On TV: Thursday 24th March 2011
Channel: BBC4 9-10.30pm
Episode Type: Two-part drama series
In 1 Sentence: Passionate period drama but not as we know it.
BBC Summary: Adaptation of DH Lawrence's novels The Rainbow and Women in Love, focusing on the lives of two sisters as they struggle with love, passion and commitment in the build-up to WWI.
(Unfortunately there are no clips or trailers online.)
My Review: Part of BBC Four’s ‘Modern Love’ season, Women in Love pushes the stereotype of what period drama is and can be.
It follows sisters Ursula (Rachael Stirling) and Gudrun (Rosamund Pike) Brangwen, as they live and love in 1930’s England. Flitting from each sister’s life to the next, the more complicated each of their lives become as the drama goes on. The acting is top notch and cannot be faulted, particuarly from Rosamund Pike, and Saskia Reeves who plays the sisters mother which effortless subtlety.
As complex as any modern day drama it doesn’t hold back and there is plenty of plot. It focuses on the characters which helped make it feel more modern. By not fixating on the ‘period’, but on how the characters were feeling made it much more accessible to someone like me who has no knowledge of the book and is used to fast-paced modern drama.
But the best thing about it was how it looked. The cinematography, the costumes, the locations - everything was scrumptious. Yet it wasn’t all “look! This is period... come dribble at some dresses!” It was understated.
Beautifully shot with a dream-like quality, I cannot wait to see the next episode - a mighty success!
Score: 8/10
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