Bleak House
2005
Acclaimed writer Andrew Davies turns his talents to one of Charles Dickens' most brilliant novels - arguably the greatest ever depiction of Victorian London. Fresh and imaginative, yet faithful to the original, this thrilling fast-paced adaptation is shot with a contemporary edge. At its heart is the story of the icily .. Read more
| Starring | Gillian Anderson, Charles Dance, Charlie Brooks, Liza Tarbuck |
|---|---|
| Director | Justin Chadwick, Susanna White |
| Genres | Audio Descriptive, Drama |
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Bleak House
Acclaimed writer Andrew Davies turns his talents to one of Charles Dickens' most brilliant novels - arguably the greatest ever depiction of Victorian London. Fresh and imaginative, yet faithful to the original, this thrilling fast-paced adaptation is shot with a contemporary edge. At its heart is the story of the icily beautiful Lady Dedlock, who nurses a dark secret, and the merciless lawyer Tulkinghorn, who seeks to uncover it. The generous John Jarndyce, struggling with his own past, and his two young wards Richard and Ada, are all caught up, like Lady Dedlock, in the infamous case of Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce, which will make one of them rich beyond imagination if it can ever be brought to a conclusion. As Tulkinghorn digs deeper into Lady Dedlock's past, he unearths a secret that will change their lives forever, and which is almost as astounding as the final outcome of the Jarndyce case.
| Starring | Gillian Anderson, Charles Dance, Charlie Brooks, Liza Tarbuck, Johnny Vegas |
|---|---|
| Director | Justin Chadwick, Susanna White |
| Studio | 2 ENTERTAIN VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 7 hrs 45 mins Blu-ray: 7 hrs 45 mins HD DVD: 7 hrs 45 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Audio Descriptive, Drama |
| Language | DVD: English, English Audio Description Blu-ray: English HD DVD: English |
| Hearing-impaired | English |
| Released | DVD: 20 Feb 2006 Blu-ray: 11 Feb 2008 HD DVD: 11 Feb 2008 Production year: 2005 |
| Format | DVD |
Bleak House (3 discs) (2005)
Or you can rent each disc individually:
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Most helpful member's review
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30 out of 36 people found this review helpful
BBC at its best
This was a brave venture by BBC to serialise Bleak House much as Dickens wrote it i.e. in episodes.The transfer to tv written by Andrew Davies(also did the much acclaimed Pride and Prejudice)is excellent and completely faithful to the text.The cast reads like a whos who of the british theatrical establishment and all of the performances are exellent.Watch out for some great unexpected cameos e.g.Johnny Vegas as the sly drunkard landlord.
The plot of Bleak House is one of Dickens most complex revolving around the drawn out court case between Jarndyce v Jarndyce alongside numerous sub plots.Despite this the storyline is very gripping and draws you in like a modern thriller.
My only gripe about the production is the camera work which is often jerky or handheld and can be a bit distracting.Nevertheless after being rationed to 1/2 hour episodes its good to have the whole series pulled together on dvd.
If you missed it on tele rent it now.It will not disapoint even if you dont think you are a Dickens fan. -
Most recent members' review
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12 out of 12 people found this review helpful
Couldn't stop watching
This series has the story by Charles Dickens and the history of the period rolled into one. I found it compulsive viewing. Having watched the hour long first episode I wanted to watch the rest. I was irritated by the fact that these are programmes put straight onto DVD so each has the credits at the beginning and the end of each episode and that each episode is only half and hour in length, but in its entirity this didn't spoil my enjoyment of the series. There is a good, well known cast, each plays their role well and makes the story come to life. It made me very grateful that we do not live in those times anymore.
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