"Better a fallen rocket than never a burst of light."
~ Tom Stoppard, The Invention of Love

Thursday, August 10, 2017

Countdown to Thirteen – Tess of the D’Urbervilles: Episode 2 (2008)

The blog is very different now than it was when I first took it out for a drive four years ago, to work my way through Peter Capaldi’s filmography as I waited for his debut as the Twelve Doctor.  Back then, it was all Capaldi all the time.  Now, though, there’s just too much for me to talk about to devote months to a single subject (not to mention, too much I want to watch/read/consume to keep up the pace that daily write-ups on that one subject would require.)  However, I do want to do with Jodie Whittaker as I did with Peter Capaldi, just a bit more spread out.  Fortunately, being quite a few years younger than Capaldi and thus having a shorter filmography, I can afford to space it out more.  Expect maybe one or two Jodie Whittaker reviews a week under the Countdown to Thirteen heading, and while I won’t get through them all before her first appearance in this year’s Christmas special, I should easily be able to finish up before her proper introduction in series 11.

(Note:  since I’m starting my review with episode 2 of this miniseries – Whittaker wasn’t in episode 1 – I’ll be throwing in a bit of the first episode into my summary just for context.)  Tess Durbeyfield, the oldest daughter in a working-class country family, has recently learned that her family has connections to the illustrious D’Urbervilles, whose direct line died out years ago.  Sent by her mother to “claim kin” to a pair of apparent D’Urbervilles in the area, Tess’s experience brushing up against the other half is traumatic and heartbreaking.  The encounter leaves her with scars and secrets that she’s trying to move on from in episode 2, in which she finds work as a milkmaid and becomes the object of affection for one Angel Clare, a well-to-do reverend’s son who’s been staying on the farm in preparation for roughing it when he moves to the Colonies.  Despite her growing love for Angel, Tess is afraid to give into her feelings, both due to their differences in station and the looming reminders of her past.

I know very little about Thomas Hardy.  I haven’t read or seen adaptations of any of his other works, but I’ve heard tell about a book of his called Jude (because Christopher Ecclestion starred in the movie,) enough to know that it’s horrifically tragic.  As such, and because quite a bit of awfulness has happened to Tess already, I’m kind of watching from behind my fingers, waiting for the next hammer to fall.  Overall, it seems to me a well-made period-piece miniseries, despite my unfamiliarity with the material, and lots of fine British actors are turning in good work.  So far, I’ve seen Donald Sumpter, Rebekah Staton (who was in the Family of Blood two-parter from series 3 of Who,) Ruth Jones (who guest-starred on a Torchwood episode,) Anna Massey (who I’ll always remember as Aunt Norris from the Sylvestra le Touzel version of Mansfield Park,) Steven Robertson from Rory O’Shea was Here, and Eddie Redmayne as Angel.  As for Tess herself, I’ve heard Gemma Arterton’s name a number of times, but the only thing I’ve seen her in previously is Lost in Austen.

And what about Whittaker?  She plays Izzy Huett, one of several milkmaids who work with Tess on the farm.  It’s a relatively small part thus far, especially considering that there are two other milkmaids serving a similar function within the story, but even so, I do like her.  The milkmaids in general are varying levels of disappointed at Angel setting his cap at Tess instead of them, but I like that they still respond mainly with friendship rather than jealousy.  Izzy is no exception to this.  So far, she strikes me as an interesting mix of both flighty and practical.  The other milkmaids tease her about having it bad for Angel – as in, kissing-his-shadow-on-the-wall bad – but she also has no delusions about the chances of him ever being in love with her.  She has a particularly lovely scene with Tess at a crucial moment in the episode that really makes me like her.

Accent Watch (bringing this back from the Peter Capaldi review days as well – I do love assorted British accents!)

A thick West Country.

Recommend? (again, as with the Peter Capaldi reviews, I’ll put my initial impressions at the start of a series, then circle back to it once I’ve reviewed all the episodes)

In General – Maybe.  It’s definitely well-made, but so far, the story isn’t grabbing me like a good Austen, Dickens, or Brontë piece, which could just be my unfamiliarity with the book.

Jodie Whittaker – Again, maybe.  Thus far, it’s a fairly lightweight role, but one I like.  I’ll get back to you on that!

Warnings

Sexual references (sexual content in episode 1,) violence, strong thematic elements, and drinking.

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