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27 out of 27 people found the following review useful:
Masterly transfer from book(s) to film., 17 September 2001
Author: JBall75487 from Lincolnshire, England

One runs out of superlatives to describe this flawless representation of Trollope's masterpieces of ecclesiastical fiction. Against the sumptuous background of Peterborough Cathedral and its environs, one is carried into Trollope's world of the intriguing machinations of the clerical establishment of Barchester. Backed by the authenticity of the period detail, the portrayal of all the characters accurately conveys the whole range of human emotions within the stories,without a weak link amongst the members of the cast. In would be invidious to name particular names as meriting special attention, when even the smallest cameo stands comparison with the principals, but I would select Geraldine McEwen, Alan Rickman and Nigel Hawthorne for special commendation - their performances being of the type where the actors disappear and the characters come to life !I was particularly impressed by the clarity of diction and the beautiful,expressive language in this film A 'must see' not only for lovers of Trollope, but anyone interested in seeing character acting at its very best !

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31 out of 41 people found the following review useful:
Alan Rickman is a great virtue - and a great problem, 13 November 2002
Author: Fiona Pymont (fionapymont@yahoo.com) from Manchester, England

Alan Rickman was apparently the second choice for the part of Obadiah Slope. I have no idea who the original selection was - but I bet he's been kicking himself ever since!

In the book, Slope is portrayed as a somewhat uneasy cross between a buffoon and a disturbing snake in the grass. Every time he threatens to become too dangerous, Trollope proceeds to undermine him again.

I believe that the reason why Rickman was offered the part is because the director wanted an actor who could come across as amusing and sleazy, yet plausibly creepy - and sexy.

Slope HAS to possess a great deal of animal magnetism, as this is what explains the extremely strong reaction he produces in otherwise respectable ladies of whatever age.

Rickman certainly gets THAT across - in spades. He may not be conventionally good-looking - but he's totally incapable of playing an asexual character.

Problem is, he ends up completely overwhelming Mrs Bold's other two suitors. Any heterosexual female viewer with any sense will keep shouting at the screen: "You daft bat! Forget Arabin! It's Slope you want!!!!!"

I agree, Arabin is far better served by the book than this adaptation.

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21 out of 22 people found the following review useful:
Sensitive Trollope adaptation, 13 September 1999
10/10
Author: Bernie-56 from Melbourne, Australia

One of the best Trollope adaptations in recent years. A true classic that will delight lovers of the 'Barchester' novels through more than one viewing. Adapted from the first two novels, 'The Warden' and 'Barchester Towers'. All the cast are well matched to their roles.

Of note: It seems newspapers have changed little in 150 years. The fictional 'The Jupiter' ('The Times' very thinly disguised) is just as sanctimonious and irritating as today's press. Clive Swift as Bishop Proudie is, well, another bumbling Clive Swift. Alan Rickman gives an excellent performance as the ingratiating humbug Rev Slope (formerly Mr Slop). Slope's Cathedral sermon on the demerits of music in the evangelical church (Ep. 2) is brilliant, as is his marriage proposal to Mrs Bold (Ep. 4).

Father and daughter Donald and Angela Pleasance play father and daughter Mr Harding and Mrs Grantly.

A weak point is the character is the second romantic interest of Mrs Bold, The Rev Francis Arabin. In the series he seems a rather dull of stick of about 40, much older than Mrs Bold, and it hard to see why a mid-twenties, attractive and wealthy widow would be in the least attracted to him. He is well spoken and intelligent but otherwise most unprepossesing. In the novel, however, Trollope devotes an full chapter to his history and the minute description of his personality and character. As a result it is quite clear why Mrs Bold found him so desirable from their first meeting.

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14 out of 14 people found the following review useful:
At last!, 2 February 2005
10/10
Author: joanmarieherbers from United States

I have been waiting more than a decade for this version to be released in the US, and finally my wait is over. When it first aired on Masterpiece Theater, I was transfixed by the story, the acting, and the sets. Watching this production 2 decades later confirms my earlier opinion that Barchester Chronicles is one of the very best of the Brit adaptations ever to appear in America.

The story concentrates on the private and public lives of clergymen and their families in a cathedral town of the Victorian age. Political intrigue, romance, and situation comedy are deftly interwoven by Trollope's magical hand. What makes this production so wonderful, though, is the acting. Can anyone imagine a Machiavelli more accomplished and doomed than Alan Rickman as the bestial Obadiah Slope? Could anyone else play the awful Mrs. Proudie as well as Geraldine McEwan? Could any other actors than Donald Pleasance and Nigel Hawthorne make believable their affection despite persistent differences of opinion? A host of minor characters rounds out the cast, including the wonderfully irresponsible Bertie Stanhope (Peter Blythe) and his scheming sister Madeline (Susan Hampshire), the marvelously weak pawn of a bishop (Clive Swift) and the delightfully vague Susan Grantly (Angela Pleasance). Absolutely splendid!

The first two hours are on the slow side, to be sure. However, once the new Bishop and his entourage arrive on the scene, there is nonstop action and amusement for another five episodes. If you have never read Trollope, this production will send you to the library!

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16 out of 18 people found the following review useful:
Absolute excellence!, 30 July 2002
10/10
Author: tonjo from Saltaire, England

At 19 years of age and having been involved in the Church of England for most of my life, I watched Barchester unfold week by week with bated breath. I couldn't wait for each new episode. I knew all the characters! I'd met them before! I saw them week by week in real life. My Church of England was just the same as that, only 150 years later. ok, well not quite, but those of you who have seen Barchester know what I mean. Superlative casting, acting, sets. No wonder it has just been voted as the most wanted repeat on BBC. It makes me laugh out loud and then cry too. If you've not seen it, then make sure that you do - soon!

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14 out of 15 people found the following review useful:
Very interesting character study with enough humor to bring you through the slower bits., 19 January 2004
Author: Linda (lindaz)

Starts off seeming as if it's going to be boring, but turns out to be a delight! It just takes awhile laying the foundation of your understanding of each of the characters. Very well done, witty and with excellent acting! - Some parts drag by, but not unbearably so and not often. I've shown this film to "action-addicted" teenagers and was pleasantly surprised with how enthralled they became with the story.

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11 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
Faithfully serene, 25 May 2001
Author: hgallon from Derbyshire, UK

This was another historical series of novels, which the BBC faithfully adhered to (and they managed to run two unequally-sized volumes, "The Warden" and "Barchester Towers", together without the join showing).

Donald Pleasance, normally noted for playing Bond villains, played the modest and unctuous Septimus Harding brilliantly. Nigel Hawthorne, as his son-in-law Dr. Grantly, provided the perfect combative foil. However, Alan Rickman, in one of his first major roles as the scheming Obadiah Slope, may have stolen the show. Clive Swift, as the henpecked Bishop of Barchester, established and refined the character he was later to play as the husband of Hyacinth Bouquet in "real" comedy.

The location shots in cloisters give a very real impression of a withdrawn and contemplative clergy, obsessed with its own affairs and internal squabbles. The jarring note of the first two or three episodes, when John Bold questions whether a long-established tradition connected with a charitable bequest is indeed in the interests of the recipients of that charity, shows the how uneasy the various clerical characters are when dealing with the world outside.

Many of the shots in scenes in a flat countryside seemingly locked into August throughout the eight episodes which covered a span of several years, also give the impression of withdrawal from the day-to-day life of any activity but that of the church.

As an examination of the mores and attitudes of his period, Anthony Trollope produced a brilliant pair of novels. The BBC have produced an equally brilliant adaptation, although slow enough in pace to be almost soporific in parts.

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11 out of 14 people found the following review useful:
Idyllic and exemplary, 18 April 2005
10/10
Author: Paul Emmons (pemmons@voicenet.com) from Philadelphia

That any miniseries as exquisite as this, dating from 1982, would be long unavailable in the U.S., and then appeal only to a small audience, while American rather than British TV and cinema from all reports take the world by storm and set the standard, is cause for amazement if not alarm. Need anyone look further to sympathize with the conservatives in this story, who are wont to feel, in Mr. Arabin's words, that all virtue is disappearing in the wake of modern "progress"? On the other hand, the author Anthony Trollope's star has risen recently among critics and academics; and, even if you have yet to read him, this adaptation will at least afford you a breath of relief that something is therefore going right.

As the only (and minor) negative already noted by others, the character of Arabin is underdeveloped and perhaps miscast, or at least not well conceived and made up. We can even imagine that a scene or two written to this end were dropped at the last minute to save running time. Eleanor's eventual attraction to him surprises us, along with others in the story, almost enough to have _deus ex machina_ written all over it. While we must remember that a filmmaker cannot as easily as a novelist take a detour to acquaint us with an important character entering late, a problem remains for the audience here and something should have been done to solve it.

Now back to the positives. The script is full of quotable lines worthy of the IMDb database. I'll work on it. I also admire this production as a celebration of music. Several times we glimpse Mr. Harding conducting or training one of the finest choirs in the world. Although I doubt that a cathedral precentor even in the 19th century would be directly responsible for this work, it is peculiar that anyone who is, precentor or not, would be consigned to poverty: but, as we know, such is often the way of things. Mr. Harding's musicianship is nevertheless a great source of joy to himself and others. As he tells his daughter brightly when they must move to humbler quarters, "But we shall take the music with us!"

We must recognize in the cast, as Miss Thorne, the daughter of a great composer: Ursula Howells's father Herbert was the dean of cathedral music for two generations, leaving us a cornucopia of liturgical repertoire radiant with a distinctively Anglican mysticism. All concerned must have regarded her part in this production as a mutual honor and privilege. Along with the closing credits rolls a setting of the Jubilate Deo (Psalm 100) almost worthy of his pen, distinguished by a wistful violoncello part evoking the roles of all our Mr. Hardings.

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7 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
A Britsh adaptation at its best!, 28 May 2006
9/10
Author: wordsmith_57 from United States

Even though American, I cannot get enough of English literature transferred to cinema. And The Barchester Chronicles is a recent find to my growing list of favorites. However, in this case I discovered the two disc DVD set at my local library before I had read the author's works. I will definitely be reading the Trollope books now that I have seen the filmed adaptation. Granted the beginning was a bit slow, and didn't really pick up until the slithery Obadiah Slope came into the plot. I then could not watch only one installment and ended up watching all of them, making for a long, yet extremely satisfying viewing session. I am glad my first viewing experience of Alan Rickman was his portrayal of Colonel Brandon from Emma Thompson's Sense and Sensibility. The caring, compassionate gentleman he played was a far opposite of the self-centered, ingratiating slime of Obadiah Slope in The Barchester Chronicles. Donald Pleasance, who has usually played villains to some degree, was the glue of the series. Soft spoken and humble, yet at times passionately stirred to compelling argument, his rendering of Septimus Harding made me wish I could have someone like Mr. Harding in real life to remind me of the joys of loving life and putting others before my own needs.

The Barchester Chronicles is now added to my list of British series favorites including All Creatures Great and Small, Horatio Hornblower, and Pride and Prejudice. I look forward to the day when Americans can lovingly and consistently render our classics into worthy viewing.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
A beautiful experience, 6 September 1999
Author: thepom from Adelaide South Australia

The Casting of the characters is brilliant, the direction flows well and the settings are exactly right for the period and subject. Nearly all the characters portrayed come across as they should, and make this a gripping series, can be watched time and time again.

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