The Barchester Chronicles

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The first two episodes of this BBC miniseries only hint at the delights to come. A lawsuit aimed at church reform in the town of Barchester forces a decent middle-aged clergyman (the august Donald Pleasence, best known in the U.S. for the Halloween movies) into a moral crisis and a conflict with his son-in-law, a pompous archdeacon (Nigel Hawthorne, The Madness of King George). The gracefully written and acted narrative shows glimpses of dry wit--but in episode 3, the arrival of a new bishop (Clive Swift, Keeping Up Appearances), his imperious wife (Geraldine McEwan, The Magdalene Sisters), and his devious chaplain (Alan Rickman, Truly Madly Deeply, the Harry Potter movies) launches The Barchester Chronicles into a satirical power struggle all the more mesmerizing because of the smallness of the territory. The scheming of the citizens and clergy of this British town is both Byzantine and wonderfully comic as the tempestuous personalities claw and dig at each other.

Rickman, in one of his first film or television roles, turns in a tour de force of oily ambition. McEwan's ferocious machinations are downright terrifying, while the sputtering Hawthorne (The Madness of King George) seems constantly in danger of bursting a vein. At the center of it all is Pleasence. Making goodness compelling has always been difficult, since wickedness is always more dramatic; but Pleasence brings a deep and stirring passion to his role that proves as engaging as all the back-biting that surrounds him. And these are just the more familiar faces; a host of lesser-known actors give equally superb performances. The final episode (of seven) will have you on pins and needles. The Barchester Chronicles, adapted from two novels by Anthony Trollope, is one of those marvels of British television, a skillful production that proves intelligent fare can be hugely entertaining. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

One shining star among many dwarfs.......2007-04-11

The main male character in this film is overall a very good and principled man but is also alittle timid for an older minister. Without reviewing the lengthy story line of the Barchester Chronicles, I must say that the English and some of their earlier writers have a very dim view of the clergy in general. But with that said, I found some pretty good redeeming qualities about the story in which there was the typical clash between good and evil, with most of the good parts falling into place at the end. This story allowed a glimpse of how hard and cruel things were back in the developing years of England's Great society. The good and kind old minister of God, has his faithful following to support him and show him love, but when promotion and opportunity come, there's the devil trying the gunk up the whole place. In this case, the devil came in the form of chaplains and bishops and the bishops wife. But throughout it all, I was struck with loyality to the man of God who did not compromise his integrity and who kept the perspective of the big picture. It's worth a look at, just for the scenery, the Cathedral, and the cast of characters which typifies all of our lives.

Brilliant Barchester!.......2007-02-22

This is an excellent mini-series covering the first two books in Anthony Trollope's "Barsetshire" novels ('The Warden' and 'Barchester Towers'). The casting is wonderful, with first-class perfomances from Donald Pleasence and Alan Rickman. Pleasence artfully allows his character (the Warden, Septimus Harding) to have a sympathetic, gentle, good and kind personality, whilst making clear that he has the strength of his own beliefs and convictions, despite his good nature. Nigel Hawthorn also delivers an excellent performance as the volatile Archdeacon Grantly - his scenes with the overbearing Mrs Proudie (superbly played by Geraldine McEwen) are a joy to behold! Some of the issues explored in this moral comedy are still relevant today. The series is beautifully filmed and highly entertaining. I highly recommend this excellent production.

Barchester Chronicles.......2007-01-19

Perfect casting, terrific acting, faithful to Trollope's writing, beautiful costumes...and well directed.
What's NOT TO LOVE about this production?

Superb BBC series : superb service.......2006-11-10

I haven't enjoyed anything as much as 'The Barchester Chronicles' for a very long time.

Thank you so much for your really excellent service - prompt, courteous and well-packed.

I am DELIGHTED !

Best of Masterpiece Theatre.......2006-09-04

There were many fine productions from the golden age of Masterpiece Theatre, from the late-1970's to the early-1990's. These included "The Wilderness Years," "To Serve Them All My Days," "I, Claudius," "Poldark," and "Pride and Prejudice." Nevertheless, "The Barchester Chronicles" has always been our favorite and is an almost perfect combination of story line, casting, scenery, and writing.

Viewers must be struck by the amazing hypocrisy shown by men and women of the cloth in 19th century England. As such, "The Barchester Chronicles" may be seen as a morality play on political in-fighting that goes on in any large organization, be it a private corporation or an unit of government.

It would be impossible to name the most outstanding performance in this series, although Donald Pleasence, as warden of Hiram's hospital, merits top billing. Nigel Hawthorne as Dr. Grantly, Alan Rickman as Mr. Slope, and Geraldine McEwan as Mrs. Proudie are all outstanding. The supporting cast is great, too, as even the most casual observer would see.

Most memorable quotes from the excellent screenplay are many and varied. These include the following from the warden: "There are some things in life we are meant not to understand. But we must try." "Can man find salvation in legal quibble?" "I thought it was one of my virtues" (said in reply to the rebuke from Dr. Grantley that he too often sees the other person's point of view).

Alan Rickman's portrayal of Obidiah Slope is a tour de force in treachery and sneering. Slope has to be one of the most enduring villains in English literature. His parting statement to the bishop and Mrs. Proudie, "May you both live forever," sums up feelings of viewers as they watch the series.

Nigel Hawthorne as the archdeacon, Dr. Grantly, is inspired casting. One has to wonder, watching his repeated outbursts, how Mr. Hawthorne avoided having a stroke before production closed. In addition to his perpetual, "Good Heavens," he also has several memorable lines, particularly when speaking of "destroying the bestial Slope."

Geraldine McEwan as the bishop's wife, Mrs. Proudie, is also very well cast in her part. To everyone involved she is the obvious power behind the throne and proves it to a dismissed Mr. Slope in the end. Her most memorable lines begin with, "The Bishop believes, and I agree with him...."

One or more reviewers have commented that the DVD may be missing scenes from the TV production. My wife and I watched for this and seemed to find the opposite. While the TV installments averaged about 48 minutes in length (taped from the A&E Network), the DVD segments were each, 51-54 minutes. Some scenes cut out on A&E were really important ones for an understanding of who was doing what to whom. These scenes may or may not have been included in the original showing on PBS. In any case, we were very happy to find them on the DVD, along with its highly superior picture and sound quality. (We could even see dust stirred up by horse-drawn carriages as they sauntered across the screen). Anyone who might be undecided about buying the DVD should rest assured that it's really worth the money. Moreover, the tidbits offered on the cast and crew and the 30-minute documentary on Peterborough cathedral provide
useful background to the outstanding comedy/drama.

The Anthony Trollope Collection (The Barchester Chronicles / He Knew He Was Right / The Way We Live Now)

Average customer rating:

Shared Pleasure
Great Renditions of Stories Ahead of Their Time

The Anthony Trollope Collection (The Barchester Chronicles / He Knew He Was Right / The Way We Live Now)
Starring: Donald Pleasence , David Gwillim , John Ringham , Joseph O'Conor , and Clifford Parrish
Director: David Giles (III) , Tom Vaughan , and David Yates (II)
Manufacturer: BBC Warner
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000BNTMKK
Release Date: 2005-11-01

Description

The Anthony Trollope Collection contains three masterpieces and over 15 hours of timeless film from one of the greatest nineteenth-century novelist. Visit the fascinating world of Victorian England through the eyes of Anthony Trollope, as the prolific and respected novelist illustrates the penetrating conflicts of the day.

Customer Reviews:

Shared Pleasure.......2007-06-11

The Barchester Chronicles was interesting and in some of the episodes fasinating and engrossing. A good movie.

Great Renditions of Stories Ahead of Their Time.......2007-02-20

Anthony Trollope was remarkable, a man who understood feminist issues before there was a name for them. His female characters are often strong and sympathetic, and his insight into social issues made his novels more than ordinary potboilers. I do prefer the novels, where Trollope's wit and sometimes snide observations give depth to every scene. But every one of these elegantly filmed stories offers a long, luxurious look into a world long gone, and is perfect for a long lounge before the fire on a dismal day.

BBC Drama Collection (The Barchester Chronicles / Daniel Deronda / Jane Eyre / The Lost Prince / Middlemarch / A Room with a View / Wives and Daughters)

Average customer rating:

BBC Drama Collection (The Barchester Chronicles / Daniel Deronda / Jane Eyre / The Lost Prince / Middlemarch / A Room with a View / Wives and Daughters)
Starring: Donald Pleasence , David Gwillim , John Ringham , Joseph O'Conor , and Clifford Parrish
Director: David Giles (III) , Julian Amyes , and Tom Hooper (II)
Manufacturer: BBC Warner
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Television | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000E0OE1C
Release Date: 2006-01-24

DVD:

DVD

DVD