Little Dorrit [DVD] [2009] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

I'm a Yank living far across the pond and on the far side of the meadows. THIS REGION-FREE RELEASE PLAYS ON MY BLU-RAY PLAYER PERFECTLY. I'm watching disc one as I hammer my artful wordsmithing on my tattered keyboard.The detail is amazing of course in blu-ray. Music and sound are great. I am not aware of a music cd release of the charming music but I do hope there is or will be a release of a music cd.There is a small booklet enclosed providing brief words describing each of the 14 episodes. The case is strong. Sub-titles are included.Other comments describle the plot and characters. All I can add is I consider this production to be a very good adaption of the novel which I have read.The ending has been confusing for some viewers. Attention to details as the 8 hour series progresses provides the almost hidden understandings. Dickens, it seems, allowed his readers to think. The plot is not simplistic neither in the book nor this movie.The special feature concerns the making of the film and it is excellent in my opinion.The movie is entertaining for those new to Dickens while deeply thoughtful to fans of the writings of Dickens and the many movies based on his novels. He could tell a story with humor, justice, love, whodunnit, travel, satire, complex interweaving plots, and just plain fun.The characters are classic examples of people and one might say Dickens is alive and well among us today.Cynical folks may find nothing to like in this movie nor in the novels and that is a shame.By my accounts, Dickens himself considered OUR MUTUAL FRIEND his favorite novel while his most autobiographical novel is DAVID COPPERFIELD and his most well known novel is OLIVER TWIST. Literary experts seem to pick BLEAK HOUSE as the greatest novel of Dickens.LITTLE DORRIT has received precious little attention yet is known as a complex plot with grand satire elements downright shocking in its day.It is hard to believe that the production crew thought the public would'nt've given the movie much of a high ranking yet the movie did very very well.Oh yes, and a few love story elements rather unusual and certainly not the simple love stories so common today. Not boring, not a bit of it.At 11.99 GBP this is a steal, daylight robbery, and I bought it at 12.99 GBP which is still a marvel.

This fresh and sparkly adaption of a Dickens classic is bound to become a classic itself. The story of love and shady human behaviour, the characters, the actors' performances, all shine and draw you in. The characters develop and takes some interesting turns - they are not at all what you make them out to be at first. Be prepared for some surprises! The filmography alone makes it well worth watching certain scenes over and over. Little Dorrit walking through the crooks, nannies and bustle of London, her fathers downtrodden room at the prison, exotic fabrics flowing in the wind in the harbour of Marseilles - and of course, floating along in a gondola in Venice, sun flickering in the water...Add to this moments of hilarious and pathetic quest for eternal youth, a quest for riches and fame, a villain that made my skin crawl - and even a banking scandal which just adds to the feel that this might be set in a sea of beautiful silk peacockish dresses, but really, whatever the year, humans are humans, when it comes to their cravings for gold, attention - and LOVE. This is a treat you CAN have again and again. No wonder it received so many Emmy's.

The order arrived within the time-frame schedulded, carefully packed. The item is as described by the seller, new sealed with blister hence the blu-ray disc is without stains nor scratches. Excellent purchase for a beautiful movie, compliments to the seller!

This is one of Dickens' lesser known works and is given a wonderful screenplay by Andrew Davies who also did the Pride and Prejudice and Bleak House adaptations for BBC TV. The novel centers on two characters whose lives are changed when the father of one of them dies and triggers a search for answers from the past. Much of the storyline is taken from Dickens' personal experiences as a young boy when his father was imprisoned in a debtors prison. The theme of imprisonment pervades the entire storyline and every character is affected by it in one shape or form (physical, psychological, familial, and societal). Dickens' satire of the pre-Victorian 1826 English society class snobbery, bureaucracy, and greed are displayed by the characters in this novel.The original novel was broken into two parts with Arthur Clennam being the primary focus in the first part and Amy Dorrit in the second part. This adaptation chose to focus on both characters right away instead of following the original novel time line. There are many great individual performances in this 7 1/2 hours saga. The two central characters remain unchanged despite financial, family, and social status pressures. This adaptation blends humor, sorrow, joy, and a mystery embedded in a love story that transcends time and place. It is a rare TV event to see such a wide ranging emotional and visually impressive presentation. Many of the questions that people look for answers like who we will live our lives with, what obligations do parents and children have for each other, and how will we live our lives are brought out from this presentation. This is a timeless series with a timeless message that what really matters in life is not money, status, or power.I had the opportunity to ask the screenwriter questions on the screenplay adaptation when the series was being broadcast on USA TV networks in April 2009. Mr. Davies changed some of the scenes from the novel to make it with a more contemporary feel and to give the heroine a more dignified and individual character. The ending of the series also does not follow the novel exactly. Arthur Clennam gets the answers to his dying father's request in the TV series while the novel leaves some questions unanswered. Mr. Davies wanted Arthur to have closure and to make for a more emotionally satisfying ending. The following is taken from Mr. Davies' introduction to the BBC novel edition.--------------------------------------------------------------------------"I realized that I would have to simplify and clarify the way the characters are introduced, so that the audience could get a sense of how they interrelate. I also needed to get a handle on the mystery that lies at the heart of the Clennam household. The mystery goes back into the past, involving characters that are dead before the book begins. It revolves around a will, a particular bequest, twin brothers, and a tin box that disappears and then reappears, and it culminates by bringing the house down literally. I had to consider how to translate all this coherently to television, while laying the clues so that the audience can get a shock of recognition when all is revealed."--------------------------------------------------------------------------The sets, costumes, background scenery, and acting are all first rate with many familiar British actors/actresses in the cast. A lot of work and effort was done to make this production so special (the makeup work for the Maggy character took over 2 hours). The heroine, newcomer Claire Foy, becomes the primary focus of the entire story and deservedly so. Claire called the making of the series like a "special Christmas gift". Kudos to the casting director, Rachel Freck, who brought together a wonderful cast to the series and for her encouragement to Claire Foy which was crucial to her selection for the leading role (she flubbed the first two auditions for the part). The musical pieces (especially the haunting opening score with the piano and string instrument and Amy Dorrit's pensive mood music scenes when she was thinking about Arthur or was with him - taken from the Chinese music box) are beautifully matched to the story actions throughout the presentation. Dickens is mostly known for his more popular works such as Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, A Christmas Carol, and Great Expectations. Little Dorrit (originally titled "Nobody's Fault" by Dickens) deserves more wider recognition because its message is one that touches the heart of nearly everyone. A rich, moving, and touching story excellently presented. The series is a big departure from what you normally see on TV or in the theaters.--------------------------------------------------------------------------IMPORTANT NOTE TO THOSE CONTEMPLATING THE PURCHASE OF THE DVD:Please note that some of the merchants offering this DVD are Netherlands (or non-UK) based sellers (the shipping information will show something like "Dispatched from the Netherlands" or the description has something like "European (Dutch) version"). These sellers are selling a movie version that ONLY contains Dutch (or non-English) subtitles (but with English audio). These DVDs were made for non-UK speaking audiences, but can be sold to other European countries and the rest of the world. The box cover and menu screens on the DVD are in non-English words and does NOT match the photo shown for this item listing. If you want to buy a movie version with English subtitles, make sure you are NOT ordering one from a non-UK based merchant. Only the UK based merchants are selling English subtitled version. If you are unsure, email the seller first and ask.I have both an English and Dutch subtitled versions and they play fine on my region free DVD player. Please also note, the Dutch subtitled version does NOT have chapter settings on the DVD. So you cannot go directly to a particular scene within an episode unlike the BBC DVD English subtitled version. Also, the Dutch subtitled version does not have the supplemental material found on the UK English subtitled DVD version (such as the "Little Dorrit- an insight" extra). Both versions do contain the same movie run time.

This really is a book of two stories, and one of them is excellent.That first - the story of the Dorrits, with father in the Marshalsea for debt (like Dickens snr), and all the debt-related stuff around Mr Pancks and Mr Casby, the horrible hypocrite landlord of Bleeding Heart Yard, and the Meagles Family, and Tatty Coram, and Miss Wade, and all the stuff about poverty - subjects on which Dickens could write with proper authority.And then there's the House of Clennam, presided over by a nasty old bag in a wheelchair, and it eventually falls down - it's a clear forerunner of Satis House, though nowhere near as good, and the nice, if dim, servant married to the nasty clever servant, I'm sure I've seen that with Mr and Mrs Quilp, and I've no idea what House of Clennam deals in but I'd bet it's the same commodities as do Dombey and Son (on a second watch, it appears to be a drapers), and that Ponzi Scheme is straight out of Martin Chuzzlewit, and the villain Rigaud appears to be on the run from A Tale of Two Cities. (Having written all that I realise that Amy Dorrit and her father remind me very strongly of Little Nell and her grandad - after ten novels Mr Dickens may have been starting to run short of ideas).So half of this is very fine Dickens - the great man doing what he did best - while the other half is the great man doing what he did rather better in other books; not to damn the production, which is first rate, but the book it's based on is less so.It's a first-rate cast, particularly Maxine Peake as the sapphic villainess, Miss Wade, who never really does enough mischief (Victorian proto-dominatrix written all over her), and Bill Patterson as an insufferable Meagles, and Russell Tovey as the unlucky in love John Chivery with Ron Cook as his dad (always good, Ron Cook), and Alan Armstrong's Dickensian nose playing the noses of both brothers Flintwinch (I don't think I really know why there has to be two of them) and Andy Serkis is Rigaud, looking like a sinister Basil Brush.And Tom Courtney is wonderful as William Dorrit, with James Fleet as his staunch brother Frederick, and Hampton Court looks just right as the inside of the Marshalsea, while the set for the House of Clennam looks just as decrepit as it should do, and it falls down really well.Judy Parfitt does a magnificent job of making old Mrs Clennam the horriblest of Dickensian old bags, and I really do not know how her son turned out to be such a nice chap.Fine production, but a potboiler of a book (half of it anyway).

I haven't read the novel of Little Doritt because although I enjoy adaptations of Dickens I find it difficult to read his novels. That said after watching this adaptation I may give it another go.The novel charts the rising and falling fortunes of its characters, mainly Little Amy Doritt, her father and Arthur Clennam but even the smaller characters are well fleshed out and complex. For me the best acted parts were from Amy's sister Fanny, their father and Rigaud, the Frenchman who plagues everyone he meets. These characters seemed more interesting than Amy and Arthur who, in comparison, seem quite bland at first.At first I thought several of the characters were almost like cartoons, the clichéd girl and man too good for their surroundings, the evil rent collector, the man going a bit insane in prison, the snobby sister and good for nothing brother, the even more evil Frenchman. But as the story goes on even the smaller part characters are fleshed out and everyone is given a more rounded personality. At times of crisis the true measure of a person is revealed, and that certainly happens in this. The only parts that confused me a bit were I couldn't quite figure out where Miss Wade and Harriet/Tattyclorum fit into everything, especially the latter, but maybe their parts are clearer in the novel. We find out Miss Wade's part a little in the last episode but her motivation isn't explained as far as I can remember. The plot was not hard to follow, so much so even without reading the book I could see where it was going, but I enjoyed it so much I didn't care.Production wise I thought the look of the show was wonderful, from the run down look of the prison and Arthur's mother's home to the sumptuousness of Venice and the homes of the wealthier people. The shift in everyone's fortunes are at times subtle and at times devastating and this is shown in their actors' demeanour, and dress.Highly recommended for any fan of Dickens or period dramas.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this excellent production when I bought it on Blu-ray dvd about 6 months ago. We would watch a half hour episode and then look at each other and then wordlessly agree to watch another and consequently we came to the end all too soon. The dramatization was so good that it encouraged me to go out and buy the book. I have delayed this review until such time that I can compare it to the novel.Inevitably, even a 7 hour plus dramatization has to be a précis of the book and for the sake of clarity a few actual changes have to be made. I can live with most of these `tweaks' and applaud Andrew Davis for some of the changes which were obviously made to aid the viewer's comprehension. As with most of Dickens the storyline is complicated with numerous characters and a mass of wonderful detail. This production does not skimp on these essential elements and I cannot fault the casting, the acting, the photography or the technical intricacies of the production.Personally, I think that in this case it is a good idea to see dramatisation before reading the book. This may be a lazy way to get into the book but it certainly worked for me. My only mild criticism would be that I would have preferred a more detailed denouement. Too much is crammed into the final episode and the viewer has too many unanswered questions on the fine detail and on the outcome for all the characters that we have got to know so well. Perhaps the BBC were running out of money! The production must have cost a small fortune.This dramatization is fairly clear to follow with the possible exception of the identical twin brothers, Flintwinch. A momentary lapse of attention will likely cause some confusion on the mind of viewers - be warned!This Blu-ray production is absolutely superb with razor sharp clarity in the video and excellent audio. This production deserves to be viewed at least twice and I am really looking forward to seeing it again. This set of 4 discs is superb value and it is highly recommended!

Putting aside some reservations about the bizarre actions of some characters including one being so unconcerned that he is in the same room as a man who has obviously killed his brother that nothing is said and the black hole entitled "whatever happened in the pub" this was enjoyable to watch and really only marred by the poor scripting of the last few episodes. Without that it would certainly be 5 stars if not 6.Having watched all the BBC Dickens adaptations the poor scripting of this one came as a bit of a shock. Yes, the acting, sets and everything else are as brilliant as ever but I defy anyone who does not already know the story to pick up all the threads of the plot from the cavalier way the dialogue for the last couple of episodes has been written. If you don't know the story I recommend you read the synopsis on Wikipedia afterwards so you can understand the key plot elements that are not put over well in the series - [...]

The story, although centered on a depressing topic, is brilliantly and delightfully told, a story more about hope than despair, even though there was plenty of that around as well. It's easy to care about what happens to the characters from the beginning. Amy finds beauty in everything and everyone. Others find beauty in her in spite of the drab surroundings. As usual with a Charles Dickens novel, all is not exactly as it seems. There is much more hidden within the lives of these amazing characters. This classic novel comes to life as portrayed by these excellent actors.Amy or "Little Dorrit" is desperately poor, spending most of her life caring for her father who is in debtor's prison, a place we get to know well throughout the story. Amy is, in spite of her circunmstances, a lady, as her father, who has become emotionally unstable over the years in debtor's prison, constantly reminds her. Surrounded in poverty and wearing her one old ragged dress, she speaks modestly but elegantly, as if she had received an excellent education, which she apparently did, from her father. Amy moves through her many duties with grace, and wins respect from everyone who observes her, rich or poor. Her sweet, unselfish disposition and the fact that she takes care of everyone else, makes viewers love her as well, and want to protect her from the dangers and insults we see around her. For example, when she got locked out of the debtor's prison and had to seek refuge off a street full of ruffians on a cold staircase, Amy never uttered a complaint. She was more concerned with the welfare of her friend, who was 'slow' mentally and unable to take care of herself. She moves gracefully and purposefully, never questioning why she has been given such a tough life situation.I had heard of debtor's prisons all my life, but never had a handle on what they really were. Very interesting, and not at all what I would have thought. The atmosphere, with the streets teeming with people selling whatever they could find to sell, potatoes, violets, etc., effectively set the stage for this story. A number of intriguing characters interact in surprising ways as the complicated plot makes its twists and turns, characters interesting enough to make us care what happens to them, good and bad.Does good triumph over evil in this story? You'll have to read the novel, watch the DVD, or both, to find out. It's worth your time.I wasn't ready for the story to be over and found myself wishing Dickens, and the screenwriter and producer had given us a Little Dorrit II.

Gran miniserie, grandes interpretaciones

Ottima la realizzazione. Serie avvincente

Die Messlatte liegt bei den Literaturverfilmungen der BBC ja ohnehin sehr hoch. Wenn ich also schreibe, dass "Little Dorrit" noch einmal ganz neue Maßstäbe setzt, spricht das hoffentlich für sich. Es lassen sich nicht genug Superlative finden, um ausreichend wertzuschätzen, was im Fall dieser sehr besonderen Miniserie, bei der einfach alles auf den Punkt genau stimmt, geschaffen wurde ( --- und es unmöglich ist, an dieser Stelle mehr als einen winzigen Eindruck zu vermitteln).Wer Dickens' Art zu schreiben liebt, kann gar nicht an dieser Umsetzung des eher weniger bekannten Romans des britischen Autors vorbei, denn hier ist alles drin, was Dickens mitunter ausmacht: London, Sozial- und Gesellschaftskritik, Romantik, Tragik, skurriler Humor, Menschlichkeit und ein faszinierend ineinander verwickeltes Netz von schillernden Persönlichkeiten.Immer wieder haut mich Dickens' liebevoller Umgang mit seinen oftmals eigenwilligen, facettenreichen Figuren um, die in dieser Verfilmung einfach nur hinreißend und unglaublich talentiert bis hin zu der kleinsten Nebenrolle dargestellt sind (wenn ich klinge als würde ich schwärmen - ich tu's;-)).Neben den umwerfenden Hauptdarstellern (ich kann mir im Nachhinein keine andere Besetzung mehr vorstellen!) Claire Foy als Amy und Matthew MacFadyen als Arthur fällt mir als erstes Russell Tovey als der junge John Chivery ein, der mich (auch wenn er eigentlich nicht der romantische Held hier ist) in mehr als einer Szene zu Tränen gerührt hat. Lass den Mann in Fahrt kommen (und das kann er scheinbar aus dem Stand), und es bleibt kein Auge trocken, wirklich wahr;-)Ebenso auf einem überaus schmalen Grad zwischen Lächerlichkeit und Liebenswürdigkeit souverän balancierend ist Ruth Jones als Mrs. Flora Casby Finching, die "ein wenig" Schwierigkeiten hat, sich von ihrer romantischen Vergangenheit mit Arthur zu lösen. Tom Courtenay als Amys und gleichzeitig dem "Father of the Marshalsea" ist ebenso so bemitleidenswert wie mitreißend (man hasst ihn manchmal für seinen vermeintlichen Egoismus, kann aber nie anders als auch mit ihm zu fühlen) in seiner Darstellung.Und so weiter und so weiter.Sie sind alle genial.Kein einziger Ausreißer.Andy Serkis, der Engländer mit dem perfekten französischen Akzent, geht einem als Bösewicht so unangenehm und aufdringlich unter die Haut, dass er einfach grandios sein muss, oder?!Ich gehöre nicht zu den Menschen, die andere mit dem "Muss" zur englischen Originalversion nerven. Hier mache ich eine Ausnahme. Nicht nur, weil es eine Schande ist, Matthew MacFadyen überhaupt zu synchronisieren (bei DER Stimme müsste der Mann gezwungen werden, sämtliche für ihn fremdsprachigen Texte selbst sprechen zu lernen;-)), sondern weil der Ton, die Brüche, das Flüstern, das Schnorcheln (Mr. Pancks, einfach zu gut!), das Selbstgefällige, Dumme, Arrogante, Liebevolle, Kühle, Mitfühlende, Gute, Mysteriöse, Oberflächliche, Leidenschaftliche - also all die Vielfalt von Dickens' bunter Welt zum großen Teil eben auch in den Originalstimmen der hervorragenden Darsteller verankert ist und man sich viel von der eindrucksvollen Stimmung nimmt, sieht man sich das Ganze auf Deutsch an.(... und in keiner anderen Sprache als Englisch klingt es so schön, wenn John sich für seine Androhung von Schlägen gegen Arthur Clennam, die er nur aus Gründen der Etikette zurückhält, im gleichen Atemzug entschuldigt und ihm von diesem auch auf der Stelle höflich verziehen wird;-))Eine der meiner Meinung nach in jeder Beziehung stimmigsten Literaturverfilmungen überhaupt: Setting, Drehbuch, Darstellung, Musik. Für so etwas muss TV erfunden worden sein;-)

I think this is the best adaptation of a Dicken's novel I've ever seen. Andrew Davies script beautifully condenses a very long book, without losing any of the main themes, or wonderful moments. All the actors are terrific: Tom Courtenay's Mr. Dorrit is amazing. It's possible, I think, when reading the book, to dislike Mr. Dorrit, but Tom Courtenay manages to show us a very complex, bewildered, unworldly, wounded man who would have been a much different, better man, if circumstances had been different. We are able to catch glimpses of the man that Amy so loves and admires. Claire Foy is perfect as Amy "Little" Dorrit. Her sweet, lovely face is so fragile, with eyes that seem to show every ripple of feeling and emotion. Matthew Macfadyen as Arthur Clennam is wonderfulLittle Dorrit - this is such a difficult part to play: how NOT to make Arthur into a saintly bore; but Matthew Macfadyen shows us a good, honourable, decent man, trying to help wherever and whomever he can.