| This video suffers by comparison with the later and better 6-tape A&E/BBC Vanity Fair. Its biggest drawback is Susan Hampshire, the actress who plays Becky Sharp. In the book Becky is pretty, sexy, but not beautiful; she is also small. She even has red hair, considered a decided drawback when the book was written. Thackery repeatedly emphasizes that her successes are primarily due to her brains, which enable her to shine more than genuinely beautiful women. Hampshire is blonde (or her wig is), beautiful, and tall. Worse, she plays Becky Sharp in precisely the same way she plays the duchess Glencora Palliser in the Palliser series. She even puts her hand on her waist, sighs "Heigh-ho!," and walks around stoop-shouldered in both films. Becky Sharp is no duchess, and I don't think these three mannerisms work well for either character. Good posture in particular was important for middle- and upper-class Victorian women. The announcer also has a suprisingly negative attitude toward Becky (especially for the 1960s); he repeatedly calls her a "bitch." In fact Thackery makes it clear that Becky is ambitious and manipulative, but she achieves results through charm, which she exercises towards everyone. Becky is far too shrewd to alienate people, not only the ones who were useful immediately but the ones who might just possibly be useful someday. He also describes her as "always good-humored." But: Fans of the book will still want to view this film. The other characters are played well, and the costumes and sets aren't bad for the 1960s. |
Vanity Fair (2pc) movies, videos.