Dir. Julian Jarrold, UK, 2008, 133 mins
Cast: Ben Whishaw, Matthew Goode, Hayley Atwell, Emma Thompson
Review by Carol Allen
Waugh’s novel of love, lost innocence and Catholicism in England before the Second World War was famously made into a mammoth eleven-part television series in the 80s. If you have fond memories of that or are indeed a fervent admirer of the book, you will probably take issue with the cutting and reshaping of the tale, which has, with the approval of the Waugh estate, been to some extent “sexed up” in Andrew Davies and Jeremy Brock’s screenplay. But, taken as a film in its own right, it works well and is very enjoyable.
It is the story of Charles Ryder (Goode), a middle-class student at Oxford in the 20s and his involvement with the wealthy and aristocratic Marchmain family over a period of 20 years. We first meet Charles during the Second World War on his revisitation to the much changed Marchmain family home Brideshead (played as in the television series by Castle Howard in Yorkshire). After a brief and sexy reunion with Julia Flyte (Atwell), daughter of the Marchmain family, the story flashes back to Oxford and Charles’s first meeting with Julia’s charismatic brother Sebastian (Whishaw). The film concentrates on the two interlinking love stories — Sebastian’s passion for Charles over a long idyllic summer and the doomed love affair between Charles and Julia, as Charles becomes bedazzled and seduced by the glamour of this new world. Looming over the young peoples’ entanglements is the family’s Catholicism, which is rigidly enforced by the gracious, but dominating matriarch Lady Marchmain (Thompson).
The recreation of the period both visually and in social attitude is impeccable. Goode is excellent as Charles. Bedazzled he may be, but his interesting air of self-possession and ever hovering smile indicate depths of complex and possibly self-seeking motivation at which we can only guess. He also develops the character beautifully from very young man to adult. One is never quite sure about the true nature of his motives. Julia, a beautiful and privileged young woman, shaped and distorted by her religion, is the best role Atwell has had so far and she makes the most of the opportunity. The very talented Whishaw is predictably totally charismatic as Sebastian with a sly little boy charm even as a young man, but highly strung, vulnerable, an alcoholic and again, distorted by his religion. His attraction to Charles and the latter’s half reciprocation is very subtly handled. Felicity Jones as Cordelia Flyte and Ed Stoppard as her eldest brother Bridey also make an impression and there’s sterling support from the older players. Thompson with her impeccable, chilly good manners and rigid white hair style is intimidating and finally touching as Lady Marchmain with Michael Gambon as her estranged husband, living in Venice with his mistress (Greta Scaachi) and Patrick Malahide as Charles’s somewhat parsimonious father.
The power wielded by the Catholic faith over the family may seem a touch baffling to many of today’s largely non-sectarian society, as with Julia’s inability to abandon her loveless marriage to live “in sin” with her beloved because it would cut her off forever from “God’s mercy”. Again one of the most powerful moments in the film is when the dying Lord Marchmain, a lapsed believer turned ardent atheist, is persuaded to make the sign of the cross on his deathbed.
One small disappointment in the story, which may well come from Waugh’s original novel, is the disappearance of Sebastian from the final part of the film. Whishaw has made such an impression that he’s much missed. Having taken considerable liberties with the story anyway, it would have been satisfying to, at least, have had a final shot of him in Morocco, where he has last been seen, just to bring him back into the frame.
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