Rating: 
Summary: A passionate, lively interpretation of a depressing tale
Review: Michael Winterbottom's Jude tells the tale of an impoverished British youth (Christopher Eccleston- the dead husband in "The Others) who self-educates and aspires to be a scholar. Along this quest, he impregates a fling (Rachel Griffiths of Six Feet Under fame) moves to a college town, works as a stone mason, and falls in love at first sight with his cousin Sue (Kate Winslet). The main reason to see this film is for the chemistry between Eccleston and Winslet. Eccleston makes you feel sympathy for Jude from the moment we see him onscreen as a young man, vital since so much of the novel "Jude the Obscure" was about making us root for this considerate, intelligent man only to put him through utter hell as to illustrate the unfairness of the British class system. Eccleston's heartfelt and sincere performance exposes the vapidity of most Hollywood actors and is genuinely inspiring for the craft of acting. As Sue, Kate Winslet proves again, after Heavenly Creatures, Sense and Sensibility, and yes Titanic that she is one of the most fetching, watchable actresses of her time. It's not hard at all to see why Jude is so hopelessly in love with her. In fact, this film contains one of the best onscreen romances I've seen in a while. The passion of these two characters are so vivid that when the hard unredemptive ending happens, I had to convince myself that it was a fictional story to gain peace of mind. See it and be moved.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Movie
Review: Watched this movie last week. I was amazed with its power, influence, and disturbance. It was still with me, now. There were some scenes (i.e. animal cruelty, ) I disliked. But they partially strengthened the movie. I watched it with surprises and depression, but I like it because c' est la vie.
Rating: 
Summary: Why tamper with a classic?
Review: I'm surprised to see the not very positive Amazon.com review at the top. I've been waiting for this film to come out on DVD for what seems like eternity.I'm a feature film editor and have found this film to be one of my favorites. Although the film doesn't follow Hardy's novel precisely (like almost all films that are based on a novel) the sparse and stark portrayal of the characters is infectiously moving. It's a very beautiful film with exceptional acting, and I'd recommend it highly to the potential viewer. If you like "intense" films that are not overly dramatized to an unrealistic point, this film is for you. I'd also recommend Michael Winterbottom's other films.
Note: my real rating would be an almost perfect 4.5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: 2.35:1 Widescreen
Review: If you even know about this movie in the first place and are at this page on Amazon, it's probably because you know it's amazing so let's skip the praise. Doing some research, I was under the impression this region 1 DVD would be pan and scan, which normally would deter me from even the greatest films, but the movie had such a personal meaning for me I bought it anyway. Much to my amazement, the film is in glorious 2.35:1 widescreen, and the emotional devastation of the film really kills you now...The sound, BTW, is in dolby stereo. There is also a 3 second long featurette (which is pointless) and a trailer (the beautiful music in the trailer, BTW, is from Restoration by James Newton Howard). I wish Amazon would have given me this information before, so for those 2 people out there that know how amazing this movie is, the DVD is well worth the price (and since it will never be printed again, because it will never make any money, buy it now if you're going to buy it).
Rating: 
Summary: Be Careful
Review: If you have a tender heart toward children, then do not watch this film. All other elements aside, what ultimately happens to the children in this novel made me drop to my knees in front of my television and weep. When it was over I proceeded to have my worst night of sleep for the year. True, the character studies are excellent, including that of the oldest child, and the faithfulness to Hardy's vision is sufficient. There is a gratuitous nude scene involving Kate Winslet that was, nevertheless, nice to have to endure (the nakedness of her character, I suppose, is meant to reflect the nakedness of emotion between the cousins during that moment of their consummation, as well as their naked position in society with regard to social taboo). Ultimately, however, I do not like graphic depictions of children suffering violence, and I do not recommend this film for that reason.
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