Galsworthy's epic was famously adapted for TV in the late 60s on BBC 1. I was surprised to see ITV had enough nerve to tackle another adaptation as a) it has arguably not produced anything worth watching in 20 years and b) the BBC's version caused a well-remembered sensation at the time (churchgoers missed evensong, pubs emptied etc).

Having watched the first 2 episodes I am beginning to wish they had stuck to what they are best at ie. game shows and football. My main problem is the inconsistancy of the acting. Sometimes the actors get it right, other times they don't and sometimes I feel I am watching some grotesque pantomime. There seems to be a lack of confidence in the direction (by Christopher Menaul) generally, and most of the time the cast appear to be not waving, but drowning. Admittedly Gina McKee is better as Irene than Nyree Dawn Porter in the 60s version, who made a pig's ear of it, but unfortunately Ms McKee sorely needs to make a silk purse therefrom and the "director" seems to be otherwise engaged. There is a panic and unease about the whole production which is palpable in every scene and has nothing to do with the matter in hand. I suspect after forking out for luxurious sets and frocks the acccountants decided rehearsals were expendable. Some scenes do work well, it is at its best when there are only one or two actors involved - which rather supports my suspicions. However, each actor appears to be left to try and direct themselves which works in quiet, undemanding moments but can hardly be expected to carry hours of drama. As a result the climax of episode 2 descended to circus. At this point the main actors could no longer hide behind their undoubted skills. It needed skilful direction to weld the performances into convincng drama. It was not forthcoming and I can only say I have rarely felt so detached from a drama and at the same time so aware of the artifice of acting. Only Brecht could nave been pleased.

Another irritation is the music. The Chopin used in episode 1 was, not surprisingly, effective but the specially composed score is trite, innapropriate and poorly used. One could contrast this with the fabulous score for "Brideshead Revisited" (ITV approx 1980) never invasive and a beautiful enhancement to one of TV's undoubted masterpieces. No doubt, for ITV anyway, the necessary sensitivity has been lost.

As regards "film grammar" my advide would be "stop moving the ***** camera !". Static scenes are reasonably well handled in a dull TV-land sort of way. But as soon as the steadicam gets out - forget it ! It wanders aimlessly about without the merest scrap of an idea about the psychic power of the lens - hopeless ! For instance, in one scene Soames discusses having children with an unenthusiastic Irene before disappearing together into the bedroom. The door closes onto the camera, a banal idea already, but then the camera points down and focuses on the (static) doorknob. One must ask why ? Is there some semantics concerning brass doorknobs which has eluded me ? Was it a phallic symbol (oh God I hope not !). Perhaps ITV had spent so much on the doorknobs it wanted them properly appreciated. I suspect the director had no idea how to end the scene in any original way and that was the best he could do.

It is all a crying shame. Galsworthy is not the greatest writer of his generation but he wrote a gripping story and later won the Nobel Prize. The power of the original text will survive even this fiasco. And yet there are some moments even in this production. Gina McKee sometimes achieves an intensity in her portrayal of Irene - despite the odds - which, properly handled (or even handled at all) just might have produced the performance of a lifetime. Many of the male leads are also doing their best, but alas, 20 years of turning their portal into an unglorified slot-machine has done nothing to burnish production skills at ITV, and my goodness, it shows. But there are some lovely frocks in it.

That is the first I have heard of this remake... (being out in the far distant former colonies!), but I find it difficult to believe they think they can improve FS Mark One. I loved it.
However , that is not really what I am posting about. I wonder if you could enlighten me on "A Dance to the Music of Time" ,which I believe was made on 4. I ask , because I have just got hold of the books and , having never read them, I wondered how the TV treated them.Did you see it, Ingilby, and what did you think?
I must say I miss British TV sadly. We get a mixture of old cheap sitcoms and unheard of detective series, ancient b films and other trash here . Such stuff as one might care to see is aired at 2 am.

I've stopped watching it because I felt sorry for Soames played by Eric Porter in the original and I find I still feel sorry for Soames.He loves too much. Am I in a minority here?

[ 04-30-2002, 04:03 PM: Message edited by: B ridie ]

Soames... I am not so sure ! He does virtually "buy" Irene, and you don't have to listen to the Beatles' song to realise the error of that strategy. Worse still he does rape her, which is never justifiable. I do think the new production tried to portray him more sympathetically, which was a nice idea. Pity the "director" went out to buy his cat a kipper in the middle of rehearsals and got lost on the way back to the studios...