Artivels Undescribable Perfection

Ariella Broughton It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Justina The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

pfeldman-1 The scenery and photography are stunning.The casting and acting are both first-rate.Some elements of the book have been omitted from the film, but nothing essential has been left out.Very fast paced. There is a fair amount of violence, but no gratuitous violence.A few elements of the story are a bit unrealistic, e.g., it is hard to believe that Baron de Whithouse's son would risk his life for the Doones, but this seems rather minor.In summary, a first-rate piece of historical fiction.

Hans C. Frederick There are times when a story should contain more than just the plot,and the facts.There are things such as mood,tone,and symbolism that add up to make a story more than just a rousing tale.And,due to the lack of an appropriate villain,that's what this adaptation is missing. "Lorna Doone"is moe than just a story about valorous English rurals fighting an oppressive gang of outlaws.It's also a nostalgic look,seen from the perspective of the Industrial Revolution,at a rustic way of life which has vanished.It's also a positive affirmation of what was referred to,during the Victorian period,as"muscular Christianity."And,it's also the sotry of a gallant,but inarticulate and lonely man's struggle,to find love,and romance with an attractive woman,consumating in a sharing sexual union. John Ridd,the hero of this work,is a bright,physically strong,but unguided and silent man,whose struggle is at least as much within himself as it is with others.And to symbolize this arduous and difficult journey,her requires a worthy opponent. Carver Doone,therefore,is John's alter-ego,and must provide a dark,Satanic antagonist,of formidable nature and significant evil.John MUST conquer his own shadow personality,as personified by Carver.And,on a more realistic level,Carver must be strong,virile,and physically attractive,as a worthy contender for Lorna's love. The actor playing Carver,in this production,is certainly evil,vicious,rodent like,and psychopathic.But he lacks grandeur,authority,presence,and that elemental quality to provide a characterization accurate with the book.Sean Bean did a much better job.

tdwig Despite the many glowing reviews also appearing here, I cannot recommend this production of Lorna Doone, now being sold as part of an otherwise great boxed set of BBC/A&E productions that also includes Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Ivanhoe, and others. The scenery is great, but the characters are just not likeable.Even I, an American, can recognize that every actor seems to have a different and varying English accent - it's almost like watching an international cast. The actor portraying Carver, the chief villain, is not very convincing as a tough, and carries himself like a dandy. The scenes of the protagonist mugging for the camera are numerous. The direction is probably to blame for this film's uneven quality.

tess14 I absolutely loved this film! It had everything a great film should have: excellent cast, good script and amazing acting. The characters involved in the love triangle (John Ridd, Lorna Doone and Carver Doone) were brilliantly portrayed by these stunning actors, especially Aidan Gillen, who's portrayal of the murderous Carver was superb. Every time he sauntered into view, you really believed that he was Carver, he wanted Lorna for himself and he would do everything within his power to make her love him.This film also appealed to me because of the time and place in which it was set. It was a period of troubled times which came across well in the film. I thought the costumes and sets were great and it all made you feel like you were really there and part of the whole thing.Finally, as everybody knows, one of the main things that makes a film great is its soundtrack. Well, as soon as I heard the first notes being played, I knew this was a film I'd love. The composer (John Lunn) has done the film proud.Thank you very much to the BBC for airing this masterpiece. It really made last year's Christmas.