Gormenghast

Rating:
Summary: weird
Review: I haven't read the book, so I can't say how faithful it is to the book or comment on the plot or whatever. As a production, the TV series succeeded in making Gormenghast seem like a huge, isolated, crumbling, bewildering place full of rituals and social hierarchy. The beginning looks like "Labryinth", with colourful, fantasy-looking scenery. The castle seems to be made of old painted mud, not brick or stone.

The weird mix of clothing and technology made the series seem even more odd. The ladies wear medieval dress, SteerPike the villian wears regency/victorian dress, and the guards wear world war era uniforms. Towards the end of the series, the medieval wizard-like offices of the secretary look like fascist headquarters, complete with filing units built into the wall. The boats seem like Venetian gondolas, they have modern black umbrellas, yet the Countess and her women look like they're from Elizabeth I's court (to my common layman's eye).

Everybody is weird, and there is no one to like until Titus grows up. The kitchen boy seems like a nice person at first,as we follow his adventures through the castle, but then he becomes a bitter, ruthless murderer. The young daughter, Lady Fushia, is a spoilt, selfish shallow girl. And everyone else is worse. Even the nursemaid, an outcast from her own people, is kind to the baby Titus, but tries to subvert him to take care of her own daughter. The characters are all very weird.

When Titus grows up, he becomes a good man, someone I can finally like in the very long TV series. But then he starts making out with his foster sister. Ew, gross. In Canada, at least, foster-, step-, adopted- and related-by-marriage-sisters are treated the same as blood sisters when it comes to marital law, so the fact that he can want to kiss his foster sister is supremely icky to me. But then, I get grossed out by blood cousins getting married in Jane Austen's novels, so maybe it's just me.

I liked the ending, the scenery (even if bewildering), and I'm really glad I watched the TV series instead of trying to read the novel as some of the characters are really weird and annoying.

I'm rating this 4 stars because if the books have such weird scenery, characters and atmosphere, the BBC did a fantastic job bringing it to the small screen.

Rating:
Summary: Breathtaking . . .
Review: I was prepared to be disappointed with any adaptation from a book, but this one took my breath away. As other reviewers have noted, the casting and acting were excellent. Strong recommend!

Rating:
Summary: You have to see it to believe it!
Review: I feel a little guilty for watching "Gormenghast." I own a copy of Mervyn Peake's epic tale but have yet to read it. The length of the novel is part of the problem; at well over 1000 pages, one does not assume the responsibility of this tome lightly. It would take me roughly a week to read it if "War and Peace" is any indication (I read that novel in about eight days). I want to read the novel at some point, but I will delight myself with the memories of this colorful adaptation from the nice folks at the BBC in the interim. English television dramas, at least the few I have seen, tend to be much better than American efforts. Apparently, British audiences want their multipart productions to have canyon deep character development and expansive storylines not easily resolved within a few hours. I couldn't agree more, as I hate most of what I see on American television (with a few exceptions). Anyway, since I did not read the book before diving into this program, I came into the whole thing with little expectation of what I would see. I should not have worried. "Gormenghast" is an amazing imaginative flight, full of lush scenery, hilarious and intriguing characters, and complex plot lines. This production clocks in at four plus hours.

Where to start? Well, Gormenghast is a sprawling city/state presided over by the Groan dynasty. The royal house of Gormenghast is an ancient, decaying line stretching back into the dim recesses of time. The city and its monarchy are so old that no one remembers what any of the rituals of rule mean anymore. The current occupant of the throne is the doddering Lord Groan, a leader weary of the endless drudgery associated with his duties. Every minute of every day requires a host of arcane rites that saps his soul. But the birth of a new heir named Titus means that the lineage will continue through the veins of a new leader. All residents of Gormenghast must prepare for the eventual transfer of power; an amusing thing indeed considering the ascension of a new Groan will mean little overall change. Even as the new heir begins the long process of grooming, an ominous threat arises within the byzantine Gormenghast, a threat that, if unchecked, could well topple the Groans forever.

This threat to the very essence of Gormenghast is the wily Steerpike, a lowly soul who begins his climb to power as a lackey in the vast kitchens of the city. Through a combination of fawning subservience and ruthless calculation, Steerpike manages to move out of the kitchens into a series of increasingly important posts. As Titus Groan grows into a man Steerpike gets closer and closer to what he perceives is his true destiny: the destruction of the Groan dynasty and the installation of himself as ruler of the city. And not a soul will stand in his way, not the elder Lord Groan, not the conniving sisters Clarice and Cora Groan, and certainly not the man who keeps track of all of Gormenghast's various rituals. It is to this post that Steerpike eventually rises, a position only a few inches away from the seat of real power. Inevitably, a showdown between Titus Groan and Steerpike will decide the very fate of this ancient city as well as pave the way for Titus Groan to make his own decisions about what he wishes to do regarding his onerous heritage.

"Gormenghast" is stunning in every sense of the word. The set pieces, the costumes, the performances, the expansive plot, and the humor all contribute mightily to this majestic piece of entertainment. I don't know what I was expecting when I popped this DVD into my player, but it definitely wasn't the images that flowed across the screen. I had always heard Peake's novel delves into some very bleak and dark places. I also heard that the book emphasizes the idea of a monarchy in decline, thereby drawing--perhaps appropriately--parallels to the English royal family. "Gormenghast" the film is not moody and dark but rather a brightly lit, almost garish collection of odd buildings and just as odd characters. Moreover, the movie stresses class struggle between the thousands of employees toiling away in the city and the strange family that rules them, with Steerpike often speaking in language reminiscent of a Marxist rabble-rouser.

The best element of the movie isn't the issue of class or the lurid scenery; it is the warped characters and the actors who breathe life into them. Jonathan Rhys-Meyers turns the scheming Steerpike into one of cinema's great villains. You learn to loathe his character and cannot wait to see him get his comeuppance. Celia Imrie and Ian Richardson do wonderful turns as Lord and Lady Groan, Neve McIntosh marvels as the lovelorn Lady Fuschia, and Christopher Lee turns up in the crucial role of Flay, one of the household servants who sees Steerpike for what he is but can initially do little to stop him. My personal favorites, however, were John Sessions as the hilarious Dr. Prunesquallor, Fiona Shaw as his excitable wife Irma, and Stephen Fry as the absentminded Professor Bellgrove. I might as well just paste the entire cast list here, write "excellent" beside it, and leave it at that. Everyone here is that good. How does the BBC manage to put together such amazing casts? I may feel guilty about not reading the novel before watching the movie, but I think I will get over that sensation quite nicely!

Rating:
Summary: Twisted 'fairy tale' -- astonishing gothic fun!
Review: I am currently reading Mervyn Peake's trilogy so can not fully compare this series to the books, but this is just wonderful! This dark, sad yet richly humorous tale is extremely well done for a TV miniseries, yet I already see how much was left out and that it could have been even longer. Nevertheless, it hits the right notes and is a real treat to watch.

I won't give the plot away as others here have done. Yes, it's got bits of Greek drama, biblical redemption and Shakespearean morality entwined in an inventive tale. Visually, it's dead gorgeous, right down to the dusty, musty velvet costuming. (You can practically smell the mold!) But best of all, it's beautifully -- even spectacularly -- cast. Every character comes to life almost exactly as one imagines them from the books: the mad twins, Flay, Steerpike, Lord and Lady Groan, and of course, those wonderful Prunesquallors!

If you love fantasy, dark fairy tales, and/or gothic period pieces (and enjoy twisted humor), this is a winner! Also highly recommended is the companion book, "The Art of Gormenghast: The Making of a Television Fantasy" by Estelle Daniel, ISBN 0002571560.

Rating:
Summary: Lovely
Review: It's always difficult to be objective about the filmed version of books as beloved as Peake's are. Many fans have complained indignantly that the BBC's Gormenghast was too rushed, too over-simplified, too comedic, all of which are legitimate objections. Still, it's best to treat the book and the film as separate entities, and viewed on its own merit, Gormenghast is a stunning bit of television.

Split up into four episodes, the story may indeed be initially difficult to follow for those unfamiliar with the books, but in time that ceases to matter, as the viewer is quickly swept up in the film's surreal and visually arresting world. My hat's off to the set and costume designers, who did a fantastic job at creating an intricate and beautiful set. As beautiful as Gormenghast is to look at, the primary attraction for me is the acting, which is, with only a few exceptions, superb. The excellent performances are too numerous to list, but standouts include Ian Richardson and Celia Imrie, who are wonderful and completely believable, a hilariously over-the-top Fiona Shaw, and John Sessions, who gives a funny and sweetly camp performance as Dr. Prunesquallor. My only major quibble is with the casting of the pivotal role of Steerpike. Although Jonathan Rhys Meyers is certainly a very pretty lad who no doubt makes the teenage girls swoon, I found his performance strangely flat and sometimes cringe-worthy, and certainly not strong enough to carry the weight of the series. Just my opinion, of course, and the quality of the rest of the cast, along with the general artistry of the film, make up for a somewhat lacklustre villain. Additionally, the DVD comes with some nice extras, including a "Making Of" feature with interviews of the cast and crew. Well worth purchasing, even in pan-and-scan format.

Rating:
Summary: Missed opportunity
Review: Somehow, only in the last two hours did they finally begin to reach some of the texture of the books. Because the books are mostly that: texture. Hugely descriptive, they extend moments into centuries, and the plot is just a barely visible quiver near the enormous weight of the stones. It was only rarely that they reached that in this production -- so don't expect it. I think, somehow, with more sensitivity it could have been a really astounding thing -- the definitive Gormenghast is still waiting to be filmed.

Rating:
Summary: Avoid the pan and scan travesty
Review: This was a thoroughly enjoyable movie . . . on TV, where it was broadcast in widescreen format. Then somebody had the bright idea to butcher it with a pan and scan DVD transfer. This movie will be worth buying, when it eventually shows up in the original widescreen aspect ratio.

Rating:
Summary: Utterly beautiful, if somewhat rushed.
Review: Gormenghast (Andy Wilson, 2000)

It is likely that the first thing anyone notices about this gorgeous, sprawling BBC miniseries is the incredible cast, perhaps the most high-powered to be found since The Thorn Birds some twenty years ago. Headed by Jonathan Rhys-Meyers (b.Monkey, Titus) as Steerpike and the venerable Christoper Lee (The Lord of the Rings, the most recent series of Star Wars movies, and well over an hundred others)'who are also teaming up next Christmas for an adaptation of Peter S. Beagle's The Last Unicorn'the cast also includes such grand lights as Celia Imrie (Bridget Jones' Diary, Star Wars Ep I), Ian Richardson (Strange, Dark City), Richard Griffiths (Sleepy Hollow, the Harry Potter films), John Sessions (Gangs of New York), Zoe Wanamaker (Adrian Mole), Lynsey Baxter (Psychos), Stephen Fry (every movie made since 1994), and many, many more. 'Starpower' would be something of an understatement.

Everyone else is likely to be captivated by the stunning cinematography. It comes out not only in the wide, sweeping panoramas (the scene with Rhys-Meyers straddling the west wing roof and looking out over Gormenghast is justifiably famous), but also in the small details (how the colors of everything, from clothes to rocks to people) is just off enough to keep an undercurrent of disturbance running throughout the four hours of the miniseries.

The plot, what there is of it, is simply summed up: Gormenghast has stood for seventy-six generations, with the current Lord Groan (Richardson) at its head for a good number of years already. The story opens with the simultaneous birth of Lord Groan and Lady Gertrude (Imrie)'s son Titus, the seventy-seventh Earl of Groan, and the seeming revolt of Steerpike (Rhys-Meyers), who, in a fit of pique, escapes from the kitchens and manipulates his way into the lives of the Groans. The basic plot has to do with whether Steerpike's masterful manipulations can bring not only the Groans, but their whole earldom, to their knees. It is the underlying twists and turns, and the savagery of the satire on British upperclass life in the first part of the twentieth century, however, that makes this such a truly superb piece of work. Think of it as Upstairs, Downstairs on a very bad acid trip.

Where the miniseries fails is only where the source material fails, in most cases, and one can't count points off for that. However, trying to cram the whole thousand-plus pages of Gormenghast into four hours led to a few too many cuts; it would have been nice to see a six- or eight-hour production, which would have put it at just about the same length as the theatrical release of The Lord of the Rings and would have left in more of the subtleties of the text. As it stands, it seems at the opening of episode four that one of the major plotlines was just abandoned, with the resolution of it thrown in a bit farther down the pike to tie up the loose ends; the major scene dealing with the fate of Lord Groan is so ambiguous that only those with the DVD or who have the first novel fresh in their minds are likely to figure out what it really means; things like that. Perhaps little, but still telling.

For what it is, though, Gormenghast is a rich and wonderful tale, certainly one that should be sought out by those who feel the Lord of the Rings is the pinnacle of British twentieth-century fantastic literature; Peake's work is on a par with Tolkein's, and Andy Wilson's wonderful production does it at least as much justice as Peter Jackson does Tolkein (on a fraction of the budget, no less). ****

Rating:
Summary: Excellent, a triumphant fantasy!
Review: Gormenghast was a set of videos I checked out of the library on a whim. It turned out to be an exellent choice - Gormenghast is a rich, imaginative and passionately acted movie and well worth the investment of 4 hours to absorb.

Although I never read the books, I am now determined to. The movie was excellent, the casting superb and the costumes rich in a "Romeo and Juliette", Franco Zeffirelli fashion. I think some American movie goers might laugh at some of the blue-screen outdoor shots, which is the only technical point on which I could find any fault, but the backdrops were beautiful and the props detailed.

The acting is what really makes this movie superb, however. Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as Steerpike was Clockwork Orange superb. He brought a brilliant, angry, slightly psychotic presence to the movie that would have made it fasinating without a supporting cast. Combine his performance with a host of comic and dramatic big name actors, not the least of which are Christopher Lee, John Sessions, Ian Richardson, Eric Sykes and at least 12 others, and you have a film rich in pure talent and passionate execution in every area - a rarely acheived feat.

There are many excellent web sites and web rings devoted to the author, Mervyn Peake, with information about him, his work, and excerpts of the book that are worth checking out in relationship with this movie. Although much of the story was left out in the film, so the book readers say, they seem as happy with it as I was.

Gormenghast gives you a sometimes comical, sometimes groteque, look at the aristrocracy, and at the hearts and motivations of just about every kind of person. It's easy to sink into, the actor's being so over the top in their performances, and when the yanks come at your own feelings, you fall into them with a willingness to explore. An excellent film, worthy of a laugh and a cheer - and consideration of the different faces you may wear and wish to celebrate or change.

Rating:
Summary: Defiled by Pan-and-Scan
Review: A fine production, but wasted on a pan-and-scan DVD release. This was broadcast in widescreen, so I'm boggled they would chop it down for the DVD. I'll wait for the widescreen version, which will hopefully be released someday.