Critique of this movie version

I watched the DVD version of Mayor of Casterbridge last night. And, my goodness, is it better than the butchered wreck A&E aired!

There is a lot more development. It is much more cohesive piece than the A&E aired version would suggest. I'm not saying its the greatest literary adaptation ever, and there are still isssues I wish had been better developed, but, unlike what I saw on A&E, I can really say that I enjoyed watching this. Its a great story and well done by the cast.

Perhaps that's A&Es motivation for airing chopped up movies. It forces people to buy their DVDs to get the real movie. Not that I mind buying the DVD, but I think it does a disservice to the filmmakers and actors to air something that so doesn't properly represent the work they have done.

I'm afraid I have to agree. This appeared to be a good movie, but it was hard to tell when they did such a butchering job, editing-wise. Come on A&E, couldn't you spare just one more hour out of your schedule to show us this movie more as it was intended? Did you think the audience wouldn't notice? I realize that nips and tucks must be taken, but this was major surgery and I don't think it benefitted anyone. Not the filmmakers, not the audience, and not even the sponsors (not when people are switching the channel and tuning out.)

I'm not ready to give up on A&E yet, but please, please reconsider your editing practices.

Dottie Ladner I have nothing but praise for The Mayor. I thought the cast was well chosen and I don't know anybody who could have played the part of the Mayor as well as Mr. Hinds

Spoiler!! Lucetta goes into shock over the skimmity ride, has a miscarriage and passes away. Yes, they only touched on it briefly, in this version. Let us hope more is in the DVD, which contains over an hour more footage than A&E chose to air. Unbelievable.

I have the Alan Bates version, which is very complete and accurate to the book. But visually is lacking, as it was done in 1978. It is certainly the definitive version. But, I am also getting the A&E version, because I want to see this clearly, without the commercial interruptions and I want to see all those extra minutes they chopped off! My order is already placed and they won't be able to send it soon enough for me! I plan to give it another chance!

Before we say too many nasty things about what's missing from this production of Mayor of Casterbrige, let's keep in mind that this *IS* a two-part movie. A&E chose not to show all of it and cut out probably about 25% of it. If you look at the DVD entry, it shows its length as '200+ minutes,' which--given that A&E aired it in a 180 minute time slot with LOADS of commercials--means that there is quite a bit more to this than was aired. There was an article I read the week before it aired which said that an hour was cut from the production.

It may turn out that there are still lots of things we don't like, but for now maybe we should reserve judgment, specifically as relating to the issue of what is or isn't included in the film and/or its feeling disjointed.

I'd like to see it without commercials. You could tell that scenes were cut for commercials, and then picked up when the story returned. A good example was when Farfrae began to sing at the 3 Mariners, he opened his mouth got out about two notes and---CUT! And so many other scenes. That's so rude!

So, for me, that disturbed the flow and continuity.

I think they got just about all the essential plot points in.

But it seemed so compressed, lacking that expansive flow of movement in Hardy's work. For example...the morning after Henchard sold Susanna, he wakes up drunk and then begins to search for his wife and child. Then he finds out he's sold them to the sailor. It's the handling of time with Hardy, that builds the intensity of the characters' movements and choices and melds it in a cohesive movement...In this film, cut as it was, it missed this evolution of time. "The Mayor" is a large story that spans over time and it demanded more time, like the 1970's BBC version with Bates was about 5 hours. It needed the buildup of the mayor's rise, his friendship with Farfrae and then his fall, the arc in his character from SOB to somewhat decent man at the end. Time.

I'd say the actors did a pretty good job. Hinds' Henchard was well played--though it was sometimes difficult to discern some of his words with the thick accent. Jodhi May did seem wooden. I guess I didn't really feel connected to any of the characters though.

I wish they had played up the dyanmics about how Henchard KNEW EJ wasn't his daughter, and treated her very harshly for a long time. That makes his warming up to her, feeling fondness for her, and then losing her to her real father...all the more powerful.

But overall, I'd say they did pretty good with the plot...though it felt SOOO compressed. Wouldn't you agree? Hardy's novels don't rely soley on plot...but so many other things, like tone, movement...atmosphere.

The music score was good.

"My God, it's full of stars!"