Jane Austen's Persuasion DVD Credits:

Region: 1

Jane Austen's Persuasion DVD Release Date: 15th January 2008

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Jane Austen's Persuasion DVD Review:

British film and television has a long literary tradition and one of the most celebrated authors has been Jane Austen, despite a limited amount of material. Because se only had a handful of novels they have been adapted several times in association with BBC. These television films are a great source of entertainment in a country where television is often a much more popular form of entertainment that theatrically released films. Persuasion has been made several times before, including a faithful and lengthy adaptation to rival this newer and shorter version. This new version of Persuasion is a mere 93 minutes, keeping the themes and plot simple, although taking every bit of this time to try and recreate an accurate and faithful adaptation. Gorgeously shot and paired with a wonderful soundtrack, the acceptance of the new Persuasion has much to do with whether or not the new cast fits individual expectations.

Persuasion was the last novel written by Jane Austen and it is a story of redemption and second chances for an easily persuaded woman in her later years. For this time period later years means any woman in her later twenties and unmarried, as Anne Elliot is. Anne (Sally Hawkins) was once deeply in love with a young naval officer named Frederick Wentworth (Rupert Penry-Jones) but at a young age was convinced that marrying him would not be a wise decision. She said no and devastated him, but as she is still single and in her “later years” Anne finds that Frederick will be returning with a high rank and a fortune to his name. Anne is forced to watch as all of the younger women attempt to obtain a marriage proposal from the distinguished gentleman all the while Anne is still devastating in love with him.

In these Jane Austen adaptations we all know how the story is going to end, just as we know nobody will survive when we watch any of the many adaptations of Hamlet or Romeo and Juliet. It isn’t what happens in these stories, but the elegant and romantic way in which the events play out, perfectly set up for visual representation in film. It becomes difficult not to compare each version to the previous ones, but regardless of the fact that this version has been edited down to a shorter and simpler story, it manages to capture the beauty and elegance in Austen’s last story.

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Jane Austen's Persuasion DVD review written by: Ryan Izay