Persuasion (2007) (Repackage/DVD)

EUREKA! I have found it. I have found the key word. The key word is ENJOY! I ENJOY being alive. I ENJOY breathing the air. I ENJOY being able to sleep, to dream, to think, to write. I ENJOY reading books. And I especially ENJOY writing personally-revealing reviews of personally-revealing books that ignite the imagination and send the mind flying! OK. OK. Enough about me. What about you? Why might you want to read Jane Austen's "Persuasion"? Why, to ENJOY the book of course! OK. Very good. But why stop there? Why stop at the ENJOYMENT of reading the book? Why not let your mind go beyond the ENJOYMENT of reading the book? Why not keep going until you arrive at the ECSTASY of seeing, hearing, experiencing something imaginary, something ideal, something unreal, as if it were really happening right here, right now, in real life? Sounds great! But how? By bringing the book to life in your mind. Yes. Yes. Yes. But how? How?? By seeing the 2007 movie “Persuasion,” starring Sally Hawkins and Rupert Penry-Jones, BEFORE reading the book. That's how. I did see/hear the movie BEFORE I read the book. And I'm glad I did. As I read the book, the movie kept coming back to life in my mind. In addition, the book revealed -- in depth and in detail -- all of those seemingly minor thoughts, feelings, and incidents that did not make their way into the movie. By means of the written word, a book can open a character's heart and mind to the reader. By means of voice-over, a movie can do the same kind of thing. But not to the EXTENT that a book can. Be that as it may, whatever the movie may lack in such EXTENT is made up for, many times over, by the movie's astounding EFFECT. Indeed, insofar as EFFECT goes, there is something in the movie that surpasses anything and everything in the book; in any other book I have ever read; and in any other movie I have ever seen. That extraordinary "something" that I am raving about is the kiss scene. Not just the kiss, mind you. The scene! (Not to mention the love letter -- and the race against time -- leading up to the kiss scene.) In that kiss scene, a moment of time becomes an eternity of bliss. The infinity of space shrinks to nothing. Nothing except! Nothing except a small warm pocket of space wherein there is room enough for only two human beings, two people, a man and a woman, this man and this woman. Each is the whole world of the other. What will become a kiss evolves and revolves between the two of them, binary stars, paired, gradually encircling one another, beyond the reach of all the universe that is not their own. It is just the two of them. Nothing more. Nothing less. Try as I may, I cannot tell you in words. The book cannot tell you in words. You have to see the movie to believe it. Seeing it, hearing it, you will believe it, even though it is nothing but make-believe. "Nothing but make-believe"??? What a thing to say!!! As if make-believe were of little or no value. A next to nothing sort of thing. A waste of time! of money!! of life itself!!! OK. OK. I stand corrected. How dare I down-talk make-believe! Let me slow down here, stop, and ask myself a couple of questions: 1. What would thinking be like without the make-believe of imagination? 2. What would life be like without the make-believe of dreaming? Those two questions have these two answers: 1. We cannot think without imagining. 2. Nor can we live without dreaming. So, no more down-talking make-believe. Not by me anyway. OK. Agreed. Now that's settled, I can turn my back on things that do not interest me, and return to what does -- i.e., "Persuasion" -- book and movie. Much as I much prefer books to movies, the "Persuasion" movie of 2007 is exceptional. So exceptional that, if I had to choose one over the other, either the book or the movie, I would choose the movie. By the grace of good fortune, however, I don't have to choose between the two. For, I have both: the movie and the book. Each is excellent. Both are superb. And the two together are scintillatingly synergistic. When push comes to shove, however, my mind must admit, and my heart must confess, that, to my way of thinking and feeling, the movie is even better than the book, simply because of the kiss scene. That kiss scene is so good, so well done, so realistic, so believable, that I believe it to be real, even though it is make-believe. Is believing in make-believe such a bad thing? I think not. Speaking of thinking, consider this: Once you have seen/heard the love letter, the race against time, the kiss scene, and the other scenes in the movie, you can replay them in your mind by conducting "search and enjoy" missions: just pick up the book; flip to the juiciest pages; and read to your heart's content. What could be easier? What could be more enjoyable?? Certainly not the realities of everyday life. Ugh! Why get into that when you can get into this: a good book.

(***contains some spoilers***) I enjoyed this movie very much. The musical score is beautiful, and adds great depth to the story. Costumes and locations also draw viewers into the story period. Although not an "Austen purist", I have read "Persuasion" and I own most of the various film adaptations of her novels, including the previous version of "Persuasion" starring Ciaran Hinds and Amanda Root. Comparing the two DVDs, I find that, while the earlier version of "Persuasion" may more exactly align to the book and is a wonderful movie, this newer adaptation has an updated approach that allows viewers to more closely engage with the characters, especially with Anne Elliot and Frederick Wentworth. Sally Hawkins plays Anne Elliot as a well-born Englishwoman who loves her family, close friends and home with such depth that she accedes to their disapproval of her attachment at 19 to as yet unproven young naval officer Frederick Wentworth and breaks off her engagement. The movie picks up 8 yrs later when Captain Wentworth has made his fortune in the Navy and returns to the area where Anne sees him again through his interaction with her extended family and friends. In this 2007 movie version I better understood the relationship between Wentworth and Anne. I felt Anne's grief and regret at losing through her own choice what she later realized was her best chance for happiness, loving him still and forced to watch him being pursued by others. I recognized Wentworth's anger and resentment at being dumped as a young man because of his "station"; his pride smarting at the continued denigration he experienced from Anne's supercilious family and close friend Lady Russell. I saw his fascination with Anne despite all this, his inability to love or marry another because of her. In Rupert Penry-Jones' portrayal of Captain Wentworth, you sense that he is constantly aware of Anne both in and out of her actual presence. There is also a fuller realization of his own culpability in the events that transpire due in part to his own behavior. In his initial desire to prove his indifference to Anne, he himself is the one that nearly derails a second chance at happiness. The ending scenes are what I found most expanded from the novel. While Anne's racing around Bath on foot to find Wentworth was perhaps unusual, it is in keeping with her determination to seize her happiness despite any obstacles. Though she deals graciously in her own sweet way with interruptions along the way, her absolute determination to reach Wentworth is very evident. The scene where she responds to his proposal has got to be one of the most intensely filmed, yet innocent, love scenes in recent memory. Sally Hawkins' whole demeanor - her eyes, body language - as she tells Wentworth in period language that she'll marry him was absolutely stunning. In the final scene, there was a certain justice in Anne receiving from Wentworth the home she loved and had tried so hard to maintain despite her family's spendthrift ways. All in all, a great movie and refreshing take on a classic period novel.

I'm a big Jane Austen fan. Jane Austen is my favorite author of all time. If I had to travel back in time, she would be near the top of my list of people I would like to meet and have a conversation with. I relate to the fact that Jane Austen never got married. I relate to the fact that she had a bond with her sister. I relate to the fact that she loved writing. I could watch any Jane Austen adapted version or themed movie a hundred times and never get tired. The same goes to leaving my TV on Masterpiece Theatre. Maybe I was a British woman in one of my past lives. I just love watching British period films. Anyways, this is my favorite film version of "Persuasion", and I've seen every single Jane Austen film out there. I always cry each time I see this version. Sally Hawkins is such a great actress and she does an excellent job as Anne Elliot. I really relate to this storyline. I've had boyfriends in my life, and I've always been the good, loyal, honest, trustworthy girlfriend, but I can honestly and genuinely say that I never experienced being deeply and passionately in love with someone. I'm 37, and I've never been in love with a man or told a guy that I was in love with him. To tell a guy that I was in love with him would be a major deal for me. And I've never ever done that because I don't take saying things like that lightly. There was one guy who I think had the potential for me to have those feelings for the first time but I think my current health problems scared him away. I think of Julia Roberts and Javier Bardem in the "Eat, Pray, Love" movie. I think Javier's character says to Julia's character, "You don't need a lover, you need a champion." When he said that, I thought to myself, "Word!" It's going to take a champion of a man to take on me when it comes to love. Anyways, I think Jane Austen books and films fill that void when it comes to the romance department for me. When I watch this film, I really relate to Sally Hawkins' potrayal of Anne. If I was in love with a guy, I would totally be like Anne. This movie has a great cast, but I think this film is excellent because of Sally Hawkins. I found myself feeling my heart racing and being emotional because of Sally Hawkins' portrayal of Anne. And I liked the way that this movie ended. If you want to see an excellent Jane Austen movie, this is it.

This is an amazing, heart-wrenching production, proving that beauty is only skin deep. My wife and I have been re-watching all the Jane Austen videos and find this one to be a breed apart. It not only is the most serious story of the six novels that Jane wrote but probably the most autobiographical and emotional one, as well. The story is well known to all Jane Austen followers but this rendition adds a lot of pain and remorse that are not dwelled upon in the other videos we've seen. Except for the final 10 minutes or so, the viewer is immersed in sorrow for poor Anne Elliot as she is used and abused by her father and sisters. She's treated as little more than a servant by them and taken for granted as the person best fit to do the dirty work. In this way, sweet, loveable Anne is much like Cinderella with her mean step sisters waiting for the glass slipper and prince charming to save her. That finally happens, all right, but not after many twists and turns. One can argue about whether or not this makes sense, but the emotional impact is hard to miss. We only wish that Anne would have been dolled up more at the end as she is redeemed by Capt. Wentworth and embarks on a new life of hope and prosperity. She certainly deserves this, with all the folly of a class-conscious society that surrounds her. This production is a short, 93 minutes, but well worth the time for anyone interested in British life in the early-1800's. For most of us, be very glad you live today.

This movie--like every film adaptation of an Austen novel--has its positive and negative qualities, but overall I enjoyed it immensely. Let me start by saying that I teach Austen's works at the collegiate level. I have read, researched, and taught every one of her novels and have seen almost every film adaptation (even the obscure ones) of her work. Each director and actor brings to Austen's work his/her own interpretation of the story and its characters. Each reader has his/her own vision of how that story and those characters should look. It's no wonder, then, that the reviews on this film are so varied. So please indulge me while I offer my take on this 2007 version and address some of the issues and concerns others have voiced. Of course, good casting is a key element in bringing Austen's characters to life, and unfortunately the casting quality here is a bit varied. As for the central character, I actually prefer Sally Hawkins' portrayal of Anne to the other actresses I've seen--including (dare I say it?) Amanda Root (gasp!). Some critics here claim Hawkins seems like a wimpy, emotional wreck. I disagree. We cannot ascribe 21st century qualities to a 19th century character. In her novel, Austen clearly describes Anne as attractive (though past her bloom), intelligent, refined (but not stuffy), and feeling a profound sense of duty, responsibility, and loss. I think Hawkins captures this much better than Root who appears more like a dowdy, flat, 30-something governness than a romantic heroine. Hawkins displays the restraint and propriety of a character struggling to keep her turbulent emotions in check while being the sole voice of reason and sense in a group of colorfully clueless yutzes. Yes, her emotional outburst at the end is overwrought, but that is the fault of the director, not the actress. However, I did enjoy the director's ploy to have Hawkins look directly into the camera at certain crucial moments in the action. While this may be disconcerting to some viewers, I find it offers us a sense of intimacy and connection to Anne and her story. Hawkins' subtle, soulful glances at the viewer provide a lovely window into Anne's heartbreak and mixed emotions. In her eyes we share her pain, anguish, embarrassment, hope, and joy. As Hawkins' co-star, Rupert Penry-Jones is a handsome leading man who is actually more age-appropriate than Ciaran Hinds who was pushing 50 in the '95 version. RPJ's acting could use a bit more depth and complexity, but his subtlety shouldn't be confused with being flat, as some have suggested. His eyes are quite expressive if you watch him carefully. Anthony Head is perfect as Sir Walter and brilliantly captures his ridiculous,snobbish vanity. Tobias Menzies does an admirable job skating the thin like between charm and sleeze to play cousin Wm Elliot. Other casting choices are not so great. The Elliot sisters are ill-cast. At 40, Julia Davis is too old to play the 29-year-old Elizabeth although she captures her personality well. Mary's character is appropriately annoying but Amanda Hale portrays her with such odd affectation as to make her a distraction. Admiral and Mrs. Croft are delightful characters, but Marion Bailey (60-ish)is too old to be believable as Wentworth's sister. The Musgrove girls are unremarkable, but I must say it is nice to see Nicholas Farrell appear as the senior Mr. Musgrove. Casting aside,the story is generally well told, although decidedly NOT an accurate rendering of Austen's plotline. Some conversations are rearranged in different timelines and with different characters, but it doesn't affect the film's overall sense of story. Yes, the famous drawing room/letter-writing scene is tragically and inexplicably removed here. In its place is a clumsily-contrived mechanism that finds Anne clutching Wentworth's sadly-abbreviated letter and sprinting crazily through the streets of Bath in breathless, fevered pursuit of him. Those last scenes are the major failing of this film. I understand that Anne is experiencing a flood of pent-up emotion here, but nothing in the novel or the film would indicate her abandoning all sense of 19th century propriety and decorum to publicly race after a man who can apparently move at lightning-stealth speed. It is a total departure from her character. I agree with other reviewers that the ending is rushed. I can only offer that this was done to accommodate a 90-minute run time. A miniseries version would perhaps allow more plot complexities. Oh well. The prolonged, final kiss between Anne and Wentworth bothers some people but not me. Yes, public kissing violates Victorian social codes, but come on-- this is a movie. I can accept the kiss much more than Anne's 5K marathon through the streets of Bath. Perhaps the kiss was a tad overwrought and icky, but as an earlier critic pointed out, it was tentative, anxious, and messy--just like real life. I did find it odd that so much attention was given to Anne in that scene while Wentworth just seemed like a faceless, static set of lips waiting to be smooched. And the last scene of Wentworth presenting Kellynch Hall to Anne as a wedding gift was touching but blatantly implausible. Do we seriously believe that Sir Walter and Wm Elliot will give up their family estate? Even with his fortune, Wentworth could never have afforded that purchase. I'm not sure what that scene hoped to accomplish, but the film should have ended with the kiss. Still, I admit that I was touched by the two waltzing on the lawn at Kellynch in absolute bliss. So overall, it you are an Austen purist, this version of her last novel will frustrate you. However, if you are like me and can appreciate all the different interpretations and productions of a beloved classic, I think you will enjoy this film despite some of its major flaws. I own all the versions of this film, but this is the one I repeatedly watch. Even with its hits and misses, in the end the film conveys exactly what Austen intended: a sharp social commentary, a poignant portrayal of recaptured lost love, and an inspirational tale of faith, hope, and second chances.

I am hooked on Jane Austen because of the romance. If you are like me in that respect, do not miss this adaptation of Miss Austen's Persuasion. I dearly loved the Amanda Root/Ciaran Hinds version but there is not as much passion displayed by Amanda Root in her Anne Elliott as there is in this version with Sally Hawkins playing the same role. And since we have two very different screenplays and directors, differences should be expected. The director of this version allows Sally Hawkins to look squarely into our eyes and pour her emotions out so that we could feel what Anne Elliott was feeling just as if we were sitting or standing face to face with her. And those evolving emotions of dread, shock, loss, despair, and resignation were palpable thanks to Sally Hawkins personality and wonderful skills as an actor. If you can watch this Persuasion and not be caught up in Anne's situation then your own heart is made of stone. No true purist can give any film adaptation 5-stars and still consider themselves a purist. So, how much leeway do you give screenwriters and directors in retelling an Austen classic? If you are an Austen romantic I think you take each adaptation for what it is and enjoy that version for what it brings to us in retelling Miss Austen's story--whether it is an adaptation of Persuasion, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, or any other classic novel no matter the author. Now I grant you, the 2K sprint at the finish in this version of Persuasion might have been a little over the top, but it did fit Anne's character in this version. The end of the Ciaran Hinds/Amanda Root version was fine for what it was because Amanda's Anne was so understated. So her catching up with Mr. Hinds' Captain Wentworth in the reunification scene being underplayed does not detract from that version, even though by comparison it lacks the emotion that was allowed Sally Hawkins' Anne. Which is closer to the Jane Austen novel? Due to the ending scenes alone I would have to say the Hinds/Root version, yet they are both compromises due to length of time allowed and the fact that they are ADAPTATIONS, as they must be for the screen. The bottom line is that if you pass up seeing this version of Persuasion, you would be missing out on a wonderfully retold story and actors that will tug at your heart recreating Jane Austen's characters as interpreted by this screenwriter and developed by this director.

I got tired of what I was reading. Read the book then decided to buy the movie. I was surprised how often the movie used phrases from the book l love the movie.

I understand that many would give the movie less stars that it deserves because it's not word by word by the book. However it is a movie - there will always be moments and scenes missing especially when we talk about the subtle ones. It is impossible to make the movie like the book second my second, it just won't work. I love reading Austen, but this is not about reading it. I won't compare the book to the movie, but judge the movie on it's on. (Even the Pride and Prejudice of '94 isn't that faithful to the book and yet everyone's gaga over it :) Now, I personally loved the movie. it was tastefully done, the cinematography was marvelous, and the characters were very convincing without overpowering one another. The suspense was built very nicely and the music, which indeed might be a bit of a cliche BBC, was appropriately used. I was moved by all of the characters and I think they were perfectly cast. I have seen the previous version (1999) and this one I like far better. Despite all of the missing bit and pieces from the book I will still say that the screenplay and adaptation were done very good indeed. It evokes the same emotions of the book and that's what counts (to me at least). I highly recommend this movie to all Austen fans. It is worth your time!

I'm french and fan of Jane Austen. Sorry if my english is not correct. Persuasion is my favorite Jane Austen novel. The hero is perfect in this version but I have not hooked up with heroin. His game is far below compared to the captain. She is not very pretty and sometimes ridiculous particular I agree with other comments regarding race through Bath is irrelevant. I look forward to a new adaptation of the quality of the Sense and Sensibility (BBC version).

Very good quality, good price

J'avais beaucoup aimé Persuasion en le lisant et j'ai été très agréablement surprise de la qualité de cette adaptation. Même si des libertés ont été prises avec les scènes décrites par Jane Austen (notamment le dénouement), l'interprétation est parfaite, les décors magnifiques. Rupert Penry-Jones, loin du rôle d'espion de Spooks/MI5 qui me l'a fait découvrir, est réellement BEAU, portant superbement les costumes d'époque mais au delà du plaisir des yeux, il joue excessivement bien, plein de nuances et d'émotions. Sally Hawkings est elle aussi parfaite dans son jeu, très attachante, elle fait merveilleusement passer ses sentiments. Un seul bémol, elle n'est pas vraiment mise en valeur (coiffure, costumes) et n'a pas à la fin la beauté et l'éclat retrouvés de la Anne Elliot du livre. Le reste de la distribution est à l'unisson, que d'acteurs excellents. Un DVD que je recommande vivement, avec le plaisir de la langue anglaise !

Il film è bellissimo... Uno dei migliori tratti dai romanzi di Jane Austen e molto fedele alla trama originale. La storia è delicata, sensibile e romantica, ma mai pesante,per cui resta un ottimo film adatto per tutti, sia grandi che piccoli. L'ho visto la prima volta in TV, ma volevo vederlo anche in inglese e cioè nella sua lingua originale. E devo dire che è ancora meglio. Perfetto. Sally Hawkins e Rupert Penry-Jones sono bravissimi. Nulla da dire anche riguardo alla spedizione e alla consegna.

SPOILER ALERT: I'm from the U.S. and being an Austen fan, last week, I stumbled into the Jane Austen ITV season on YouTube. The next day (9/11/07) I ordered Persuasion online because I was falling in love with the fanvideos I was seeing. To prepare myself for the new adaptation, I watched Persuasion (1995) over the weekend like 4 times. I tend to do this to get every detail of the film and emotions of the characters. Well, my DVD of Persuasion and Northanger Abbey arrived 9/17th and that same evening, I watched it 4x!! I must say that "I LOVE THIS MOVIE MORE THAN THE 1995 VERSION AND PRIDE & PREJUDICE (BOTH VERSIONS)!! As someone previosly mentioned, I loved how Anne narrates her journal so that we can understand her feelings towards Cpt. Frederick Wentworth more, as well as her regrets (her narration is part of the novel). I feel for her when she cries alone and then tries to be strong when Frederick is near, talks, and shows affection towards another (or so it seems). Sally Hawkins did a superb job when emotions really needed to be shown! As for Frederick, I loved that the writers decided to consolidate and reserved some of the dialogues spoken by characters in the 1995 version FOR FREDERICK (some as spoken from the novel by Frederick that was not included in the 1995 version!). Excellent idea because we get to see and hear Frederick in more scenes. Austen fans can not complain about that because Rupert Penry Jones (RPJ) as Frederick was excellent! RPJ did a great job as Frederick as a man who held so much bitterness and constraint from the past that in the end, he realized how foolish he was at the present because he realized that he still could not deny himself from always loving Anne. . .**sigh** Also, both scenes with Frederick and Captain Harville was a breath of fresh air because we get to know Frederick more of a person than just a handsome bachelor. We get to know his own thoughts and feelings of a man who is indeed in agony over the possibility of losing Anne AGAIN - this time, to fault all his own(information noted at the end of the novel BUT not included in the 1995 version)! I can play those scenes over and over again. For the 1995 version, I thought that there were not enough scenes with Frederick to fully know him. We only got to know him through the "letter". Thus, my review on Frederick is longer. Yes, I agree that Anne running at the end was a bit "odd" for a woman during that period BUT she was on a mission to get her man - it has been 8 years after all :) The kiss that followed took forever so I didn't like it at all. However, I LOVED THE ENDING! I was happy that Frederick bought Kellynch as a wedding present for Anne because he knew how much Anne loved Kellynch! Besides, in the novel, Mr. Elliot was going to put it up for auction anyway! Anne overwhelmed with happines that she jumps Frederick for a hug and then the kiss, that was AWESOME!! Both laughing and giggling (and a slight slow dance) is how happiness should be portrayed for this adaptation! That's way better than Anne and Frederick smiling at each other on a boat without holding hands as directed from 1995's version! This is a NEW adaptation and I think that it would of been ridiculous to completely copy the 1995 version so I am FULLY SATISFIED! I commend the writers for going this route! Sally Hawkins was brilliant and RPJ was execellent. Plus, RPJ is simply gorgeous!! 90 minutes was not enough for me. I wanted more Anne Elliot & Cpt. Wentworth - in the same scenes that is :)