, 2007

Think twice about this movie!

Anyone who's read the book will be profoundly disappointed with this movie because all the significant issues [e.g., the reason for Philippa's avoidance of Elspeth (sister Cecily in the book, Sr. Joanna in the movie); the relationship with Elspeth & the choir director--forgot this sister's name, etc) never happen in the movie. It's unbelievable that all these incidents were left out & the movie hooked (not wove!) tiny pieces of some incidents without giving any relationship or connection to the characters. A fabulous story which would've been an epic movie was ruined to become absolutely NOTHING!! I'm sorry I bought it & glad I didn't pay $45 or so for it. What a waste of good acting by a very good cast, but even they couldn't save a movie which really has no story whatsoever! October 31, 2006

HOUSE OF BREDE ... DID THE PRODUCER READ THE BOOK?

I was so excited to receive this DVD as I had very recently completed reading the book. It took perhaps 8-10 hours for me to finish the book... and this movie is 1 hour, 35 minutes. A total waste of time.

Where to begin - in the book there was magnificent DETAIL and character development. No such thing existed in the film. Nothing was developed.

Names were changed, nuns were completely omitted from the story, the financial mystery was never even hinted at, the Chicago sculpture was never mentioned... so you didn't see the before/after Altar, or the repaired statue.

Other significant omissions: the cross with a genuine ruby, the way Phillipa's baby died ... for reasons I cannot imagine, the sex of the baby was even changed. The death of the Phillipa's child introduced such a significant story line and did indeed altar Phillipa's recognition of what was a genuine accident. For those of you who didn't read the book, the child was not killed by a car.

Even the Japanese representative had a different name. Why? Why not keep it Mr. Konishi?

This film was awful. It was shallow and pointless. If I had just seen this movie, I would never even be tempted to read the book. I read some reviews wherein viewers thought highly of this movie. If they read the book they would bring their rating down a notch or two. While reading the book, one has such a wonderful view and feeling of monastic life and the struggles experienced. The introduction of the film just shows Mrs. Talbot gathering her things and getting out of dodge. It doesn't give any background as to the success of this 40 year-old worldly woman's decision to enter Brede to become a nun.

I'm very confused as to why the movie was even made. The movie doesn't do the proper justice to Rumer Godden's beautiful story.
February 6, 2006

I guess I should read the book

I expected more of this film based on the topic and reviews. Lizzie Darcy's review makes me suspect that the problem is in the film version rather than the underlying story. The film is just too glib, and doesn't seem to do justice to the important themes.

A 40-something, attractive, successful woman, apparently sincerely loved by a man wooing her, enters the convent after getting well-fortified with whisky and cigarettes. Just unraveling that much and it's aftermath would have been a worthy story. Eventually we learn "the reason" but it is not worked out very well. Nor is the process by which she comes to some resolution.

The building tension and then crisis between love and "duty" seemed promising but then seemed to almost magically melt away. Perhaps film just isn't the medium to paint the psychological and spiritual journey of contemplation.

For what I think is a much more engaging and thought-provoking, presentation, consider the book, The Hawk and the Dove: A Trilogy, by Penelope Wilcock, which you'll find here on Amazon. December 6, 2005

A Few Good Movies Left

This is my favorite movie of all time. The human and moral values expressed are of the very highest quality, while expressing all the humanity of man.
I wish every person in the world would see this film and realize the uplifting and world changing values. July 28, 2005

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