In the original series, which was a masterpiece and I have watched it over and over again, I never fully understood the hatred for the mother. She was a worried, caring and sympathetic character.
In this film it becomes more apparent to me, through the marvellous acting of Emma Thompson, just how vile and manipulating a creature she was.
I found Emma Thompson's LM terribly over the top; Claire Bloom was more subtly chilly.
shareI know this post is dog-old but,I would be interested to know if this opinion is predicated on prior knowledge of the book, if you're still around.
Not really, since I read the book later.
shareWell, there's only one thing for it; I'm going to have to watch them both again.
shareI think she lost all subtlety, along with the flesh/skin discarded during her plastic surgery. She plays Lady Marchmain as a one dimensional bitch - a tight ass tighter than her new face.
She's like a harpie from the soaps.
Poor Em. She used to have integrity.
As portrayed by Emma Thompson Lady Marchmain emerges as Dragon Lady, devoid of any of the charm and grace Claire Bloom brought to the part in the mini-series. In that version it was understandable how Charles was initially seduced by her, but in this decrepit remake she is utterly repellent. And the part is so poorly written, with no character motivation or insight.
shareI haven't seen the TV series, but Emma Thompson is wonderful in this role.
shareYou should read Evelyn Waugh's book. I think the film is an accurate rendering of the mother's character. And the book itself is very good as well!
shareI have read the book many times my dear. Lady Marchmain is described as having charm, and in speaking, making her points in a subtle, indirect manner.
Emma plays her as a bully and a boor, with the subtlety of a sledgehammer.
"Et in arcadia ego."
Dear D, I've also read the book many times. And I understand that you do not like Emma Thompson.
But let us rejoice in a novel that opens up so many ways of interpretation, instead of trying to convince those that do not agree with us that they are wrong.
Emma is a very good actress. In "Wit" she is superb. Here she is one dimensional and misprepresents the character as created by its author, Evelyn Waugh.
I agree. I have seen the original at least 30 times, and I never found Lady Marchmain to be the malevolent, manipulative schemer she was too often made out to be. In order to understand her one must understand the climate in which she was brought up, and the values she was taught. She was a religious Catholic who could now practice her faith after 3 centuries of suppression, and she was reared on traditional values that she held sacred. Her greatest flaw was her inability to see things from another point of view, but let's face it, the aristocracy at that time was on the cusp of tremendous upheaval. I believe she truly loved her children and wanted them to be happy, but she failed to understand that her concept of happiness was not necessarily the same as theirs. Claire Bloom, wonderfully radiant and gorgeously dignified, really got to the heart of this misunderstood character.
sharePerhaps neither portrayals - Claire Bloom's nor Emma Thompson's - were perfect.
The former was perhaps too sympathetic, the latter too unsympathetic. I have a feeling, reading the above posts, that she was somewhere in-between.
I suppose I'll have to read the book.
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