Daniel Deronda – a mini-series in three parts – is a historical drama (set in the 19th century) which premiered on British television (BBC) in 2002.
This historical drama is about a young man, who does not know who he is and who does not know what to do with his life.
Here is some basic information about it:
*** Director: Tom Hooper
*** Producer: Louis Marks (1928-2010)
*** Writer: Andrew Davies
*** Based on a novel by George Eliot (1876)
*** Released on DVD in 2011
*** Run time: 90 + 60 + 60 minutes = 210 minutes
The cast includes the following:
GROUP # 1
** Hugh Dancy as Daniel Deronda
** Romola Garai as Gwendolen Harleth
** Hugh Bonneville as Henleigh Grandcourt
** Edward Fox as Sir Hugo Mallinger
** Georgie Glen as Lady Mallinger
GROUP # 2
** Johdi May as Mirah Lapidoth
** Amanda Root as Mrs Davilow
** Celia Imrie as Mrs Meyrick
** Jamie Bamber as Hans Meyrick – Mrs Meyrick’s son
** David Bamber as Lush – Grandcourt’s assistant
GROUP # 3
** Allan Corduner as Mr Klesner – a musician
** Greta Scacchi as Lydia Glasher
** Barbara Hershey as Comtessa Maria Alcharisi
** Daniel Evans as Mordecai
** Anna Steel as Catherine Arrowpoint
George Eliot is a pen name used by Mary Anne Evans (1819-1880). She used the name of a man, because she wanted to be taken seriously. Using this pen name, she wrote seven novels. Daniel Deronda, her last novel, was published in 1876. It was re-published in 2017.
I do not wish to spoil the viewing for anyone. Therefore, I am not going to reveal too much about what happens in this drama. I will merely tell you how the story begins.
Daniel Deronda – the main character of this drama - is a young man who does not know who he is. He does not know his father or mother. He does not even know who they are or were.
He grows up in the household of Sir Hugo Mallinger, who treats him as if he was his own son. Daniel does not know what to do with his life. He is searching for a purpose. In this drama, we follow him as he tries to find out what to do with his life.
Gwendolen Harleth – a leading character in this drama – is a young woman who is beautiful and devious. She uses her beauty as a tool to get whatever she wants.
Several men want to marry her. One of them is Henleigh Grandcourt who is the heir of Sir Hugo Mallinger. Gwendolen is interested in Daniel. But she is also interested in Henleigh. And she is not sure which one she is going to choose. Perhaps she will choose a third person?
In this drama, we follow Daniel and Gwendolen as they try to find out what to do with their lives. What is the right choice? And what is the reason why you make your choice? Is it a good reason?
This is how the story begins, and this is where my presentation ends. If you want to know what happens to Daniel, Gwendolen, and the people around them, you have to watch the drama (or read the book) all the way to the end.
The story has many twists and turns. Some of them may surprise you. The story is not as predictable as you may think.
What do reviewers say about this drama?
On IMDb it has a rating of 72 per cent, which corresponds to 3.8 stars on Amazon.
On Rotten Tomatoes it has a rating of 81 per cent, which corresponds to four stars on Amazon.
On Amazon there are at the moment more than 600 ratings of this product, more than 300 with reviews. The average rating is 4.5 stars, which corresponds to a rating of 90 percent.
As you can see, the ratings are positive. They offer something like four stars (80 percent). If you ask me, this rating is quite appropriate.
The script is well-written and most actors play their roles well. The story is captivating, dramatic and emotional. There is much to like here. This movie is good, but not great. There are some flaws here and there:
# 1. The story is set in England, Germany (in the fictional town Leubronn) and Italy (in Genoa), but it was filmed in England, Scotland, and Malta.
When the story moves to Genoa in Italy, it is obvious that it is not filmed in Italy. It is filmed in Valletta, the capital of Malta. The harbour of Valletta has a very distinct skyline, which is shown several times.
Why show us Valletta and pretend that this is Genoa? If it was not possible to film in Genoa, why not change the story so it takes place in Malta?
# 2. The novel begins in a casino in Leubronn in 1865. But the drama begins in a casino in Leubronn in 1874. The time has been moved nine years forward. Why? There is no obvious reason for this change.
# 3. Romola Garai is miscast as Gwendolen. She is supposed to be so beautiful and so charming that every man is attracted to her. If you ask me, Gwendolen is not charming at all. I find her quite annoying.
I like this movie and I want to give it a good rating, but as you can see, it has some flaws which cannot be ignored.
I have to remove one star because of them. Therefore, I think it deserves a rating of four stars (80 percent).
PS. Mary Anne Evans - aka George Eliot - had a life and a career that was most unusual for a woman in Victorian times. For details, see the following biographies:
The Life of George Eliot
by Nancy Henry
(2012) (2014)
George Eliot: The Last Victorian
by Kathryn Hughes
(1998) (1999)
*****
Daniel Deronda
A historical novel
by George Eliot
(1876)
*****
George Eliot
A pen name of
Mary Ann Evans
(1819-1880)
*****
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