“A film based on one of the top selling classic novels ever written, ‘BRIDESHEAD REVISITED’ is a film that is beautiful, well-performed and fantastic.  Definitely worth checking out on DVD!”
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TITLE: BRIDESHEAD REVISITED
DURATION: 133 minutes
DVD INFORMATION: NTSC, 2:35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, Color, English and French 5.1 (Dolby Digital), French and Spanish Subtitles
RATED: PG-13 (For some Sexual Content)
COMPANY: Miramax Films
Directed by Julian Jarrold
Based on the original story by Evelyn Waugh
Produced by Robert Bernstein, Douglas Rae, Kevin Loader
Written by Andrew Davies and Jeremy Brock
Director of Photograpy: Jess Hall
Line Producer: Rosa Romero
Production Designer: Alice Normington
Editor: Chris Gill
Executive Producers: David M. Thompson, Nicole Finnan, Tim Haslam, Hugo Heppell
Starring:
Emma Thompson (As Lady Marchmain)
Matthew Goode (as Charles Ryder)
Ben Whishaw (as Sebastian Flyte)
Hayley Atwell (as Julia Flyte)
Ed Stoppard (as Bridley Flyte)
Michael Gambon (as Lord Marchmain)
Thomas Morrison (as Hooper)
Anna Madeley (as Celia Ryder)
Hayley Atwell (as Julia Flyte)
Inspired by the best-selling novel, the provocative and intense “Brideshead Revisted” is a riveting drama of forbidden love, power and betrayal, featuring stunning performances by Academy Award winner Emma Thompson (Best Actress, Howard’s End, 1992) and Matthew Goode (the Lookout). When the charming aristocrat Sebastian invites Charles Ryder to his family’s estate, Charles becomes seduced by the opulent lifestyle of the Marchmain family, and by Julia, Sebastian’s sister. As their romance deepens, repercussions follow, and Charles discovers that at Brideshead, love, money and power come at a price. It’s a spellbinding story you’ll want to revisit again and again.
Much has been said about the film version of “Brideshead Revisited”, a movie based on a 1945 novel written by English writer Evelyn Waugh. The film has been considered as one of the all-time 100 novels (according to Time Magazine) and has spawned a drama series in 1981 which was critically acclaimed.
In 2008, writers Andrew Davies and Keremy Brock along with director Julian Jarrold has created a film based on the book but this time changing a few things and taking on the challenges of condensing a novel to a two hour film.
The film takes place in England many years before World War II and centers around the following individuals:
Charles Ryder (played by Matthew Goode) - The main protagonist who attends Oxford University and wants to become an artist. He is also an atheist which plays a major part in the film. He was brought up by his father Edward who he stays during his off time or holidays away from college. He has a distant relationship with his father. Charles also has a free life in which he likes to experience things. So, in this film, he and Sebastian have a relationship but at the same time, while together with Sebastian, he ends up having a passionate kiss with his sister Julia. Thus a love triangle in the family.
Sebastian Flyte (played by Ben Whishaw) – The younger son of the Marchmain family. He is an unhappy man due to his mother’s oppressive Catholic ways. He is homosexual and in love with Charles but because of his Catholic upbringing, he is made to feel worse by his mother and feels that because of his lifestyle, it’s a sin and thus he is always wanting to be far from Brideshead (the castle in which the Marchmain family lives). So, there is no possible way he could be with Charles because two men together would be a sin.
Julia Flyte (played by Hayley Atwell) – The eldest daughter of the Marchmain family. Somewhat mischievous, she and Charles fall in love but because she is to marry a Catholic which is Charles is not, she must not get romantic with him. Making things worse, her brother Sebastian catches the two kissing and thus creating some major tension at Brideshead.
Lady Marchmain (played by Emma Thompson) – The mother of Sebastian and Julia and two other children. She rules the household with an iron fist. Her life is dedicated to God and forces God’s belief and ways to her children who must abide her rules.
Alexander Flyte/Lord Marchmain (played by Michael Gambon) – The husband of Lady Marchmain.  Married Lady Marchmain, converted to become a Catholic but became unhappy and moved to Venice, Italy and lives with a Catholic mistress. He dislikes how his wife has forced her Catholic ways to her children and making them unhappy.
The film begins with Charles and Sebastian attending University. The two become good friends and when Charles tells Sebastian that he will draw a picture of him, Sebastian just falls head over heels for him. The two visit Sebastian and his beautiful castle known as Brideshead which he really does not want to visit but for Charles sake, because he’s an artist, shows him the art and statues that surround the home. It’s obvious that the two are quite close and eventually, the two start kissing.
His mother Lady Marchmain arrives and wants to meet Charles. While getting prepared for dinner, he catches Lady Marchmain admonishing Sebastian for creating a sin by being/kissing Charles. While at Brideshead, Charles sees firsthand how powerful Lady Marchmain is and how the four children react to their mother.  He also sees first hand how the children practice their Catholic religion at the church inside the home.  When Lady Marchmain asks for Charles to spend Summer at Brideshead, Sebastian says that their father requested he and Julia to spend time in Venice.  And Spencer invites Charles as the guest to accompany them in Venice.
At Venice, Charles gets to know Lord Marchmain and his mistress. Especially, how different he is with the kids as opposed to Lady Marchmain. While at Venice, both Charles and Sebastian’s sister Julia become close and Charles kisses her. Sebastian catches the two kissing and he is devastated.
When everyone returns home, he is contacted by Lady Marchmain who is disappointed that Charles has hurt the family. Sebastian has become an alcoholic and Julia can only marry a Catholic and not an atheist. But Charles owes her a favor for hurting his family and invites her to the party announcing the engagement of Julia and a Catholic man, Canadian Entrepreneur Rex Mottram. Charles is shocked that she is getting married but reluctantly agrees to appear at the engagement party.
Charles sees Sebastian who is truly a mess. His family has stopped giving him any money (because he uses the money towards alcohol) that he is now resorting to taking his belongings and selling them to get money for alcohol. But he’s broke and asks Charles to help him by giving him money. Charles helps him out.
Meanwhile at the engagement party, Charles, who has strong feelings for Julia can’t believe she is getting married but then in front of everyone at the wedding ceremony, Sebastian arrives in drunken stupor, telling his mother and everyone how he hates them and says to Charles that he’s just there so he can have sex with his sister.
Naturally, Lady Marchmain blames Charles for the problems of her family but Charles tells her, it’s not him, it’s her and her forcing Catholicism towards her children. Lady Marchmain kicks him out of the castle, cutting him off from Sebastian and Julia.
And thus a storyline continues four years after that incident, then more years later with everyone a different life and being torn inside by their family commitment of being a Catholic but at the same time wondering if they can leave Brideshead and live the lives they want or will Brideshead make them return and thus living the life that their mother wanted of them. As for Charles, he has some life changes, especially when he reunites with someone once close to him.
The film is quite epic as it’s filmed in the UK, Venice and Morocco and there are so many beautiful locations indoor and outdoor, “Brideshead Revisited” is rather ambitious.  Each person is cast pretty well with Matthew Goode, having to use less dialogue and reading his emotions through his facial expressions.  Emma Thompson, Ben Whishaw and Hayley Atwell did a remarkable job with their role and overall, the film was a good story about family and the pressures of that time of socioeconomic times when people were judged by the places they lived, the clothes they wear and where religion was strictly enforced and sinful ways were intolerable. But to see how a family would change once Charles enters their life. Is he their poison or is he giving them a chance to live free?
VIDEO & AUDIO:
The film is featured in widescreen (2:40:1) and there are just many beautiful shots in this film. The crew went all out in shooting scenes in London at the beautiful Castle Howard which filled in quite nicely for Brideshead and also capturing the beautiful landscape of Venice, Italy and then in Morocco.
As for the audio, the audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. There are quite a few scenes from the film that utilized the rear audio channels nicely. For example, at Morocco, you can hear the people all around you and in some scenes that featured a car zooming. But overall, this film is primarily dialogue-driven.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The DVD includes a few bonus features such as:
- Deleted Scenes with optional Commentary – A few scenes that had some parts cut out of the film and the director talks about why they were cut out of the film.
- Filmmakers Audio Commentary - Julian Jarrold and others talk about the actual filming and behind-the-scene facts. Also, reasons why they changed certain scenes from the way it was featured in the novel and the way it was featured on the film.
- “The World of Brideshead” Featurette – This is a 23-minute featurette featuring interviews with the cast and behind-the-scenes footage of the making of the film, the challenges of shooting at various locations and much more.
I have never read the novel or seen the drama series before but I do know it’s impact and how the book is acknowledged as one of the top 100 written novels of all time by Time Magazine.   I can only think that what the writers and director were able to craft from a long novel for International audiences truly worked.
Watching the film unfold from beginning to end, I can see the complications of Catholicism forced upon the parents to their children and how these children have taken a brunt of the religion and have grown to really not get along with their mother. But from my research of the book and this film, I can understand those who are supportive and those who are vehemently against the film because of it’s changes. Primarily between Charles and Sebastian. In the book, the two are really close friends. If they were having any romance, it was ambiguous. If anything, the relationship was platonic. In the film, they are lovers.
As much as the film sounds like it’s bashing the Catholic religion, the truth is that its not.  The book features the major characters who were affected by the Catholic religion growing up and their distaste of it because of the way it was forced upon them so strictly. But because of certain situations in their life that has caused them pain, these characters realize that they need God in their life and they convert themselves into Catholics.
The writer, Evelyn Waugh is a Catholic convert and some may see this film as a positive storyline of the journey of how people who are not a Catholic somehow grow to find God and finally end their sinful ways and become closer to God by converting. And if many people in the world can do that and dedicate their life to God, then possibly an atheist like Charles Ryder can also change?
By saying that, this is by no means a Christian or a Catholic film, nor is this a film that you want to show your church group. The fact is that the director decided to end the ambiguity between Charles Ryder and Sebastian Flyte’s relationship and not make it platonic but two men who care fondly for each other and are quite romantic. Their is a lot of infidelity going on in this film.
“BRIDESHEAD REVISTED” is one of those films that may or may not be for everyone because of it’s touchy subject. You have on one hand, a group so passionate about the novel and drama series who have a bit of disdain because the story has been condensed and changed. But at the same time, I’m sure there are people like myself who never read the original book, nor have watched the original drama series that can view this film and just be entertained by the beauty of the art that surrounds Brideshead, the beautiful scenery and locations where this film was shot. And just enjoy its pleasant but yet intricate storyline featuring spectacular performances from the talent in this film.
I know that I’m probably missing out on many other storylines and major character development points that were featured prominently in the novel. There’s only so much you can do in a two hour film. But I personally enjoyed the film and found it beautiful in so many ways and again, the performances by Emma Thompson and Matthew Goode and the others were fantastic.
So, “BRIDESHEAD REVISITED” was an enjoyable film in my book. Definitely give this DVD a try!