Brideshead revisited

[jack]

On Friday evening, sonic and I went to see Brideshead Revisited. Writing Evelyn Waugh so it has the right mix between humour and tragedy is always really difficult, even for, you know, Evelyn Waugh. Who's read Brideshead Revisited? I'd read a couple of other Waugh, but not that one.

The first third

The first third was really enjoyable. There is humour with astounding finesse; nothing that could be construed specifically as a joke, yet with the right turn of phrase or brief pause has the whole cinema giggling.

The last two-thirds

The last two-thirds were rather more top-heavy than I'd normally want to see on a Friday night. Although I think I was fortunate to be just at a point where I did appreciate the questions raised; Charles' love-hate relationship with Brideshead, and the Brideshead family's love-hate relationship with Catholicism, and that Charles has up to three epic romances in his twenties, chewing up Brideshead as much as it chews him up, and only when he's got to about thirty does he start to see it all in perspective, which is the end of the film.

Did I mention, it did flashbacks well, mainly by having a snippet at the start, and then replaying most of it at the appropriate point. This seems to work very well, since the difference between what you knew the first time, and what you know the second time, points up all of the important things.

Comments

[scribb1e.livejournal.com]

Haven't seen the film, but I found the same thing with the book. It starts off as this elegant comedy about Oxford life and teddy bears and so on, and then quickly gets into deeper, darker waters. I actually didn't finish reading it because at the time I was in the mood for the former and not the latter. Maybe I should try again.

[minipoppy.livejournal.com]

I've read it a couple of times and loved it. I also loved the 80s BBC version. I was very excited about seeing this at the film festival with a Q&A with the director, but so excited was I, I forgot to book any tickets until too late!
Quism since sent this review to me, and now I'm not sure whether I want to see it or not now. Would you recommend it on its merits, separate from the book?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/sep/27/evelynwaugh.fiction