Brideshead Revisited (1982)

Fill a bowl with alpine strawberries, break out the Château Lafite (1899, of course), and bask in this benchmark 1981 British miniseries based on Evelyn Waugh's classic novel. Adapted for the screen by John Mortimer (Rumpole of the Bailey), this impeccable, nearly 11-hour production mesmerized American viewers during the course of its PBS run in 1982. In his breakthrough role, Jeremy Irons stars as Charles Ryder, a disillusioned Army captain who is moved to reflect on his "languid days" in the "enchanted castle" that was Brideshead, home of the aristocratic Marchmain family, whose acquaintance Charles made in the company of an Oxford classmate, the charming wild child Sebastian. Anthony Andrews costars as the doomed Sebastian, whose beauty is "arresting" and "whose eccentricities and behavior seemed to know no bounds." The "entitled and enchanted" Sebastian takes Charles under his wing ("Charles, what a lot you have to learn"), but vows early on that he is "not going to let [Charles] get mixed up with [his] family." But mixed up Charles gets. He becomes a friend and confidante, not to mention a lover, to Sebastian's sister Julia (Diana Quick). Meanwhile, the self-destructive Sebastian's life spirals out of control. Brideshead Revisited boasts a distinguished ensemble, including Laurence Olivier in his Emmy Award-winning role as the exiled Lord Marchmain, Claire Bloom as Lady Marchmain, and the magnificent John Gielgud as Charles's estranged father. Grand locations and a haunting musical score make this a memorable revisit of an irretrievable bygone era. For those who scheduled their weeks around the original Monday-night broadcasts or those visiting Brideshead for the first time, this boxed set release will be, as Charles rhapsodizes at one point while strolling the castle grounds, "very near to heaven." --Donald Liebenson

Stills from Brideshead Revisited (click for larger image)

Beyond Brideshead Revisited

The Novel

The Original Score (Soundtrack to the Movie)

The Movie in Theaters Now

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Bridehead Revisited Review

After seeing the movie of Brideshead Revisited, my only conclusion can be that 4 CD set of Bridehead is far superior than the recent movie production. Having seen this production 25 years ago, made me realize just how great it really was and very much ahead of it's time. I recommend this CD set to everyone who enjoys superior acting and real art.
It was absolutely brilliant and historic. August 28, 2008

Brideshead Revisited 25th Annaversery

I enjoyed this program on PBS many years ago. Seeing it again, it was even better than I remembered. August 26, 2008

A MUST for all things British!!

If you like Merchant/Ivory productions, this series is for you. The acting is superb & the photography of the countryside/mansion interiors is to die for!! A wonderful story told amongst fabulous settings. A real plus for any DVD collection. August 25, 2008

Best Production ever made

Brideshead has just been released-I mean the new movie version which reviewer Rex Reed (who doesn't like anything) gave high marks. However, nothing can compare to the series made in the early 1980's. It's flawless. It has the distinction, in my opinion, of being the best production ever made of any story. I own the I Claudius-fabulous; enjoy at home as well the Forsyte Saga, the mesmerizing, superbly acted The Grand, yet, we all agree that Brideshead Revisted is the standard by which all series or adaptations are to be judged. Impeccable casting ( who can imagine Emma Thompson in the role of Lady Marchmane?..as is the case in the new version; maybe Ellen Mirren, but not Emma who is perfect as the housekeeper in Remains of the Day), the part belongs to Claire Bloom; and, the enduring performances of Jeromy Irons and Anthony Andrews. 10 Stars; a masterpiece to end all masterpieces. The boxed set is handsome as well, and, the video aspect of the DVD is unmatched. August 16, 2008

Heads Up

As Waugh noted of the writing of Brideshead, "It was a bleak period of present privation and threatening disaster -- the period of soya beans and Basic English -- and in consequence the book is infused with a kind of gluttony, for food and wine, for the splendours of the recent past, and for rhetorical and ornamental language which now, with a full stomach, I find distasteful."

Can't disagree with that.

Too, one must be in complete agreement with Martin Amis, who wrote that the book "squarely identifies egalitarianism as its foe and proceeds to rubbish it accordingly." Done, I would add, by the mindless exaltation of elitism in many forms, starting with the framing device of the utter purity and soulfulness of alcoholics with the proper blood in the vein.

This TV drama is a fine reflection of these sentiments. Perhaps this is why the acting is generally overwrought. Hot-house and hammy. The wretched, never-ending deathbed scene, Julia's penchant for the extremely lengthy, tearful rant that was soporific and boring. The sonorous and sleep-inducing voice over.

I have not read the book and have no inclination to do so. It seems all too muddy and poorly held together, its prejudices and inconsistencies all too evident. It may be that this series is a poor reflection of the book, that dramatization has once again done a disservice, but the tidal wave of knee-jerk snobbism that is this dramaturgy just isn't interesting enough to make the effort to find out for myself. August 13, 2008

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