Take the magic home
We’ve collected the news on the DVD front for the most recent adaptations.
A big piece of news is that the Region 1 DVD for Northanger Abbey does not restore the cuts made to the original British broadcast version. Approximately nine scenes have been cut–nearly ten minutes. It should be pointed out that North American audiences for the most part are not equipped to watch Region 2 DVDs. The percentage of AustenBlog readers might be larger, but looking at the larger Janeite diaspora, many people will buy the DVD and never know that they’re missing something. Although we were not that impressed with the films, it seems a shame to us.
The cuts made for broadcast have been restored on the Persuasion DVD. As Cinthia has pointed out, Persuasion is distributed by BBC America. Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park are distributed by WGBH Home Video. We don’t know why the cuts were made or who is at fault for perpetrating them. WGBH might not have had a choice in the matter. It’s a nonsensical decision however one looks at it. The MP DVDs, we believe, ship this week, and we’ll see if anything has been cut; it’s more than likely.
On the bright side, S&S and Miss Austen Regrets are BBC productions (huzzah!) and, like Persuasion, will be distributed by BBC America; therefore we are confident that whatever might be broadcast, the DVDs will contain the full version. There is some confusion about what exactly is contained on the DVDs. WGBH is selling a three-disc “collector’s edition” that, according to the site, has S&S and Persuasion and Miss Austen Regrets as a “special bonus.” The two-disc set has S&S and Miss Austen Regrets, as well as audio commentaries (rumor has it the Region 2 version has commentaries by Charity Wakefield, Dominic Cooper, Hattie Morahan, and Dan Stevens), interviews with producer Anne Pivcevic and writer Andrew Davies, a photo gallery, and deleted scenes (these are presumably *in addition* to a full original cut–there is no reason at present to think that the film on the DVD is cut in any way, but of course we will keep our readers informed). Presumably the 3-disc set includes these extras as well but we do not know that definitively; it makes sense that the extra disc would be Persuasion, though. Amazon also is carrying the two-disc set (we hasten to add that S&S does NOT, repeat does NOT, star Colin Firth. For crying out loud) and the three-disc collector’s edition. That’s what we’re talking about, Gentle Readers! That’s how you treat Janeites! Give us some value for our money. They wanted an Internet-savvy audience; that means a global audience, an educated audience, and it’s a little harder to pull the wool over our eyes.
Alert Janeite Julie P. sent us reviews of the Persuasion and Northanger Abbey DVDs by one Paul Mavis at DVD Talk. He likes both of them, and scolds the dried-up tar-hearted spinster purists. How special.
January 23rd, 2008 at 6:36 am
The region 2 disc commentary is by John Alexander (the director) the producer (I think it’s the executive producer, Jessica Pope, but it’s still early here and I could be wrong), Hattie Morahan and Dan Stevens. I haven’t yet listened to all of it, but one problem I had is that the movie is a bit loud during the commentary so it’s hard to hear. And my region 2 disc (neither the box nor the disc itself) does not list “deleted scenes” as one of the special features.
But when you open the box, the inside shows the duel scene. Unfortunately, David Morrissey is all the way over to the left, and is in front of a tree so he’s hard to see. Bummer.
January 23rd, 2008 at 9:39 am
Re: the DVD Talk review, I must have missed “the barely-submerged romantic hysteria that suffuses Austen’s work,” probably due to being a “rigid purist”. Why will people insist on making a virtue out of ignorance?
Disappointed with the DVD news, especially since I wasn’t interested in owning P, but might have purchased NA. And of course NA is the one with missing scenes. Although from what the rest of you have said, I might not be missing anything. Book burning? Er…?
January 23rd, 2008 at 10:20 am
Woot on the S&S news - it’s about time we had commentary on a TV adaptation. After the bare-bones of the old BBC films, the three ITV new ones, the ITV Emma, even P&P2 and P2 (originally for the BBC), a TV Jane Austen that has more than “biography” and “scene selection”. Value for money indeed!
Just hope they don’t mess with the cover art like they did with NA and MP.
January 23rd, 2008 at 12:28 pm
I’m fairly certain I didn’t use the word “spinster,” or imply any such connection with that pejorative, in my review, so….
Love your site, and thanks for linking to my review. Quite a few hits have come from it, evidently.
Paul Mavis
DVDTalk.com
January 23rd, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Such language as “Purists may squawk” is not pejorative? Try again.
January 23rd, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Not a pejorative, just good old-fashioned American slang.
January 23rd, 2008 at 1:34 pm
“Slang” that suggests the opinion of knowledgeable readers of Jane Austen’s novels is not worthy of consideration. That certainly fits the definition of pejorative as I understand it.
Actually the reviews read as if you are aware that there are some issues with the adaptations, but shuffle off such considerations on “purists” who don’t understand Art. Have the courage of your convictions, sir. You liked the movies, say so, and stand behind your words.
January 23rd, 2008 at 1:50 pm
How am I not “standing by my words?” I did enjoy the adaptation; I do think “purists squawk” when anyone dares to shuffle around a literary work to make a film (two totally different aesthetic experiences, and so therefore not bound to be faithful to each other — if that’s even possible); and I responded to the page, which inaccurately translated my review into some kind of feminist slam, by using the word, “spinster,” which doesn’t appear in my review.
January 23rd, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Mr. Mavis, you do not have to be a purist to dislike these new versions of Persuasion or Northanger Abbey (or the upcoming Mansfield Park). The scene in Persuasion where Anne is running around town is, to put it bluntly, ludicrous. It’s completely out of character for Anne Elliot (possibly my favorite heroine in all of literature). Yes, she wants to get Wentworth back, but Austen had a much better solution to Anne’s dilemma than these filmmakers did, and I wish they hadn’t wasted time showing us the Bath Marathon but had, instead, shown us things that actually happened in Austen’s novel.
Do yourself a huge favor and read the novel. It’s breathtakingly beautiful.
January 23rd, 2008 at 2:32 pm
I’ve read it (some time back, admittedly), and I agree; it’s beautiful. But that’s the novel, not this particular film.
January 23rd, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Oh, how can you be so confident they won’t butcher S&S on DVD? I hate not being certain, absolutely certain. NA should be reissued.
According to C19 they promised “Deleted Scenes” on the Region 2 DVD and it just didn’t happen. Amazon probably just thinks that will always be there.
I only got to listen to a few minutes of the commentary but it’s quite a treat. Unfortunately it makes watching it soon afterwards quite difficult, as I was laughing through most of it. Silly Dan!
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Glass half full, Jen, glass half full!
Deleted scenes on S&S, you mean? I have some other stuff to post about the Region 2 DVD–apparently there are “cast and crew interviews” listed on the cover that are not to be found.
January 23rd, 2008 at 6:37 pm
I have sent the following review of Northanger Abbey to Amazon USA:
Title: 75% of A Classic
I have canceled my order here for this Region1 DVD. It is a “CUT” version - 90 minutes instead of the 120 minute version broadcast in Britain and available entire from Amazon.co.uk.
Reference: http://www.austenblog.com/.
I’ve ordered this as a Region2 DVD disc from Amazon.co.uk since I have an All-Region DVD player.
This will probably be true too for “Mansfield Park”, as it was also distributed by WGBH. The Region2 Mansfield Park is 120 minutes long according to its description at Amazon.co.uk and the Masterpiece Theater version available at Amazon USA is 90 minutes.
Both the US and British DVDs for “Persuasion” are 93 minutes long; when Masterpiece Theater showed it they cut 3 minutes out - including a seaside scene at Lyme in which Harville and Wentworth have a conversation.
I may have lost the $25 from my Amazon Reward certificate that I applied to this cancelled purchase. A shame.
January 23rd, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Bingley, actually the film was originally 93 minutes (I think–might have been a few more) and was cut to 84 or so. About ten minutes. If only it had been two hours. We are not so fortunate.
January 24th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Oh Mags, I will forever continue to raise my hopes. And there will forever be someone happily crushing them soon afterwards.
Might they be considering commentary by Hattie, Dan et al. the ‘cast interview’ portion of the DVD? Maybe it’s an easter egg? “Click on the third seashell from the bottom left…”