Thursday Movie Picks: Period Dramas

 

This week's theme from Wandering Through The Shelves is another re-occurring theme: Period dramas! I've grown to love these quite a bit as my movie tastes have changed. My only rule of course is to not repeat anything I've used in the previous years, so here's what I came up with.


1) The Crucible (1996) -
I've been wanting to re-watch this lately. I always enjoyed reading this in school and the 1996 version was really good. Plus, screaming "I saw Goody Proctor with the Devil!" is always a great thing to interject into a conversation.


2) Portrait of a Lady on Fire -
SNL recently did a skit on "lesbian period dramas" which was spot on for Ammonite, but not so much for Portrait of a Lady on Fire. This film is wonderful, and I will go to bat for it anyone someone tries to say it's tropey. You're wrong. This movie is just amazing. Yes, I make the rules.


3) Jane Eyre (2011) -
I love this version of Jane Eyre. I keep meaning to read the book, which I haven't gotten to at the time of this posting, but one day I will. Hopefully I enjoy it as much as I did this film.

Comments

  1. I remember watching The Crucible in my English class in high school. So strange to realize this kind of stuff actually happened in Salem. I still need to watch POALOF and Jane Eyre. I've never read the book either but it's on my loooong TBR list.

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  2. Portrait of a Lady on Fire is an amazing and beautiful film no matter who makes the rules.

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    1. I just watched the trailer for Sciamma's next film. Looking forward to that too!

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  3. Nice picks! I can't believe I didn't pick Portrait of a Lady on Fire this week. *gets inside the box of shame* I love that version of Jane Eyre too. Still need to see The Crucible though.

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    1. I need to read Jane Eyre eventually. I've been saying that for years.

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  4. I liked but didn't love this version of The Crucible. DDL committed as usual, up to and including the unfortunate dental hygiene!, and the rest of the cast is very strong. I think the problem lie in the pacing which would than fall on the director. It wasn't bad at all but not as captivating as I know it can be.

    I say that because I've seen two other versions which held me much more rapt. The first was the '57 French version with Simone Signoret & Yves Montand which was intriguing, Simone of course was compelling. But the best was a 1967 television production with George C. Scott and Colleen Dewhurst (they were married at the time) as John and Elizabeth Proctor, Melvyn Douglas as the governor and Tuesday Weld as Abigail. The entire production was riveting but Tuesday in particular as the saintly looking but vicious Abigail was mesmerizing. It's tough to find but so worth it.

    Again I thought this version of Jane Eyre was solid but I enjoyed the 40's Joan Fontaine/Orson Welles film more. I found the book dense and at times difficult to get into but ultimately a decent read, not Wuthering Heights level but a good book.

    I've yet to see Portrait of a Lady on Fire but it is on my too see list.

    I'm always happy when these period themes come along. My first thought is always Regency England because I love films set in those times but I decided to theme it out by using the Revolutionary War as a backdrop.

    Drums Along the Mohawk (1939)- Attempting to forge a life and livelihood out of the central New York wilderness as the nation is born Lana and Gil Martin (Claudette Colbert & Henry Fonda) are besieged by Tory, Indian and British forces but they persevere. A depiction of the dangerous rigors faced by settlers on the frontier during the Revolutionary War.

    The Scarlet Coat (1955)-Benedict Arnold (Robert Douglas), Commander of the Continental Army at West Point conspires with Redcoat Major John Andre (Michael Wilding) to surrender defense of the fort to the British for a large sum of cash as the Revolutionary War rages. Sensing trouble American Major John Boulton (Cornel Wilde) undertakes a counter-intelligence operation to stop the deal from going through.

    1776 (1972)-The events and personages involved in the lead up to and signing of The Declaration of Independence all set to music. Though there is some artistic license taken this adaptation of the Broadway hit, which is scheduled for a revival later this year, captures the essence of the story.

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    1. I'll have to see if I can find that TV version of The Crucible. I know I saw another version on TV once, but I don't think it was that one. I'm 0/3 on our picks again. If 1776 is being revived on Broadway I'll have to take a closer look at it.

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  5. Oh man! I forgot about the Crucible! I need to rewatch that movie again! Great list!

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    1. I want to re-watch it too after making this list. lol

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  6. I've seen both The Crucible and Jane Eyre as those are both amazing films. Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a film I hope to watch this coming July as I'm considering doing the Cannes marathon this year after not doing it for the past 2 years. I have that film on DVD so I can at least know it's available at any time.

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    1. Oh fun! I liked when you did those marathons, even though it reminded me just how many Cannes films I miss. lol

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  7. I felt pretty meh about Portrait of a Lady on Fire last year but I've been meaning to rewatch it as I felt that way about Call Me By Your Name too at first, but ended up loving it when I rewatch it.

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    1. I wish I could cut Armie Hammer out of Call Me By Your Name. I thought he was so miscast, but everything else I really enjoyed.

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  8. I have not seen any of your film picks which sucks. I have seen a couple of versions of The Crucible but can’t tell you which ones. I have been to Salem and visited the actual sites where the witch trials took place...so scary how just pointing a finger at someone, can destroy peoples’ lives. I would like to watch all versions of Jane Eyre as there are many.

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    1. Salem was such a disaster. That time in history was pretty horrifying.

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  9. I like this Jane Eyre version too, it's so atmospheric. But I feel like the story is so dense that the miniseries format would work best to adapt it. Still, I love Cary Fukunaga's direction of it.

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    1. I agree with a mini series. I'd watch one based on it.

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  10. Oh man, I haven’t seen any f these versions. I know I watched a TV movie on The Crucible and I thought it was really good but it was many years ago. It might have been the one with George C. Scott which Joel mentioned. I read the book which was good but I have to admit, not my bag. I haven’t seen the other 2 with but would like to see Jane Eyre plus there are so many versions of this.one.

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    1. I liked the book too. This version of Jane Eyre is great! You should check it out.

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  11. The Crucible - not really a fan of this, but it is the only adaptation I've seen.

    Jane Eyre - Love this adaptation. I would also recommend the 2006 mini-series. I've also read the book and I enjoyed it.

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    1. I almost picked up the book at a bookstore the other day. I should.

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  12. I still need to watch The Crucible - I've heard so much about it and I'm so intrigued by the entire premise.

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