As a long-time reader of Thomas Hardy, I’ve been hoping to see the acclaimed early 1970s TV mini-series Wessex Tales, which is said to be coming out on DVD, though it doesn’t seem to have been issued yet.
In the meantime, I was interested to get hold of a DVD of The Scarlet Tunic, a feature film loosely based on another of of Hardy’s great short stories, The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion – here’s a link to an etext at the Gaslight site just in case anyone wants to read the story. Emma Fielding, who was so good in Cranford over Christmas, is good here too as the heroine, Frances Groves (she’s Phyllis Groves in the story, giving her more of a traditional shepherdess-type name). Jean-Marc Barr gives a passionate performance as the German officer who falls in love with her, Matthaus Singer (his surname is Tina in the original story). To be honest, I don’t think it is a completely successful film, because at times it tips too far over into farce or melodrama – but I still found it well worth seeing.
This is an historical tale set during the Napoleonic wars, and, with soldiers in red uniforms amid the beautiful scenery of the Dorset coast, it has a certain flavour of the two adaptations of Hardy’s Far from the Madding Crowd which I’ve written about here. Director Stuart St Paul also co-wrote the script and I have the impression it was a labour of love for him, as it was hard to get the funding together. It was made on a tight budget, but still has high production values and I don’t think there has been any skimping on the sets and locations or the striking costumes.
Since this is a full-length film based on a short story, the plot has been made more complicated, melodramatic elements have been heightened and added, and the characters expanded – some reviews I’ve seen complain about this, but I think really you have to look at it as a film in its own right and not worry about how different it is from the text. More of a problem for me is that some of the acting seems rather stagey and over the top, especially from Simon Callow as the bullying Captain Fairfax, who is in charge of the German legion, a group of foreign soldiers serving in the British army.
The heroine, Frances, lives quietly in a Dorset coastal village with her father, Dr Edward Grove, brilliantly played by Jack Shepherd in an understated performance. She accepts a passionless proposal from a middle-aged businessman, Humphrey Groves (John Sessions), who promptly goes off to Bath “on business” and fails to write to her. There are rumours that Mr Gould plans to jilt her, although her father insists these are false. The lonely Frances finds herself increasingly drawn to one of the German officers garrisoned on her father’s land, Matthaus, and the couple embark on a passionate and dangerous affair.
I thought the romantic relationship worked well, with plenty of chemistry, but maybe even better are the scenes showing the German officers undergoing endless drills and waiting around, talking about their loneliness, homesickness and disillusion. I think the Hardy story suggests they might have been press-ganged into service – that isn’t said in the film, but it is clear they are desperate to get away. While, as I’ve said, Callow does tend to go a bit over the top, his endless shouting, and the floggings and punishments, do show how brutal the regime was for men serving in the forces at this time. It’s just a pity that the German characters constantly speak to one another in English with German accents – I’d much prefer it if they spoke in German with subtitles!
However, just as important as the plot, or more so, are the haunting visuals, with the colour red running right through the movie. Frances wears a red cloak slung over her shoulders as she goes to meet Matthaus – and, when he is lost to her in a series of tragic twists later in the film, she picks up his discarded red tunic and cradles it against her face, in the most haunting image of the movie. I won’t give away exactly what happens in the final scenes, as I think the series of shocks are part of the movie’s power, but don’t expect a happy ending.
A wondeful review, Judy, as usual! I’d love to see this. I’ll try to get it. But my TBW pile has grown tremendously huge since I’ve started blogging! There are so many movies and dramas I have heard and read about … and … I can’t resist!
And I know what reading or watching a story by Hardy means, you’re right…is always better to get ready for the worst.
Thank you, Judy.
Take care. MG
Thank you, Maria! I know exactly what you mean about the TBW pile – mine seems to grow larger all the time and there are not enough hours in the day to watch and read everything. You’ve got such a lot on anyway that I shouldn’t worry about this one too much, but if you like Hardy it is quite good to watch.
I will echo your sentiments ladies that my TBW pile is growing faster than I can keep up with it! I got excited seeing Emma Fielding mentioned because I didn’t think we saw enough of her in the Cranford series. I’ll have to keep this one in mind! Thanks Judy!
Thanks, Charley – I agree we could have done with more of Emma Fielding in ‘Cranford’. I’d been meaning to write about the ‘Cranford’ sequel but am now thinking I ought to go back and watch the first series again first, and “do” them in order…
Emma Fielding is one of these new strongly talented actresses. My other comment is heterodox: sometimes watching these film adaptations I feel the adapter made more sense of the book’s story and characters than the original writer did. That may not be an improvement as life is so messy, but it has the merit of making a strong coherent line we remember.
My TBW pile begins to grow high too. I got the whole of the Forsythe Saga (the older one) for Xmas and have only just started.
Ellen
I think you are spot on in this comment, Ellen – the adaptation does make more sense of the story by drawing out a strong coherent line, as you say, and yet the story is probably greater because it does have the sort of confusion that you get in life, plus it also has some of Hardy’s very greatest writing – little descriptive lines about things like snails on the soil which couldn’t possibly translate into film. I’ve watched more than half of the old ‘Forsyte Saga’ but it’s been a while since I saw any of it – the box set is so enormous, but I do want to get back to it soon, before I forget the earlier episodes!
Excellent review Judy, I have ‘The Scarlet Tunic’ and have watched it a couple of times. Coincidently I came across a second hand copy of of Hardy’s ‘Wessex tales’ which I enjoyed reading, so I can’t wait for this to come out on DVD. The Scarlet Tunic is a little known tale all the acting good over all. I think it also conveys to the viewer how slim the chances of marriage were for a lady who lived in a rural community. It’s easy to see why she accepts Groves – she has nothing to compare him to and probably sees him as her only chance. Matthaus however offers a different chance, a chance frought with danger. Given the comparison of both men – you can see who she would opt for, especially as her true personality is awakened and slowly revealed within the story. The ending was sad – but at least Frances’s spirit soared, if only for a short time.
Lynda
Thank you very much, Lynda. The release date of ‘Wessex Tales’ on DVD has been put back a couple of times, but is now April 12 – here’s a link to the info at the BBC shop, though it will also be available at other sites:
http://www.bbcshop.com/Drama+Arts/Wessex-Tales-DVD/invt/av9706
I agree the story and the adaptation do show how little chance there was for a woman living in such an isolated area to find a husband – and also agree with your comments about the ending of the film.