Rating: 
Summary: RAJ REVISITED REDUX
Review: PAUL SCOTT,S QUAD NOVELS FROM60/70,S , CONCERNING LAST DAYS OF BRITISH RULE OF INDIA, COVERS ONLY THE YEARS 1942-47. IT IS HERE FILMED WITH CONSUMATE BBC FLAIR FOR THE TRUE HISTORICAL LOOK INTO THE PAST, NO HOLLYWOOD OVERLIGHTING, ETC. CHARACTERS ARE GREAT AND TREATED EQUALLY WITH REGARD TO NATIONALITY, IN SPITE OF ENGLISH RACIAL DIVISIONS IN THEIR EMPIRE BUILDING SCHEMES. THESE STUDIES ARE GLIMPSES INTO THE MYSTERIES AND SILENCES OF INDIA. JD MYERS, AT LO NOB/HI CHINA-SAN FRANCISCO
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Summary: Strange, historical Eastern exoticism
Review: Set in India during the political withdrawal of the British Raj, a powerful spirit of Indian independence registers itself with the few remaining Brits, who have led a lush life in the conquered country. Mother India makes it known, through various central characters, that the English must leave.Not so much depicted as an outright occurrance, the transition is sketched at great length, via unique individual character studies, tremendous location footage and a spooky overall awareness that bad things will happen to those who refute the changing of the guard. A memorable series that thrust Tim Pigott-Smith into the mainstream. Very disturbing.
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Summary: Superb dialog. Poignant character studies.
Review: The dialog in this set is superb. Character studies are relevant to the times and blend in beautifully with the historical context. In many scenes I could actually recall smells, sounds, and the chaos that was and is India. If you have lived, visited, or interested in India this is a must have set. So get yourself a "budda peg" of scotch, a cigar (dare I say!), and enjoy.
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Summary: Art Malik is a babe :)
Review: The gorgeous Mr. Malik turns in a sensitive performance as Hari Kumar. He is soooooo cute in this movie. WOW! The dialogue is perhaps overdramatic & the other actors are oftentimes wooden though.
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Summary: I am your mother and your father.....
Review: THE JEWEL IN THE CROWN is probably the most powerful and moving film story I have ever seen. THE ENGLISH PATIENT comes close to being my all time favorite, but JITC wins. I am interested in comtemplative psychological studies and Sarah Layton and several of the other characters are very complex people whom the film portrays rather well. JITC pays attention to detail. It is sumptuous like an early Merchant-Ivory film--ROOM WITH A VIEW. The most minute details are important--the silver "Apostle" spoons, the dressing table loaded with costmetics jars, cherry jelly for the blanc mange, hats and dresses and uniforms based on WWII clothing styles, interiors of Rose cottage, bungalows, palaces, railroad cars, and the slum dwellers of large Indian cities. In spite of what appears to be a direct transfer of the original 20-year old print to DVD, the colors and resolution are pretty good. It's rather like listening to an ADD recording. The original filmography was marvelous (a good part of the film must have been shot in India or southeast Asia) though some of the outdoor scenes waver in places owing to the deterioration caused by the affect of light exposure--but never matter, it's still head and shoulders above more recent works. The folks who produced this film loved India and have probably made it as real as it can be for the armchair/time traveler. All we are missing are the smells and the taste of Tandoorii cooking. I have become so accustomed to stream-lined conversations on screen I had forgotten what I was missing. Imagine a scene in a sitting room involving 4-5 women discussing a baby's feeding schedule. The scene is important for what the characters don't say. That's one effect of this film, you realize what people don't say. It's got to do with manners, and being a brick. I think this film will appeal to many people (has appealed to many) but today it would probably be classified as a "woman's film." JITC had lots of juicy roles for female actresses. For me Sarah Layton is the key figure and through her the film is held together. The actress who played her is virtually unknown, and not especially pretty, but she is beautiful. I came to care very much for Sarah, although she is mindful of her class which can irritate good democrats. Peggy Ascroft is fabulous as Barbie Bachelor, the aging and unwanted missionary. Other actresses you might recognize include Rosmary Leach as Aunt Fenny (the mother in ROOM WITH A VIEW and in PD James COVER HER FACE. Older Mrs Layton, Colonel Layton's stepmother had her hair filled with flowers in ROOM WITH A VIEW, and many of the male and female actresses show up today in PBS Mysteries and other current BBC productions. Dalziel and Pascoe fans will recogize Rosie the gay corporal. Art Malik who plays Hari Kumar and the actor who plays Jimmy Walker, the fellow who seduces Sarah, have both made recent appearances in SECOND SIGHT on PBS Mystery. If you're an American fan of BBC productions you will recognize many faces although Charles Dance who plays Guy Perron and Tim Piggot-Smith who plays Ronald Merrick may be the only names you recognize other than Dame Peggy Ashcroft. The fellows who play Indians have shown up as Pakistanis in MY SON THE FANATIC and EAST IS EAST and Rumpole. The story is told from the perspective of the upper class English serving in India. Along with Hari Kumar who was raised in England, most are connected via their association with a particular school 'Chillingborough" (sp??). You hear the school name mentioned so often, you almost laugh when Merrick (Tim Piggot-Smith) says "Chillingborogh of course" when the issue of school affiliation is raised (he is from the middle-class and did not go to the upper-crust school). There are some scenes involving only Indians, but I think these are so rare and incomplete with few exceptions that you must see them as necessary to futher the plot. I've watched this film twice now, and I know it is very complex. I'm sure it's an allegory along the lines of the Mahahabrata (sp??) and someday I'll figure it out. It's got to do with mothers and fathers and children and an invisible man.
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Summary: Subtle, evocative and ultimately haunting
Review: They just don't make mini series of this quality anymore. The slow pace grows on you, lets you savor the sounds and images of India without ever distracting from the storyline. The screenplay follows closely the original books of the Raj quartet and the actors are so well chosen and perform so admirably I couldn't picture anybody else in their parts.
The shadings of character are well outlined and the spirit of colonialism is well preserved and ogled from every possible angle. There are no cheap shots just character studies of fantastic depth and patience. The starcrossed love story of Hari Kumar and Daphne Manners is the heart of the story and infiltrates the fate of the people coming after them as well as the fate of India as a whole long after they have exited the stage. Like all masterpieces this one resonates long after one has completed watching it and deserves a second or third try just to absorb all the subtleties and take in the atmosphere. More than any other series I know of it really transplants you to the locations, makes you feel part of the conversations and is real and sublime at the same time. The acting is naturalistic and intensely appealing in the case of Susan Wooldridge, Art Malik and Charles Dance, bareboned and heartbreaking in the case of Peggy Ashcroft and downright furious in its malice and restraint in the figure of Tim Pigott Smith. I know I will hold on to it forever and watch it many more times.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Series; Awful DVD
Review: This DVD edition ruins all of the magic of the original. Poor copy, hideous transfer, incredibly bad sound trandfer - the voices are bland, dull, it's a miserable. How not to do a DVD
Rating: 
Summary: Great Story, terrible transfer
Review: This DVD set is a real heartbreaker! The Jewel in the Crown is absolutely one of historic the highlights of "quality" television. An absolutely arresting story. Wonderful script, wonderful acting, etc. I can't add anything on that count to the reviews already here. That makes the TERRIBLE quality of the DVD transfer all the more disappointing. This set has literally the WORST video quality I have ever seen on a DVD! Murky, muddy picture with visible scratches and dirt on the film. The soundtrack is a little better. On my home theater setup it sounds like its coming over a half-decent clock radio. Seriously, the picture looks like they took an old VHS tape of the show and just ran it through a disc burner. No, I don't expect blockbuster quality from an 30-year old BBC film, but I would have expected something more like the recent DVD set of Elizabeth R, which is quite watchable. Sadly, this is almost surely the only DVD we'll ever see of this marvelous series. I'm going to rent the old tapes of this. They might easily be better. If not, I guess this is what we're all stuck with.
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Summary: Glittering drama - a stellar production
Review: This is a brilliant production. It's very frustrating that there is no UK edition available. The story and the acting are mesmerising and it is endlessly rewatchable. One of my very prized possessions! The quality of the audio and digital transfer are very acceptable, and I did not find the quality to be as low as some other reviewers have suggested. If you enjoy the story, you will find it overcomes any technical imperfections that might exist. Highly recommended to British viewers who can't get a domestically released version.
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Summary: DECLINE OF THE BRITISH RAJ AND THE RISE OF INDEPENDENT INDIA
Review: This powerful and moving eight part miniseries has lost none of its impact since it was first aired nearly twenty years ago. Highly acclaimed, it won numerous awards. Beautifully filmed on location in India, England, and Wales, it is a highly atmospheric and complex drama, redolent of the flavor of the turbulent years just before India gained its independence from British rule. The story begins in 1942, and through its memorable characters, both British and Indian, it masterfully weaves a tapestry of events that explains the state of flux that India was in at the time and the collision between East and West that often occurred, as the old guard made way for the new. Pivotal events become symbolic of India's struggle for independence, and it is those events that impact on those living in India and struggling to survive through those turbulent years. This tumultuous and sumptuous saga ends with India's independence in 1947. Masterfully acted, lushly filmed, and awash with period detail, it is so atmospheric as to make its viewers feel that they themselves are there during the decline and fall of the British Raj. It captures the essence of India and its ramparts of colonialism. Interspersed throughout the episodes are snippets of old newsreels that recount India's involvement in World War II and the threat of Japanese invasion through adjacent Burma. These serve to further move the story along and imbue it with an air of authenticity that stays with the viewer. This multi-faceted series, based upon Paul Scott's literary gem, "The Raj Quartet", is a fine adaptation that should not be missed. The award caliber performances by the entire cast are stellar and will keep the viewer riveted to the screen. Those interested in period pieces, historical dramas, and epics on Indian colonialism will love this series, as will anyone interested in a superlative drama. Bravo!
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