I like to think of the 1999 Mansfield Park adaptation as Mansfield Park + Lust. Lots of lust.When Hollywood gets the idea to sensationalize, nothing is safe, not even Jane Austen.
In this adaptation, Fanny Price is nearly unrecognizable. Gone is the shy, delicate girl of Austen’s novel. In her place is a young woman who may be quiet, but when engaged in conversation is always sarcastic.
Take this bit of dialogue:
Fanny Price: You are such a fine speaker that I'm afraid you may actually end in convincing yourself.
Henry Crawford: Fanny. You are killing me.
Fanny Price: No man dies of love but on the stage.
She told him.
As for the lust, it’s all over the place. Anything that could even be deemed slightly sexual is taken for all its worth. The scene where Mary and Fanny read a bit of the play? Sensual touches from Mary to Fanny with a distinctly uncomfortable Edmund in the corner. That bit with Julia and Henry Crawford? We get to see a lot more than Jane Austen showed us. On and on it goes.
The Wikipedia page for the movie goes so far as to say its “loosely based” on the novel, and I’d have to agree.
And the dialogue, while completely incongruous with Austen’s characters, is pretty cool.
I guess what I’m saying is to take the 1999 Mansfield Park with a grain of salt, or an entire salt block if that’s what you need, but enjoy it. It’s bizarre enough to make you laugh, at the very least.
~Melanie
Melanie blogs at Melanie's Musings and likes laughing. She thinks the Jane Austen is My Homegirl rap is hilarious.
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You're right - this movie seems to be a whole continent away from the novel. I remember watching it a long time ago, and it definitely raunches up the storyline, if that's a word. And weirdly, they make Fanny accept Henry's proposal and then take it back?! I thought that way going waay too far (even worse than showing a lot more of the Henry & Maria thing)
ReplyDeleteI didn't realise that they'd done a version of Emma with Johnny Lee Miller in, I must try and catch that one. My favourite version of Emma was the Kate Beckinsale one, Mr Knightley in that one is played by Mark Strong I think, he's Mr Knightley to me.
ReplyDeleteCeri, I think I spent half of the newer adaptation of Emma looking at JLM and thinking, Ugh stupid Edmund! It took me so long to get over it and accept him as Knightley... lol
ReplyDeleteLove Romola Garai though, so it was worth it for that alone.
I agree I can't think of JLM as Mr. Knightley. he's too much Edmund for me. I actually don't mind the version mentioned of Mansfield Park but that's because there truly are not many out there and the most recent is just a joke. austen didn't right heroines with no mental capabilities and when I watched it all I saw was a dumb blond girl racing around the house, garden, etc. She seemed to have no brain at all. The newer Emma grew on me a bit but because it drew comparisons for me. I enjoyed how at the beginning it showed who all had grown up without a mother...astounding.
ReplyDeleteOops I forgot to say that I really didn't like that part with Mary and fanny. It definitely worked to get Edmund's attention but what a way to go about it. I think it showed Mary was going to find a route to get her way no matter what.
ReplyDeleteThis was my original introduction to Mansfield Park, and I was like "Duuuuude, no way did Jane write THAT!" haha ... It was also shockingly weird for me to see MR KNIGHTLEY playing Edmund. It felt wrong. Dirty even, haha ...
ReplyDeleteHaving attempted to suffer through Jane's actual MP novel ... I think I'm just gonna ditch the whole MP-complex ;o)
You're kinder than I am. This version infuriates me. I am particularly appalled by the representation of Sir Thomas, who is one of the most conscientious and well-intended father figure that Austen provides. It is perhaps my least favorite Austen adaptation (a toss up between this and the 1986 Northanger Abbey), and I have seen them all.
ReplyDeleteSo cute and I did love him as Mr. Knightley.
ReplyDelete"MANSFIELD PARK" is a story in which lust plays a major role . . . especially in the form of Henry Crawford. Rozema's only mistake is that she decided to show Maria Rushworth and Henry nude and in bed for one particular scene. The reason this scene is a mistake is that I find it hard to believe that both of them would have conducted such a blatant affair at Mansfield Park. The other mistake Rozema made was to transform Fanny into Jane Austen 2.0. Otherwise, the movie captured Fanny's hypocrisy perfectly.
ReplyDeleteI had no problem with the movie's emphasis on the source of the Bertrams' wealth - namely slavery. If Austen wanted the subject avoided, she should have never brought it up in the first place. And Rozema improved Austen's tale by hinting Edmund's attraction to Fanny, while courting Mary.
"MANSFIELD PARK" is a story in which lust plays a major role . . . especially in the form of Henry Crawford. Rozema's only mistake is that she decided to show Maria Rushworth and Henry nude and in bed for one particular scene. The reason this scene is a mistake is that I find it hard to believe that both of them would have conducted such a blatant affair at Mansfield Park. The other mistake Rozema made was to transform Fanny into Jane Austen 2.0. Otherwise, the movie captured Fanny's hypocrisy perfectly.
ReplyDeleteI had no problem with the movie's emphasis on the source of the Bertrams' wealth - namely slavery. If Austen wanted the subject avoided, she should have never brought it up in the first place. And Rozema improved Austen's tale by hinting Edmund's attraction to Fanny, while courting Mary.
Fanny was unrecognizable as Fanny. I understand why the change was made, because Fanny isn't the easiest in for a movie audience, as she's just not all that likable. But yeah, it just doesn't *work*.
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