I read THE BUCCANEERS first and found this production irritating: no Kentucky Derby race, for one; Greg Wise has political dialogue nowhere in the book; and, to refrain from spoiling anything, I'll just say the depiction of the Julius character completely jars with my perception. I wrote a literary analysis of Wharton's work while in grad school and, sadly, I've yet to see a film or television production that does much justice to her. My least favorite book, ETHAN FROME, at least had Liam Neesom as the title character in the adaptation. In the great novel THE HOUSE OF MIRTH, truly an American masterpiece, paragraphs weave with wit and irony. In the disappointing film, parts were greatly miscast. As soon as I heard who was playing Selden, I knew disappointment lay ahead. (I usually like Eric Stoltz, too.) And since when is Bertha more attractive than Lily? (Well, when Laura Linney is in one role and Gillian Armstrong the other.) So many possibilities, so many erroneous turns, but still the film surpassed the tacky American Playhouse version. Unfortunately, THE AGE OF INNOCENCE miscast the lead character, a bland milquetoast, with Daniel Day-Lewis, a man who always seems seething with desire. The whole point is that the guy never felt passion until meeting the Countess, and she's not beautiful! She has an earthy sensuality; Wharton understood about pheromones before the science. Once I found a book-on-tape called THE BRIDGE, a superb Wharton-on-film candidate.
Review of The Buccaneers
