Northanger Abbey

Rating:
Summary: Regency drivel
Review: As I understand it, the book NORTHANGER ABBEY was Jane Austen's one attempt at a Gothic satire - vastly different from her comedic novels built around Regency polite society, period manners, and notions of courtship and romance. If this film version (for the British telly) of NORTHANGER ABBEY is an accurate indicator, Jane should have stuck with her day job.

Katherine Schlesinger stars as Catherine Morland, a genteel adolescent sent off to the spa city of Bath to tarry awhile with good friends, Mr. and Mrs. Allen (Geoffrey Chater and Googie Withers respectively). Of course, right off one can see a difference between NA and PRIDE & PREJUDICE, SENSE & SENSIBILITY, MANSFIELD PARK, and EMMA, where the storylines evolve principally in rural manor houses. While in Bath, the Allen's make every effort to introduce Catherine to "society". Two of those that befriend her are Henry Tilney (Peter Firth) and his sister Eleanor (Ingrid Lacey), who eventually invite her to sleep over at the family manor, NORTHANGER ABBEY, presided over by their widowed father, General Tilney (Robert Hardy). This is where the satire comes in.

Catherine and her impressionable girlfriends are absorbed in one particular Gothic novel - a contemporary best seller, so to speak - that has an illustration of the heroine at the mercy of the ogreish master of a gloomy estate. Anyway, Catherine has delicious nightmares of being in a similar situation extrapolated to the point where the peril to her virtue seems at hand after the dreamworld villain carries her upstairs during a violent storm, then leers suggestively after tossing her onto a bed. These dreams work on Catherine's overwrought imagination such that, while at NORTHANGER ABBEY, she begins to suspect that the creepy general had something to do with the sudden death of his wife. The connection between the two scenarios seems dodgy, but the point of Ms. Austen's satire was "Oh, puhleeze!" That, at least, I can agree with.

For me, the main problem with this film was that absolutely none of the characters were engaging or particularly interesting. Miss Morland is the epitome of the wide-eyed Silly Girl whose foolishness knows no limits. Moreover, the screenplay was borrrring from beginning to end, the soundtrack was melodramatic to the point of campiness, and the ending was so low key as to be almost invisible. (I didn't realize the conclusion had arrived until the credits rolled. A nice surprise, in retrospect.) Good heavens, what was the BBC thinking when it produced this drivel? It makes the cinematic versions of Austen's other works released in the 1990s, more clever by far, look comparatively like the greatest films ever made. The only positive note was the use of the romantically moated, 14th century Bodiam Castle in Kent for the exterior shots of Northanger Abbey.

Rating:
Summary: Oddly Enchanting to Watch
Review: I've read every one of Jane Austen's novels, and watching the adaptations of her work has been a pleasure for me. Having seen them all, I must say that this movie is above all the least true to her book. However, I fell immediately in love with the odd little quirks and enchanting surprises that this film possessed. They caught me off-guard and brought sudden smiles to my face (and I will have you know that I smile least of any body I know.) For instance - the strange dream sequences, running through the church cemetery, the blue moth in Mrs. Tilney's chamber, the little French servants cartwheels, Peter Firth's unique gestures and facial expressions, the eerie, fluty music - and ah, I could go on and on..... And by the way, I thought the acting was very good - Catherine was unassuming & looked the part. Peter Firth cut a fine figure as Mr. Tilney. Boy! Has this movie been beat up here or what! I don't care - I suppose I can see some of the point in it, as it totally missed the irony &, well, point, that Jane Austen had intended -- yet do not doubt for a second that it suited this vampire's fiendishly-refined tastes just fine!

Rating:
Summary: Worth a perusal
Review: We all know that the BBC, with some funding from A&E, could do a great adaptation of this film (hint, hint)! But since they don't seem to be interested in doing that, fans of the Jane Austen novel this film is based on, will have to refer to this made-for-British-TV version for a quick Northanger Abbey 'fix'.

Which is not a bad way to describe the nature of this film. Its screenplay is the bare bones of JA's classic novel, which leaves much of her satire, -- not to mention her witty dialogue,-- out. What was an intriguing and entertaining satire on the popular Gothic novels of its time, was made into a dreamlike, slightly creepy, light romance. Entertaining for what it is; deeply satisfying it is not. However, there are good things about this film, that JA fans will enjoy.

The biggest of these is the strength of the film's cast. The acting is superb, and the actors well suited to their roles. Peter Firth is perfectly charming as Henry Tilney, and though deprived of some of JA's better lines from the novel, conveys those he has with just the right passion for a romantic hero. And the heroine, played wonderfully by Katharine Schlesinger, is just as the novel imagined, innocent and eager to greet the world, all wide eyes and innocence. The supporting cast is also fine, especially Googie Withers as Mrs. Allen, and the Thorpe siblings.

Other high points are the lush and colorful costumes, and the vivid and romantic setting. All the opulence of dress from the 1790's, the novel's timeframe, is preserved, including piles of curls on the head, and garrish make-up. The Roman bath scene is a unique and interesting look at what one of the popular health spas of yesterday were like. And in spite of the inappropriateness of substituting a castle for an abbey, who wouldn't want to be a guest in one like this, or think it a likely place for adventure and romance for the heroine of a Gothic tale, which Catherine Morland so wants to be?

There have been just complaints about this film. The soundtrack is a departure from the JA film norm, and takes some getting used to. John Thorpe is a leering villian, instead of a bumbling fool, as in the novel. The Gothic daydream scenes are sometimes jarring and even disturbing, different from the novel's lighter, satirical tone. But overall these little quirks, along with others, seem to work, within the peculiar context of the film's truncated, but still Gothic and romantic, world. Even the Marchioness's strange appearance adds a pinch of dream flavor to this Gothic soup.

This film is probably best viewed as its own entity, and not as an adaptation of the novel. For JA fans, a more faithful version is needed (please!) but this has strong parts enough for occasional viewing as a curiosity (or just to give the Pride and Prejudice dvd a rest)! Like the Gothic romance novels of Mrs. Radcliffe, which this film in part satirizes, it should be enjoyed by quick consumption, and like that list of laundry bills in a mysterious, old trunk, not too seriously.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyed through the eyes of an untraditional Austen fan
Review: I've read a lot of opinions by other Jane Austen fans. I guess I'm untraditional because although I love all the film adaptations (NA completing my JA collection) I like NA the most as a book, and tied with Persuasion as a film. Despite being shot a while ago, without big money, I liked it through and through - the actors were fantastic (Peter Firth's Henry Tilney is MY favourite Austen hero), I think I'm the only person who liked the soundtrack that went with it (and wish I had it on CD), and it was the film that made me read the book. Some complain that the book's ending is a bit abrupt and doesn't tie up "loose ends", well, as long as you get the usual Jane Austen happy ending that's all you can ask for - perfection is in the eye of the beholder. Personally I like this film better than Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth, which was great in itself, but whatever floats your boat. You either like something or you don't. It was because this film was so different from all the other adaptations that I enjoyed it immensely. It took a chance, gave Austen a slightly different flavour. In my eyes, it suceeded.

Rating:
Summary: WARNING: Read the book first!
Review: I made the very large mistake of watching this adaptation of Northanger Abbey BEFORE I read Jane Austen's beloved book! Never again shall I do anything so foolish . . . (please ignore my silly review further down- drat these non-deletable forms!).

Being a very great Austen fan, I came across the 1979 BBC version of Northanger Abbey at my local library and promptly snatched it up. I had not yet read the book, and in my still fairly immature stages of Austen-mania, did not really know how to judge such a film. I didn't know yet that JA wrote Northanger Abbey as a satire on the gothic novels of the day, so I missed much of the intentions of the novel (as, I must say, did the screen-writer!). Now that I have read Northanger Abbey (more than once) and come to regard it as my favorite novel second only to Pride and Prejudice, I find myself greatly annoyed by the unreasonable and unwanted changes that were made between the book and the movie.

The roles of Henry Tilney and Catherine Moreland were played quite well by Peter Firth, and Katherine Schlessinger, respectively. Ms. Schlessinger especially deserves kudos for taking on the role and preserving the "innocent, wide-eyed" look that one would imagine for Catherine Moreland. This film has been a subject of great debate among people who love the story, for, as they claim, is does do a fair job of butchering the story. However, all in all, the basic plot line is maintained, and the costuming and scenery are well represented. Many well-known "true brit" actors are in the cast, including Robert Hardy (Sir John Middleton in Sense and Sensibility) as General Tilney, Googie Withers as Mrs. Allen, and Cassie Stewart as Isabella Thorpe. Other characters that are exceptionally portrayed are Eleanor Tilney & Captain Tilney. James Moreland and John Thorpe don't seem to fit the part, but that is probably more the fault of the script writers than the actors. The same would be case for Henry Tilney, who is portrayed as a snuff-sniffing, cane-twirling "Mama's boy" type, as opposed to the gorgeous, swashbuckling hero that we read about in the story. Another sad thing is that the movie doesn't even mention the fact of his being a clergyman, which, in my humble opinion, is one of the qualities that makes him so very endearing! On the other hand, if one is not comparing Peter Firth's portrayal of Henry Tilney to the real Henry Tilney, his character can be quite pleasing. To be sure, he does not utter some of Henry's most endearing lines (journals, etc.), but other good lines were created for him, and he delivers his lines with feeling and animation. Some of his "looks" are particularly humorous and exactly how one could imagine Henry looking!

My objections to this film are many, simply because there were many added and unnessesary scenes. First of all, the presence of General Tilney's "friend and confidante", The Marchioness. Her character is utterly strange and completely out of place. I cannot account for how she was created or the rational for settling her in this film. Secondly, the music is very "eighties", featuring new-age sounds, chanting voices, and a type of "nighclub" percussion effect. It doesn't fit the movie at all (on the other hand, maybe it DOES fit the movie, just not the story?). Another item to mention would be the strange "flashback" sequences, which are actually supposed to be Catherine's "flights of fancy"-her imaginings and dreams. Some of them are a bit creepy (Mrs. Allen poking a needle through her finger? General Tilney washing his hands in a basin of blood? Give me a break!), yet silly to the point of being boring and stupid. They contribute to the film moving along way, way too slowly. Then there is the issue of Eleanor Tilney having a secret lover, which seems quite out-of-character for her, and happens to be another addition of the screen-writers which I positively can make no sense of. Here's yet another. . . John Thorpe, who is really supposed to be just a foolish, not-so-bright young man, is portrayed as a scemeing, conniving, deceitful, and wicked fellow. I understand that the screenwriter may have wanted a rake as in Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, but it really wasn't necessary.

The proposal scene in the end could either melt your heart or make you absolutely hate the film and never want to see it again. Again, it doesn't fit the story, and certainly does not seem like a scene that JA would have written! However, if you have always longed to know more about the proposal (which JA actually "leaves out" of the story), and you're a true romantic--one who adores white horses, men riding out of the mist, and strange night-club music in the background, than you'll love it. For your benefit (and not actually quoted directly, but just pulled from my memory), here are the lines that Henry speaks as he approaches Catherine. . .

Henry: "Miss Moreland, do not be afraid. I promise not to oppress you with too much remorse or too much passion. . . though since you left us, the white rose bushes died of grief. Catherine, are you still a disgrace to your sex? Does your face betray all that your heart feels, or may I hope that it holds a secret? You know that I do not need my father's permission to marry?"

Catherine: "But he knows you are here?"

Henry: "Yes"

They kiss.

Okay, there you have it. Somewhat sappy, somewhat sweet. I loved it the first time I saw the film-in fact, I rewound that particular part about a dozen times. The kiss is pretty beautiful, but I still can't get over the fact that the scene doesn't fit the story. Alas and alack!

Well, I have likes, I have dislikes. Notwithstanding the films' obvious problems, I still enjoy watching it very occasionally. However, I am greatly looking forward to the new film which Andrew Davies is in the process of writing, and which should hopefully be finished in the year 2000!

Rating:
Summary: The last scene makes it all worth while!
Review: Northanger Abbey was the only Jane Austen book that I never read, having been told that it was boring and not worth my time. Therefore, I hesitated to see the movie, but once it started I couldn't stop it! I enjoyed it-- oh! so much! The character of Catherine Moreland with her wild imagination was delightful, reminding me so much of myself it was unreal. While the entire things was marvelous, the last scene was the best. As gorgeous Henry Tillney rides up through the mist, as he says beautiful things to Catherine such as "since you left us the white rose bushes died of grief," as a tear trickles down Catherine's cheek, and as they kiss-- the most pure, passionate kiss I've ever seen on film-- well, when it's over, you'll be on a high for the rest of the day. If only ALL romances were like that!

Rating:
Summary: A Jane Austen fanatic who loves this movie
Review: As a devoted fan of Jane Austen's novels, I must say I love this movie. Although it's not a slavish attempt at recreating the book, the characterizations are very true to the book, and the movie successful embodies several of the book's themes. In addition, it works beautifully as a movie. The actors who play the leads bring their roles to life beautifully, and the character actors are wonderful.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing!
Review: This novel is my least favorite of Austen's work. However, I did expect to pleased when I sat to watch this video. I was thoroughly disappointed. This film was just plain silly.

Rating:
Summary: A different feel from the book
Review: I acknowledge that good films don't have to follow their original scripts exactly, but this one was lacking in the spirit Jane Austen wrote it in. The characters of General Tilney and Catherine Morland are preserved, but Catherine has strange and bloody fantasies that don't match up with her character in the novel. The saxophone that's wailing as you watch the pastoral English scenery makes you cringe, and the creepy soundtrack is better fitting for a horror movie. Eleanor Tilney acts at once assertive and submissive, unlike her original whose timidity and obedience helped show the depth of the general's control. And the marchioness with the Kiss makeup and the boy doing cartwheels were not created by Austen and came out of left field. More than anything, the gory and creepy feel doesn't match up with the lighthearted satirical tone of the novel, thereby missing the point of the story. The ending seems to fit into the type of out-there romantic and gothic writing that Austen intended to make fun of. Let's hope a better version is made someday.

Rating:
Summary: Northanger Abbey
Review: Just an awful movie~ Save your money and buy Sense and Sensibility, or Posession. This was truly one of the worse films I've ever purchased and I'm even madder that I paid for this one~ It really is just "AWFUL"~