P.D. James - Original Sin (1997)

Book publishing is always a competitive business. At Peverell Press, it’s becoming cutthroat.

Scotland Yard’s Adam Dalgliesh is called to the venerable publishing house by one of his longtime literary heroes to look into a stream of hate mail received by some members of Peverell’s Board.

When a series of macabre deaths occur, Dalgliesh and his young DI team uncover a snake pit of family rivalry, sexual jealousy and dark secrets. It appears that the answer to murder lies buried deep in the past – but whose?

Dalgliesh faces a long line of suspects – and a murderer prepares to kill again.

English films

This DVD has no subtitles nor Close Captions. My native language is not English and it's difficult for me to follow it. I would like to know in the future when the DVDs you are offering have no subtitles. August 18, 2008

Who killed Gerard?

When Gerard Etienne, the high powered director of a publishing house turns up dead there are lots of suspects who had reasons to want him dead. As one of the employees tells the police inspector, "He wasn't a ray of sunshine." So, whodunit? Was it Frances, the jilted spinster who still loved him, but hated the way he ran her family's business? Was it Miss Blackett, his PA that he treated like a punching bag? Could it be Claudis, his sister who wants the money she'll inherit only if he dies before his upcoming wedding? And, the list of plausible suspects goes on. There are lots of plot twists and turns that keep the viewer guessing up to the end.

The acting is superb, particularly on the part of James Wilby playing Gerard and Carolyn Pickles playing Miss Blackett.

So why didn't I give it five stars? First, it was hard to believe there had ever been a relationship between the gorgeous, sophisticated Gerard and the timid, frumpy Frances. Perhaps this was a matter of casting a sexy, charismatic actor opposite a rather ordinary looking actress, or perhaps Gerard was supposed to have had an ulterior motive for the relaionship. I suspect the latter, but it wasn't made clear by the script.

Second, I felt the murderer was treated with too much sympathy. It's impossbile to explain this without giving away his motive. I don't want to write a spoiler, so I'll leave it at just saying here is a person who killed three people during the course of the movie, and yet we are supposed to sympathize because of things that happened in the past.

Finally, there were certain plot lines that weren't adquately explained/explored. For instance, what was going on in the relationship between Gerard and his father? Why was Gerard so desperate to please his father, and why wasn't his father pleased? How did certain people whose paths had crossed decades before happen to be working at the same publishing house. I can't explain that without giving away the mystery, but I did wonder about it at the end. I'm going to read the book, and hope that all the answers are in there.

Still, it's an intriguing story, involved, but easy to follow. The acting is excellent, the sets are wonderful, the pace is good. You will enjoy it, I am sure.

May 27, 2008

Revisiting Original Sin

Normally, I should not think it necessary to revisit "Original Sin." However, given the less than adequate sound engineering and the soft tones and trailing voice of Roy Marsden, it takes two or three hearing before one can clearly identify all of the dialogue. English subtitles for the non-Brits in the audience would make for a wonderful enhancement to this production. P.D. James writes with such intricacy of plot that she need not make the listener strain to catch the dialogue. Overall I remain a fan, so I make the extra effort. May 7, 2007

implausible ending

This is one of the slicker new adaptations. Many of the scenes are set on the Thames near the London Bridge and the views are beautiful. The acting is quite good. For those 2 reasons, I quite enjoyed the first 3/4, but during the last 1/4, as the mystery is resolved, the plot is simply implausible bordering on ridiculous. March 29, 2005

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