Emma

I've seen 4 versions of "Emma" so far and I'll give any adaptation from the BBC at least one chance: they put so much effort into honoring the author. I had to watch this one multiple times before I felt I understood it, though I think the extra effort was worth it. The Beckinsdale/Strong is an immersive Jane Austen experience and is the only one that compares with this. I enjoy both for separate reasons. The Gwyneth Paltrow version I find so irritating I can barely watch and the 4th was the old BBC version that is painfully accurate to Austen, but just as painfully flat. Maybe I'll watch the 2020 one someday, but the trailer is really turning me off and the reviews aren't promising.My main complaints about Beckinsdale/Strong version are that 1.It's too short (though it does VERY well with the time it has) and 2.As a romance it sort of flops. This version fixes BOTH of those problems very well, though it does introduce a few problems of its own.***SPOILER ALERT***Any modern version of Emma is fighting a hard battle: the class distinctions make little sense to Americans and Emma herself isn't very relatable. It seems that directors have 3 basic options. 1. They present it as it is written by Austen and the romance is barely intelligible to modern viewers (Beckinsdale/Strong version). 2.They can bring Emma up, which makes the plot fall apart or 3.They can cut Knightley off at the knees (Paltrow/Northam version). But Knightley is soooo much more than an endlessly patient pretty man with nice ideas; after seeing a version like that, I am left wondering why I ought to care about these people at all. I watch "Emma" to see Knightley, the generous, brave and struggling warrior; to celebrate him and cheer him on, not to mock British Regency culture. This is the first version I've seen that brings Emma up and makes her worthy of him. Yes, the plot does suffer quite a bit IMO, but if you are familiar with it, it isn't really a big deal.The comic aspects of the story are greatly diminished and because of this, it is easier to see some of the very real problems with Emma's situation. You get the idea that her bad behavior stems more from the heavy weight of her father (which she carries with absolute grace of course), loneliness, boredom, inexperience, impulsiveness, and minor trauma (losing two mothers); not simply manipulative callousness and conceit. They are learning moments rather than fatal flaws. Romola Garai is FAR too open and impulsive to be the fine Regency lady that Emma is supposed to be. Though it is really out of place in a period piece, it adds a certain amount of modern charm and understanding to her character. Overall she was quite off-putting the first time around, but has definitely grown on me and now I think she works in the part really well. I cannot think that it is disrespectful to Austen, who claimed to truly like her.If Emma rises, some of the characters around her sink a bit, especially with the comic gone. Frank Churchill, Harriet Smith, and Mr. Woodhouse in particular. The neuroses of Mr. Woodhouse, Mrs. and Miss Bates are explored empathetically and tastefully. All around I think all of the characters (except maybe Harriet) are more three-dimensional than in any other version I've seen, even though I like most of them considerably less (the Bates' are an exception).Johnny Lee Miller really is a VERY good Knightley. His style is very different from Mark Strong's wonderful performance, but not incorrect. He's quite a bit more human. Emma really gets under his skin and he quarrels fantastically; I get the feeling that he wouldn't quarrel at all if he didn't care so much. The ignored "older brother" role was emphasized much more than that of the mentor, but that helps the romance out quite a bit. If I have any quibble with his performance it's just that he really doesn't seem any "grander" than his neighbors. He isn't tall enough to pull this off without effort as Mark Strong did, almost looks too young (even though he isn't), and class distinctions are greatly minimized throughout the entire movie (the modern feel again). This is mostly a direction choice, not the actor's fault and at least they aren't reflections on Knightley's character. I did really enjoy seeing his relationship with his brother (and his brother's children) and could pretend to trace similarities in their personalities. He and Emma tag-teaming their family trying to keep the peace was wonderful.The music and intro was really very lovely.Overall the expansive storyline and the love story itself makes this one a solid tie for first place in my book.

Being an avid Jane Austen fan, I have watched every single adaptation of Emma (as well as Austen's other works). The older 1972 BBC adaptation,  Emma (BBC, 1972)  was quite tepid and the lead actress was not very inspiring in her role, lacking the upbeat, and sunny disposition that one associates with Austen's character. Then there was the A&E version starring Kate Beckinsale in the title role, in  Emma (A&E, 1997)  which though much better than the 1972 version (which also suffered from inferior production qualities), was still not the best adaptation. Finally, there was the movie version of "Emma" starring Gwyneth Paltrow, and until this current adaptation, this was actually my personal favorite (even though I personally found Paltrow's accent rather stilted)- it was a gorgeous movie with beautiful cinematography and the chemistry between Emma (Paltrow) and Mr. Knightley (Jeremy Northam) was simply wonderful and altogether credible.This is truly a stellar production in terms of casting, and production qualities. The title role of Emma is credibly portrayed by Romola Garai, who has also been in other notable productions such as  I Capture the Castle ,and  Daniel Deronda . She is perfectly cast - luminously beautiful, snooty, a busybody matchmaker wannabe who feels self-justified in her quest to pair off couples regardless of their own wishes, and yet possessing of a warm and sunny disposition. Romola Garai convincingly portrays all of Emma's characteristics - both her lovable and annoying qualities, her immaturity and impetuousness, and also shows her ability to transform from a self-centered immature young girl into a mature woman who realizes her flaws.The other lead is of course Mr. Knightley, and he is also convincingly portrayed by Johnny Lee Miller, who had portrayed Edmund Bertram in the 1999 movie adaptation of "Mansfield Park" Mansfield Park (1999)  which was rather reviled by critics and purists alike for its liberal adaptation of Austen's classic. Miller was also excellent as Lord Byron in  Byron .I was quite concerned initially because I had always thought Jeremy Northam's portrayal of Knightley to be the best thus far, but Miller comes close, and in fact brings a new interpretation to the character that I really appreciated. There is this one scene in the series where Emma invites Knightley to dance, and as they dance...viewers get the sense that these are two individuals who are gradually realizing their real chemistry, not just as childhood friends and relatives-in-law, but as true soulmates. It is definitely one of the most romantic parts of the series and a highlight!The other characters are also generally well-cast - Mr. Woodhouse is played to delightful effect by Michael Gambon (aka Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movie franchise); Harriet Smith is portrayed by Louise Dylan (though I still prefer Toni Collette's portrayal of Harriet in the movie version); the talented Jodhi May plays Emma's governess turned Mrs Weston (Jodhi May is a veteran of BBC productions and  Henry James' The Turn of the Screw , The Other Boleyn Girl (2003 BBC Version) , as well as others, including the coincidence that she was also in  Daniel Deronda  cast as the Jewess Mirah Lapidoth who attracts the attentions of Daniel Deronda, showcase her diverse acting talent); Frank Churchill is portrayed by Rupert Evans and I must say this particular adaptation portrays Frank Churchill in a thoroughly unflattering light - the man is simply infuriating, and gives Mr. Elton a run for his money! Mr. Elton is played by Blake Ritson who recently portrayed Edmund Bertram in  Masterpiece Theatre: Mansfield Park .The cinematography is excellent, capturing the beauty of the lush English countryside through the seasons, and the score is memorable (I still cannot get the music from the Emma-Knightley dance out of my mind!). The costumes are gorgeous - simple in their beauty, yet detailed and period-accurate, and the other production qualities are impeccable (the English manor houses picked for the various residences such as Hartfield etc are well-chosen).Austen purists might take issue with some of the liberties taken here - the way the characters are portrayed, missing dialogue, the sequencing of certain story arcs, etc - but I still loved this adaptation - it is sunny, and bright, and all that I love in an Austen adaptation, and it is certainly my favorite adaptation of "Emma" thus far!DVD featuresContains the scenes deleted from the PBS airing, and in addition:Emma's Locations - this nine-minute featurette focuses on the locations used during Emma's filming, and why these places were chosen. I just loved the places they used (as is the case with most BBC period dramas) and found this illuminating.Emma's costumes - this twelve-minute featurette explores the details behind costuming decisions for this period drama, including the choice of fabrics, color, etc. It's really a wonderful opportunity to see what goes on in the costume department, and these folks certainly take their jobs seriously, to wondrous effect!Emma's music - this ten-minute featurette explores the music behind Emma with a brief description of how one goes about creating a score that matches the mood of the drama (I'd say they did a great job, especially on that Emma-Knightley dance!), and how important this is as the score should complement and not detract from the show itself.Emma's Mr. Woodhouse - fans of Michael Gambon (aka Dumbledore) will rejoice in this thirteen-minute featurette. This veteran actor is truly a great talent, and this interview covers his career from his early beginnings in the craft until today. It's more of a special focus on Gambon, not so much on his role in Emma, but it is a nice touch nevertheless.I did wish they had a director's commentary (I guess we'll have to wait for a special edition release for that, and spend more money!), and other cast interviews, sigh...but I'm happy to have the drama itself on DVD so that I can enjoy repeat viewings, and have an Emma adaptations marathon (the 1972 BBC adaptation, Kate Beckinsale's A&E adaptation, and of course, Paltrow and Jeremy Northam's pairing in the movie version). Enjoy!

Tenía mucho tiempo que quería comprarla, lo malo es que solo son subtitulos en inglés y aunque yo no necesito el subtitulo en español...mis padres si, espero encontrar forma de subtitularla para que ellos puedan verla.

One of my favourites. A wonderful version of Emma. Won't disappoint!

内容としては文句ないのですが、リージョンコードの問題で日本のDVDには認識されません。もう一方のPride and Prejudiceは認識されたのに、ちょっと残念です。間違いなく今まで映像化されたEmmaの中で一番だと思います。リージョンコードに問題のない方におすすめします。P.S.細かいことですが、上の紹介でちょっと誤りがあります。Mr.Knightleyの名前はJohn（弟の名前）ではなくGeorgeです。

Muy buena, me encantó

Love this movie and took me a long time to find it