Finally Saw It

My order for this DVD finally arrived and i Just finished watching it. What can I say? All that I heard about it is true. This production of Daniel Deronda was superb! Well-acted, well-paced and beautifully photographed with haunting music to match. I especially loved the shots in Genoa. It reminded me of David LEan movies.

But of course what made it unforgettable was the acting. It was a great cast and the actors really made me sympathetic to their plight, resulting in an engrossing story. With the exception of Grancourt of course since he seems to be dictated in the story to be a one-dimensional cruel man. Even so, Hugh Bonneville made him an unforgettable sadist. I cheered when he met his fate in the sea.

Hugh Dancy was also great as the titular hero. Daniel Deronda is almost saintlike, and those kind of characters are usually annoying to watch. They usally appear like boring drips when translated to the screen. But I liked how Hugh Dancy was able to convey his confusion and self-doubt. It added mystery and dimension to his character and made him more interesting to watch.


But the biggest stand out for me had to be Romola Garai. Granted that I've been a fan of her since "I Capture The Castle" but I thought her performance here really merits serious praise. Even if I was a fan, I was really annoyed by her selfish Gwendolen in the beginning. But as the story progressed, her presence was simply so strong that I felt the story drag a bit when she wasn't in the scene. Much as I liked Hugh Dancy, it was Garai's Gwendolen who made me really engrossed in the series.

Garai showed all of Gwendolen's flaws without fear. Her arrogance and selfishness she played with relish and I couldn't help but be eager to watch what was in store for her as a comeuppance. And when she did get her "punishment," oh dear, she won me over as she struggled. I thought wow. Even if they say she is selfish, I thought Garai's Gwendolen was still someone I would like to cheeer for. Her constant swinging from scared selfish girl to a woman of substance made her endearingly human.


She had two scenes which I would have liked to applaud her. One was her reaction to Grancourt's will and the other when Daniel Deronda tells her of his final choice about his life. Garai was simply brilliant in those scenes. In the former, I caught a glimpse a woman with real spine and dignity. In the latter, you can see her vulnerability. She struggles with trying to wear a mask of false bravado so she can let go of Daniel, and that of throwing herself at his feet and beg that he change his mind. Her heartbreak came out clearly in that scene. ANd i thought, wow, her character has really come a long way from the beginning. When she said "I should become a better person for having known you," I wanted to tear up.

Regarding the Gwen vs. Mira choice of Daniel...even if I would have been deliriously happy if he had chosen Gwen (Dancy and Garai's chemistry sizzled!), I fully understood Daniel's choosing Mira. The story is about all the characters becoming the persons they would want to be. Persons they would be happy to become. Had Daniel chosen Gwen, yes, he would have passionate love, but I'm not sure if he would have felt fulfilled knowing his real heritage. There would always be something missing. In MIrah, he gained a sweet wife and the chance to fully explore his heritage, of who he is. He loved both Gwen and Mira, but i think the deciding factor was his vision of the man he would become with them. WIth Gwen, he would be his old English Gentleman self (something he considered a farce), with Mira, a Jew, his true heritage.


And for some reason, I think Gwen will be fine even without Daniel. She's a tough cookie. Passionate with alot of spirit, and having matured after her experience with Grancourt, I have no doubt that she will find another true love. If she was powerfully attractive when she was a selfish brat, she would be doubly attractive to men with her newfound sense of self. And having experienced love for Daniel, and learning how to put others before herself, she will most definitely find love for another person again.

Although I also think she will be fine if she didn't get married again. She has an independent soul, one that requires great understanding from a husband. I'm not sure if many men at that time understood that. If she married again, I'm almost sure that she will only marry for true love since she has learned that material gain is no longer that important.


Whew, I've gushed long enough. So yeah, my point being, I loved this series. If there had been a sequel to this story, I wouldn't have minded if it had been an all-Gwendolen fest. I really am curious about how she would have led her life after having known Daniel.




I loved "The Painted Veil." Please do try to see it.