Editorial Review:Amazon.com:Becky Sharp is 'poor and put-upon.' She's also 'a sharp little minx,' a 'treacherous little trollop,' and 'a heartless mother and faithless wife.' Yes, there's something about Becky in this impeccable BBC production based on William Makepeace Thackeray's classic novel. It speaks volumes about Thackeray's indomitable heroine and Natasha Little's seductively ingratiating performance that our hearts go out to her even as we eagerly await her comeuppance.
Becky is scorned for her lack of breeding, but as one admirer notes, 'she's got pluck.' Poised to begin her new job as a governess, Becky's calculated social climbing begins in the home of her friend, the naive Amelia Sedley (Frances Grey), whose father is a wealthy merchant. She immediately makes a play for Amelia's doofus brother, but their budding romance is sabotaged by Amelia's fiancé George Osborne (Tom Ward), an 'interfering, officious snob' who doesn't fancy a governess for a sister-in-law. And so it's out into the world, where Becky works her wiles on a gallery of memorable characters, including her lecherous new employer Sir Pitt; his imperious rich sister Miss Crawley (Miriam Margolyes), who takes Becky under her wing; and Pitt's dashing son Rawdon (Nathanial Perker), the first of Becky's misguided sexual entanglements.
Vanity Fair charts in lavish detail Becky's rise in London society and her scandalous downfall. Her story is counterpoint to that of the fair Amelia, who is clueless that her husband is a rake and that his best friend, the loyal, long-suffering Dobbin (Philip Glenistar), is in love with her and is her secret benefactor when times get bad for her bankrupt father. Adapted for the screen by Andrew Davies, who did the honors for the phenomenally successful
Pride and Prejudice,
Vanity Fair is another addictive miniseries that is the video equivalent of a compulsive page-turner. As yet another fancier remarks, 'Well done, Becky Sharp.'
--Donald Liebenson
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
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vanity fair--
The acting was mediocre. The story just wasn't what I wanted it to be. There is a bit of nudity which was unnecessary. I don't know which movie is closer to the book but if I had to pick one I would choose the newest one with Reese Witherspoon. It just had a better and more dramatic ending. The production was a decent one and that is the best I can give it.
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Simply the best
The best movie adaptation. I love this movie and I love the book. The actors are brilliant.
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Mute the Horns
The story is well done. The music is excruciating: either public dirge, or bad beerhall. Perhaps the makers thought the music for the series should have a martial theme: lots of brass, especially tuba, none muted. Be prepared to mute the horns yourself during many scenes without dialogue. Painful.
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The last word on Thackeray's satirical masterpiece
If you are considering a dramatic rendition of Vanity Fair, this BBC production is definitely the most superior. Becky Sharpe is played by Natasha Little and it is a wonder this actor has not been seen much since: She is magnificent in this role - manipulative, delightful and 'Sharpe as a tack' as Thackeray intended. (Nb. she actually played the part of the sweet natured Lady Jane Sheepshanks in the US film where Reese Witherspoon took the main role). Take note of all the names: Dobbin is supposed to suggest a plodding loyalty, Becky IS sharpe and Lord Steyne is indeed a stain on morality!
The costumes and settings are so realistic that some history documentaries have used sections of this mini-series to illustrate the battle of Waterloo.
When it was originally televised here it obtained almost cult status, each episode was eagerly and impatiently awaited. I have TWO copies of the mini-series on video and am very happy to now own it on DVD.
Ignore the American production starring Reese Witherspoon, the BBC's Becky carries the day. Regardless of these opinions, the series is also a valuable historical documentary with insights into class, daily life and Waterloo. It is superbly entertaining also.
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I loved it!!!!
Okay, I haven't seen the newer version with Reese Witherspoon or read the book, so maybe I'm not completely qualified to write a review on this film. But I loved it so much I just can't resist! Natasha Little is fantastic as Becky Sharp, although at the end we are sort of left wondering if she is really good at heart, despite all her appearances of being selfish and uncaring, or if she helped Amelia get Amelia's guy for her (Becky's) own benefit.
And Frances Grey is wonderful as Amelia Sedley, which leads to... William Dobbin. I don't know how he does it, but Philip Glenister just played that part perfectly. Here's why: When he is first introduced, I looked at him and thought, "Ew, why does he keep looking at Amelia that way? He's not even that good looking!" And hoped wildly that he would not stay in the story. But by the end, he was completely embedded in my mind as THE ONLY guy for A, and suddenly he seemed amzingly attractive. When an actor can do that, it just blows my mind. My sister wants to marry his portrayal of William Dobbin.
On another note, the sets, costumes, and score (especially the score!) are beautiful and realistic. I loooove the music in this film! I can't say enough good things about it. Or the rest of the movie, for that matter. I highly recommend it!!!! It's one of my favorites, right up there with Pride & Prejudice (1996). Every aspect of it is fantastic. You must see it!
