The Barchester Chronicles

I thoroughly enjoy a BBC production, and the Barchester Chronicles, based on works by Trollope,  The Warden  and  Barchester Towers (Volume 1) , is a perfect one. It's fantastic cast, incredible costumes--BBC should have a museum dedicated to what can only be described as costume art, maybe even send them on tours of foreign museums; I'd certainly pay to see them!--and stunning scenery are a visual feast.Like so much of British TV these stories are filled with characters that literally come alive and capture the viewer with the subtleties of their lives. Each is a work of art. Donald Pleasence, is the central figure in both parts of the feature, and his Rev. Harding is perfection. It reminds me of his role of Oracle Jones in the  The Hallelujah Trail , which I also found delightful. Probably the most noticeable character for younger audiences will be that of Alan Rickman, the erstwhile Professor Snape of Harry Potter fame,  Harry Potter Years 1-6 Giftset (Widescreen Edition) , and a character with something in common with the Chaplin Slope whom he portrays here in Barchester Chronicles. Slope's almost serpentine approach to the females in his company is creepier than Snape ever thought of being; the way he uses his nose, eyes, and the position and motion of his head leaves one with the impression of a cobra about to swallow a mouse whole. Wonderful work.The general intention of the work is of light social criticism with a happy ending. I'm not quite sure how to take it though. If the author is against the status quo of society and of the Anglican Church in particular, why does nothing change? If he is against the efforts of radicals to change the customs that the social elite hold near and dear and on which their leisure and comfortable living depend, why does he point out so clearly the evils of the time? One must assume that his intention is simply to gently raise the audience's consciousness of the problems of society and of its own complicity in perpetuating them without making them angry or defensive. In this he might be seen as partaking more of Shaw's,  George Bernard Shaw's Plays (Norton Critical Editions) , method of invoking laughter over society's foibles rather than of Henrik Ibsen's tendency to weap over abuses,  Four Major Plays: (Doll's House; Ghosts; Hedda Gabler; and The Master Builder) (Oxford World's Classics) .I couldn't help but feel that the poor Slope (formerly "Slop but he added an e") was much put upon and that the audience unwittingly takes a willing part in his undoing by hoping for it in the end. Admitting that he is an odious person, he is also something of a self-made man. His only "crime" is to have risen above his station, that of a "guttersnipe" according to the imperious Mrs. Proudy. Even worse is the obviousness of his every intent. While politer society had learned at its mother's knee to disguise every intention, poor Snape's demeanor gives everything away. He is funny only because he is so obvious and therefore easily made the fool. In this respect his character reminds me of Malvolio in  Twelfth Night , whose pretences are much the same and whose punishment for them is also to be revealed a fool.Nor has Chaplin Slope done anything more to promote himself than has already been done by those far higher up the food chain than he. He aspires to a rich wife, places professional advancement before love, pulls strings to gain allies, equivocates to cover duplicity, places his own designs before the well being of others with greater need, and betrays the interests of a former mentor to gain advantage. In short, he behaves like his "betters." Having had his efforts to enter into polite society foiled by those around him, and just as in Shakespeare, the Fool Slope has something significant to say. His parting shot to the weak willed Bishop and his spiteful and manipulative wife--and probably to the audience and society as well--is "may you live forever." Something like the Chinese curse "may you live in interesting times!" One is left to wonder if he is not the only person in the play with anything like a clear understanding of the situation and what if anything he will do with his new found knowledge. From lesser beginnings great and passionate social reformers arise!Audiences "should" identify with Slope; not many of us today are high society and even fewer of us were so at the time the book was written. Yet because the Chaplin is socially pilloried by the situation, we tend to side with those conspiring against him and are happy at his defeat and content with our "happy ending." Once again, if the author's intention is simply to raise the audience's consciousness of the problems of society and of its own complicity in perpetuating them, one has to admire his subtly but wonder if it had any effect other than to entertain. Still the work has much to say to a modern audience about society and its victims. Just why and at whom are we really laughing?

There were many fine productions from the golden age of Masterpiece Theatre, from the late-1970's to the early-1990's. These included "The Wilderness Years," "To Serve Them All My Days," "I, Claudius," "Poldark," and "Pride and Prejudice." Nevertheless, "The Barchester Chronicles" has always been our favorite and is an almost perfect combination of story line, casting, scenery, and writing. Viewers must be struck by the amazing hypocrisy shown by men and women of the cloth in 19th century England. As such, "The Barchester Chronicles" may be seen as a morality play on political in-fighting that goes on in any large organization, be it a private corporation or an unit of government. It would be impossible to name the most outstanding performance in this series, although Donald Pleasence, as warden of Hiram's hospital, merits top billing. Nigel Hawthorne as Dr. Grantly, Alan Rickman as Mr. Slope, and Geraldine McEwan as Mrs. Proudie are all outstanding. The supporting cast is great, too, as even the most casual observer would see. Most memorable quotes from the excellent screenplay are many and varied. These include the following from the warden: "There are some things in life we are meant not to understand. But we must try." "Can man find salvation in legal quibble?" "I thought it was one of my virtues" (said in reply to the rebuke from Dr. Grantley that he too often sees the other person's point of view). Alan Rickman's portrayal of Obidiah Slope is a tour de force in treachery and sneering. Slope has to be one of the most enduring villains in English literature. His parting statement to the bishop and Mrs. Proudie, "May you both live forever," sums up feelings of viewers as they watch the series. Nigel Hawthorne as the archdeacon, Dr. Grantly, is inspired casting. One has to wonder, watching his repeated outbursts, how Mr. Hawthorne avoided having a stroke before production closed. In addition to his perpetual, "Good Heavens," he also has several memorable lines, particularly when speaking of "destroying the bestial Slope." Geraldine McEwan as the bishop's wife, Mrs. Proudie, is also very well cast in her part. To everyone involved she is the obvious power behind the throne and proves it to a dismissed Mr. Slope in the end. Her most memorable lines begin with, "The Bishop believes, and I agree with him...." One or more reviewers have commented that the DVD may be missing scenes from the TV production. My wife and I watched for this and seemed to find the opposite. While the TV installments averaged about 48 minutes in length (taped from the A&E Network), the DVD segments were each, 51-54 minutes. Some scenes cut out on A&E were really important ones for an understanding of who was doing what to whom. These scenes may or may not have been included in the original showing on PBS. In any case, we were very happy to find them on the DVD, along with its highly superior picture and sound quality. (We could even see dust stirred up by horse-drawn carriages as they sauntered across the screen). Anyone who might be undecided about buying the DVD should rest assured that it's really worth the money. Moreover, the tidbits offered on the cast and crew and the 30-minute documentary on Peterborough cathedral provideuseful background to the outstanding comedy/drama.

I had a recollection of seeing this several years ago as a special television presentation, so when I saw it as a DVD, I was enthusiastic about purchasing it. It was so delightful! The performances of each and every actor were so outstanding, particularly Donald Pleasance. The storyline keeps one interested as it moves from character to character. The product was in excellent condition, but I am pleased to have this added to my collection of DVD's for home viewing. Thank you. Buying this was not a mistake.

I love this series but hubby says it's high-brow! You probably need to be a Trollop fan or love convoluted period dramas to enjoy. A bit dry in parts and dated but I love the various plots and schemes as well as the eccentricity of the characters. Alan Rickman will always be Obadiah Slope to me!!

Excellent, as I knew it would be, having seen it many moons ago on PBS Alan Rickman's facial features are perfect for the somewhat shady character he portrays brilliantly. The new Bishop is exceptional, as he was as Richard, Hyacinth's bewildered husband in another PBS "sitcom". The townspeople are portrayed perfectly, as the citizens of a very conservative and laid-back small English town. Time as well as money well spent. Very worth while television viewing in this world of murder and mayhem.

Alan Rickman in one of his earliest roles and still one of my favourites. His rendition of Obidiah Slope is wonderful, he literally does "slope" around. this is the first thing that I saw Alan Rickman in and it is when I fell in love with his acting ability. We lost a great talent recently in him. If you are an Alan Rickman fan and enjoy historical series, this is well worth a look.

I happen to like English, historical movies, and even though this one was made in 1982, it was highly entertaining. It's not as polished as the BBC productions made today, but the acting was quite good and the storyline was captivating. I'm not sure if it was written as a comedy, but I laughed a lot at the characters in their prejudices and sticky traditions. This really is for the die-hard fans of British religious history, so if that's you, you'll enjoy this series.