1. What period dramas have you watched in February?
Watched and reviewed Little Men (1998). Watched bits of Elizabeth Gaskell film adaptations for the Valentine's Day video I made. My family and I rewatched Sense & Sensibility (1995) together (honestly, we were just testing that the TV was hooked up right but ended up watching the whole thing!) and we showed The Importance of Being Earnest (2002) to a friend when she came for a girls movie night.
My sister and I also watched North & South (2004) with a bunch of our Bible study friends at a girls movie night for Valentine's Day (so much fun exchanging thoughts and remarks with all the girls!).
I honestly can't remember if I watched any other period dramas this month, it's been a more "modern" month for me I guess.
2. How many Charles Dickens adaptations have you seen?
A long list! Let's see...
A Tale of Two Cities (1980) & (1935)
Barnaby Rudge (1960)
Bleak House (2005) (and a bit of the 1970's Bleak House)
David Copperfield (1999), (2000) & (1969)
Dombey and Son (1983)
Great Expectations (1981), (1999) and (BBC 2011)
Hard Times (1977)
Little Dorrit (2008) & (1988)
Martin Chuzzlewit (1994)
Nicholas Nickleby (2002) & The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (2001)
Oliver Twist (1999), Oliver Twist (2007) and Oliver! (Musical)
Our Mutual Friend (1998)
A Christmas Carol (1984) & (1999), The Muppet Christmas Carol, and the 2004 musical version (probably a few others)
The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1935) & The Mystery of Edwin Drood (2012)
The Old Curiosity Shop (1979, a bit of it) & The Old Curiosity Shop (2007)
The Pickwick Papers (1985)
also seen some Dickens bio pics and documentaries like The Life of Charles Dickens (2002 Bio)
That's roughly 30 film adaptations!!!! Wow! I've got to get out more!
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| Mr. Thornton in North & South |
I asked y'all this because I've been asking myself this recently and finding it hard to answer. I love the spotless wealthy gentlemen of Jane Austen novels, or the knight in shining armor who comes in and saves the damsel in distress. Recently though I've been a bit more into Gaskell stories and characters like Mr. Thornton, Nicholas Higgins, William Buxton, Frank Harrison and Roger Hamley who work with their hands doing dirtier jobs. While it's nice for a gentleman to have a large country house (like Mr. Darcy, Mr. Knightley or Colonel Brandon) there's also something so admirable in a man who works through sweat, blood and tears to provide for those he loves.
So I guess I'd say I like a combination of both, so long as the guy is gentlemanly, chivalrous and honorable then he is worthy of admiration and the title of hero. And just because a guy has money or has a job like a minister doesn't mean they aren't hardworking (Mr. Knightley is one of the hardest working gentlemen I know of!). :)
4. Do you tend to prefer heroines that are sweet and gentle or adventurous and spunky?
I prefer Sweet and Gentle heroines. Adventurous and spunky is fun but I definitely prefer Fanny Price and Anne Elliot and Amy Dorrit to Elizabeth Bennet and Scarlet O'Hara.
5. Do you enjoy listening to period drama soundtracks? Do you own any?
Oh yes I do! I've listened to many soundtracks and own several including: P&P 2005, P&P 1995, S&S 1995, MP 1999, Emma 2009, Emma 1996, Ever After, Cranford, Much Ado About Nothing, The Importance of Being Earnest, Ladies In Lavender, The Phantom of the Opera, Miss Austen Regrets, Pirates of the Caribbean, Seasons of the Heart and Rigoletto. I also have an album called Cinema's Classic Romances including songs from various films.
How would you answer these questions?
Groupest thou Elizabeth Bennet with the likes of Scarlett O'Hara?? Dear me! How shockingly dreadful!! *faints*
ReplyDeleteOn #3, with the way it's worded, I'd have to go with the first option, because I don't like "gritty" although hardworking can be admirable. It all depends on the situation. ;)
On #4... I'd have to say a combination. I think I would prefer "sweet and gentle" to "adventurous and spunky", because being adventurous has never exactly appealed to me, and "spunky" could be taken in more than one way. Sometimes people who are called spunky are more of the obnoxious sort, and I don't like them. :P But the sweet and gentle heroines, while very admirable and good role models (they always make me feel my shortcomings!) are swellissimus, sometimes other kinds can be more interesting. It depends. As long as their character still has intricacy... and I think Fanny Price's does, and can't stand it when people call her boring!
It also depends on the story. I mean, Emma would not be half as interesting if she was a sweet and gentle person rather than... Emma. ;) And these heroines usually learn from their mistakes and it's interesting to watch it all happen.
Plus, I think we all tend to like characters who remind us of ourselves, and I don't think I can call myself a sweet and gentle person exactly... but I'm not spunky either. It has to be a combination for me to empathize. ;)
Haha, wow I talk a lot.
I think the majority of music I listen to is period drama soundtracks! :) I have a few while I've gotten lots of other ones from the library.
I unfortunately watched only one period drama in February and that was Emma.
ReplyDeleteI have seen A Tale of Two Cities(1980) and an Oliver Twist(2007).
I would have to say that I am torn between the wealthy gentlemen and the working men as I can name favourites of both!!!
As for heroines, I like certian heroes such as Elizabeth Bennet but I can't stand Scarlet o'Hara!!
I can't say that I listen to period soundtracks and I don't own any.
I, also, have the PotO soundtracks- both original London cast and the movie, and I have the one for Rigoletto (feature films for families). :-)
ReplyDelete*jaw drops open* I didn't even know there were that many Dickens movies! Wow... the period drama world is getting larger every day!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that you also love the sweet and gentle heroine... I was beginning to think that we had a surplus of spirited and spunky heroine lovers out there... also that you like a healthy balance in the hero department. I agree about the Gaskell heroes. Austen ones are charming... but there's something real about the Gaskell heroes that really makes them stand out.