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Some people are marking this drama right down because they think that the PC brigade have put black characters into the production when there were none in the original. I suggest they read the book before they show their ignorance. In the book, there really is a black footman/coachman. Black servants were highly prized during this period and they were usually dressed in fine clothes. There had been no slavery in Britain for hundreds of years and, by this time, slavery had been banned in the colonies. So, these servants were free men.
The other black character is Miss Swartz who comes from the West Indies and whose father is a white German plantation owner. She had been at school with Becky and Amelia. She was more than acceptable to polite society, Thackeray says, because she is so very, very rich.
It's a pity that this production has been set up against BBC's more popular Bodyguard, also an excellent drama, because it deserves a bigger audience. I have enjoyed the use of pop/rock music which is often very illustrative of the situation. The photography and acting are very good and there is an interesting modern slant that is not so in your face that it is offensive. The biggest surprise/change is Dobbin. He is described in the book as being clumsy and plain whereas this actor is very goodlooking. I don't mind: it is satisfying to see a Dobbin who is as beautiful on the outside as he is on the inside.
Recommended.
score 9/10
jaydall 11 September 2018
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw4333455/ |
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3-1-2021 22:31:07