Persuasion (2007) (Repackage/DVD)

(***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.

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 :)