Gormenghast

[Jack]

Need some advice – Just finished reading Gormengast, and remembered that the BBC did a series on the book and it’s available on DVD, so was thinking of spending some money. My sis has the sci fi channels Dune and it was not too bad considering the budget and location – So avoid at all costs or what?

[j. d. worthington]

For my money... given the constrictions of the television format, and the fact they had a lot less time to develop things than Peake did in the novels... I thought they actually did a very, very good job. Certainly, they capture the feel of Gormenghast Castle very well... and the cast they had was excellent; they also show a great deal of respect for Peake's books, and for that blending of humor, pathos, horror, a Gothic sensibility, and the social commentary that he had throughout. They also showed the good sense to not try to adapt Titus Alone as a part of this... that one simply wouldn't work as part of the same dramatic adaptation... too much of a jolt with the change in mise en scène.

Let's put it this way... I was very leery of it when I saw they'd done it, and now I've seen it several times, and when it became available over here, I bought the darned thing..... It's not perfect, but it really is an admirable production....

[Nesacat]

I'll second that. They did a wonderful job with the material. They didn't try to be clever and they got the Gothic darkness down right. It's definitely worth the money. Admittedly I'm biased due to the cast list. A well done piece of work all round.

[Tillane]

I agree. The TV format was obviously going to be restrictive (unless they turned it into a 10-part epic), but the beeb did a pretty good job. It really is a quite astonishing cast; Christopher Lee is excellent as Flay, Richard Griffiths wonderfully vile as Swelter, Zoe Wanamaker and Lynsey Baxter frankly creepy as the twins...I could go on.

There are things I wish had been covered in more detail, and some of the characters aren't explored as much as I'd have liked (and Sourdust is entirely absent), but on the whole I thought the series was very, very good.

[j. d. worthington]

Yes, I think they felt (rightly) they had to eliminate Sourdust, given the format, and went instead with Barquentine throughout... and there they did a marvelous job, as well.... Neve McIntosh's performance as Fuchsia, though, remains among the best... she captures the character very well indeed... and that scene in the garden, with Lord Groan, is heartbreaking....

[Teresa Edgerton]

I'm going to be the one dissenting voice. I thought they condensed it far too much.

But I'll agree that the casting was exceptionally good. Jonathan Rhys Meyers was an incredible Steerpike

[Tillane]

Originally Posted by j. d. worthington

Neve McIntosh's performance as Fuchsia, though, remains among the best... she captures the character very well indeed...

Weird seeing her in Low Winter Sun recently. A very different character (and accent) indeed...

[Jack]

‘Neve McIntosh's performance as Fuchsia, though, remains among the best... she captures the character very well indeed... and that scene in the garden, with Lord Groan, is heartbreaking’

Ok sold, I love that part of the book – and Fuchsia is a fav, you know me too well JD. Thank you for the reviews, I’m not too judgemental – Gormenghast is in a lot of ways un-filmable, as long as it is not another Earthsea it’s all-good.

[Tillane]

Originally Posted by Jack

as long as it is not another Earthsea

Oh good lord, no. The very thought...

[j. d. worthington]

Originally Posted by Jack

...as long as it is not another Earthsea...

*shudders* Will you people stop bringing that damned thing up? Jeez! Every time I manage to selectively amnese the bloody thing.......

No, not even close. It has its faults (sometimes the orchestration is a bit heavy-handed, for instance), but I was simply amazed that they managed to capture so much of Peake's world well. In a way, Teresa's right... they did condense it quite a bit... but then I'd say they had to, in order to make something viable; nonetheless, they kept a truly remarkable respect for Peake's creation, and pulled off what I'd always considered to be frankly impossible......

[Wyvern]

I admit, I really liked the series, though compared to today's effects some of there's may seem a little clunky. Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Neve McIntosh are both excellent, but for me the star performer is Celia Imrie. Her Duchess was superb!

[Jack]

Thank you all – Sorry I mentioned Earthsea ha ha! Hells that stank. But we should have Dark materials, stardust and I am Legend coming out soon (If you have seen them then not a word – Shhhh!). Quite looking forward to them, looks like a good year – I’ll let you all know what I think of Gormenghast – Cheers for the help.

[j. d. worthington]

Originally Posted by Wyvern

I admit, I really liked the series, though compared to today's effects some of there's may seem a little clunky. Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Neve McIntosh are both excellent, but for me the star performer is Celia Imrie. Her Duchess was superb!

Ah, yes... She, too, brought some very nice subtleties to the role. Especially when she receives word about Fuchsia... and confronts Titus....

[Jack]

Ok, watched -
Watched, loved and hated but understood the changes and why they were made (I still don’t have to like it though). Gormenghast is probably my all time favourite Book, simply for the prose and writing style it wins most comparisons hands down. So I will be truthful with the BBC adaptation – 1. Always will be is the format – The book is nigh unfilmable. There is no way that the two books could be filmed in 4 hrs ever – Ever, ever, ever ever! Whilst keeping the prose, atmosphere and drama of the books. When mainstream and generally forgettable series can command six 1 hour episodes plus, and considering the amount of time and money involved, it is gobsmaking that the BBC would be so silly (starting to become the norm now) with its own production by hampering the writer and cast before it was even made. They had to make everything happen way too fast, so that it flashes by, so don’t blink or your miss it. So ‘many’ wonderful plot scenes and character stories and interactions are cut from the work to fit the time and size constraints!
2. Is in its handling of the most important character too me (and no its not Steerpike), and one of the few with whom I formed an emotional bond while reading the book - Fuschia. In the first book she is a 15 year old that lives inside her own imagination, she reminds me ‘heavily’ of my twin – The parallels are disturbing at times but then she thinks I’m a lot like Steerpike, don’t quite know how to feel about that one, and anyway what do we get? An actress in her twenties acting the scene of a child in an adult's body, causing the viewer to assume that she must be suffering from mental problems! Fuschia is one of the less barmy characters in the book, scared of her own shadow yes – Barmy no! They do do the scene with her and lord Groan in the garden really well though – But she is meant to be 15! My other favourite part is so changed in the second book that I nearly did not recognise it!
That said and the whinging over – The set is very well done, the actors really are top notch – Especially like the rendition of Steerpike and the Prunesqualler’s – Excellent! Cora and Clara were well done too – In fact they all were. So well done really – What they did, with what they had at hand is outstandingly good – But I still vastly prefer the book, is that fair?

[GOLLUM]

I haven't seen the TV series everyone is talking about here, I'm getting jealous now....

I simply must get the DVD, what's it called exactly??