BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » Parade's End

SusiGo · April 18, 2013 4:22 pm

Thanks very much for posting this. It's very interesting to read about the different approaches and decisions they took then and now.

miriel68 · April 18, 2013 4:28 pm

Oh, I just found a very interesting comparative review:

http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/170383-parades-end/

Now I am even more eager to see the old version!

Davina · April 28, 2013 12:12 pm

Parade's End is up for awards tonight at the Bafta Craft Awards.

SusiGo · April 28, 2013 12:19 pm

Keeping fingers crossed (and I still can't understand why they overlooked Benedict).

Davina · April 28, 2013 12:22 pm

The Craft Awards are for 'behind the scenes'. Things like lighting, sound and the writers.

SusiGo · April 28, 2013 12:25 pm

I know and I think that PE's has deserved quite a lot of those. It's beautifully made in every respect. And I hope that Rebecca Hall and the film itself are going to win as well.

Davina · April 28, 2013 6:51 pm

Sheen's Napier has won the award for costume design for her work on Parade's End.

Davina · April 28, 2013 6:56 pm

Videos of the award ceremony will be posted later tonight on YouTube and bafta.org

SusiGo · April 28, 2013 7:02 pm

Well-deserved, the costumes are breathtaking.

miriel68 · April 28, 2013 7:33 pm

Yes, especially Sylvia's dresses. If I were to go to a mask ball, I would like to wear one of them!

SusiGo · April 28, 2013 7:48 pm

And her light green dressing gown with the embroidery, so beautiful.

Davina · April 28, 2013 8:06 pm

That's the only award it won I'm afraid. Although I am so pleased that Derren Brown's Apocalypse won the Team award.

SusiGo · May 21, 2013 7:51 pm

Time to wake up this thread . Today I watched some scenes of episode 4 and again admired the beautiful use of motifs. Here it is the (explicit and implied) word "mistress".

1. Mark tells his father about the rumours regarding Christopher's various mistresses.
2. Edith hints at Valentine being his mistress and having had a child with him.
3. Sylvia asks Christopher if Valentine is his mistress.
4. On the phone Sylvia tells Valentine that Edith is Christopher's mistress.
5. Mark asks Christopher if Valentine is his mistress.
6. Valentine asks Christopher if Edith is his mistress.

So far the term is always used in a negative and derogatory way. Until

7. Christopher asks Valentine "Will you be my mistress tonight?" The beautiful culmination of an intense and tender scene.

miriel68 · May 21, 2013 8:53 pm

SusiGo wrote:
Time to wake up this thread .=13px.

Yes! Yes and yes!

You know, in the novel it is actually Sylvia who manipulates Christopher into asking Valentine to become his mistress and actually very disappointed that her plan didn't work. Also, in the end they take a decision not to consume their passion, although they could.

In the movie it is more ambiguous, although all breakfast scene has some hidden undercurrents. In any case I love Tietjens saying with calm "No, miss Wannop is not my mistress" while continuing to eat his eggs or whatsoever. It is SO wonderfully British.
And of course in the movie the would spend the night together if it weren't for brother's return.

SusiGo · May 21, 2013 8:56 pm

I didn't remember the passage from the novel.

Stiff upper lip, he does this wonderfully. And the scene when he comes to Valentine's house and her brother is there and they take a walk before saying goodbye is one of the most beautiful IMO.

miriel68 · May 22, 2013 10:17 am

Christopher and Valentine parting is a symphony of English emotional restraint and his eyes when she says "Oh dear, do come back" are enought to make me faint
And what about the scene chez Macmaster, when Christopher is talking with that vermin Ruggles (loads of vermins in the world of PE): "dining at the club tonight?". "No, I have resigned": I would have given BC a BAFTA just for the way he said this short sentence!

SusiGo · May 22, 2013 10:31 am

Deservedly so.
The whole story of Christopher and Valentine is one of emotional restraint and saying things while meaning something totally different. The only exception is her use of the word "dear" which comes very early in the series, I think it is during or immediately after the night in the fog.
But most of the time looks and gestures and image are more important than words. Take the scene when Christopher visits Mrs Wannop at her house and Valentine comes in. She runs to the outhouse and looks through the heart-shaped hole in the door at the blue sky. Better than dialogue.

miriel68 · May 23, 2013 2:14 pm

Yes, rushing to the loo to dream about her beloved . How very English. I think this is Stoppard's doing, I don't remember that scene from the novel.
I wasn't particularly impressed by Valentine on the first viewing, Sylvia was so brilliant that she overshadowed her a bit, but she grew on me on repeated viewing. And the scene of almost-kissing-in-the-fog is one of the most erotic and powerful love moments I have ever seen in a movie.

SusiGo · May 23, 2013 2:19 pm

Yes, it's hard to hold your ground when playing opposite RH but she does it well. And I liked her more and more when seeing how much she loves Christopher and how she's the only one who really understands him and doesn't just exploit or use him. And she's such an intelligent and well-read person compared to Sylvia who's as beautiful as she's ignorant.

miriel68 · May 26, 2013 9:51 am

Yes, you have to read the novel to appreciate Valentine fully, even if I don't really like her in "Last Post" (I am so glad Stoppard left it out). The problem probably stems for the fact that Valentine doesn't have to DO much: she is just loving Christopher and waiting for him to be ready: in the book she talks much more and we also get a chance to know what are her thoughts: for example, her dialogue with Christopher on the night they help Gertie to escape is very complex in the book and shows clearly how intelligent and well-read she is. But obviously in the film it is always difficult to show much talking and thinking without the risk of slowing the pace or being to explanatory.