BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Parade's End - film and novel

**Posted by SusiGo** May 26, 2013 10:25 am

Definitely. She and Christopher realise very soon that they share common ideas and thoughts and are well educated meaning they are speaking the same language. Whereas Christopher and Sylvia never can talk with each other, there is simply no common basis. She tries to get through to him and to coax a reaction out of him by being hurtful and he is friendly, polite, and distant. With Valentine it's different from the very beginning, they can even laugh together, something he and Sylvia never do.

**Posted by miriel68** May 27, 2013 8:46 pm

But in the book there is also rather curious parallel between Sylvia and Valentine at a certain moment: during his first lenghy conversation with Valentine Christopher is taken aback a couple of times by Valentine's saying about him something very similar to what he heard fromr Sylvia. I was very intrigued by this. Also, I discovered something interesting about the age shift: in the book in 1912 Christopher is 26, Valentine 22 and Sylvia 30. In the film the gap between Christopher and Valentine seems to be wider (did they tell she is 18? I am not sure), therefore, inevitabily, she seems more naive and less an equal partner.

**Posted by SusiGo** May 27, 2013 9:04 pm

That's interesting. I can't remember of their exact ages are mentioned. I assumed that the characters are about the age of the actors which would make Christopher about 15 years older than Valentine. But I don't feel that she's much more naive than he is because of his restrained emotional attitude. He doesn't seem very experienced with women and I always had the impression that Sylvia somehow seduced him on the train.

**Posted by miriel68** May 28, 2013 1:56 pm

Oh, she definitely seduced him on the train: she feared that she was pregnant and was looking for a way out of scandal. And he is well aware that she did it for this precise motive (well, he wasn't on the train, but it didn't take him long do guess). However, in the novel he is also convinced
that his unhappiness in marriage is also kind of punishment for his sin ("carnal knowledge" of his wife before marrying her). This motive is not present in the movie, but it does seem logical, considering Christopher's mentality and morality.

**Posted by SusiGo** May 28, 2013 2:18 pm

I love how they've done the parallel scenes before the marriage: Sylvia with her mother and the priest and Christopher with Mark, both driving in carriages to church and talking about the marriage in such a sober and sarcastic way. Once again compare this to DA and you know at once the difference between those films.

I just bought a TV magazine I usually don't buy because it has a very positive article about PE in it.

**Posted by miriel68** May 29, 2013 3:33 pm

Ok, will you summarise it, if there is something interesting?

I re-watched the hotel scene from the 4th episode yesterday (yes, I need 5 minutes of BC before going to sleep, you see) and I admired once again both actors: BC is outstanding, but so is RH. And I love it that he still is taken by her, in spite of his love for Valentine and all the rest: in the book it is no more the case, so the movie has a score against the original, in my eyes at least

**Posted by SusiGo** May 29, 2013 3:40 pm

My pleasure.

Yes, the scene is wonderful. It shows his sexual character which he keeps usually hidden while the intellectual and emotional aspects are dominant. But I must admit I was glad that it's just this short episode because you know that it cannot last, that they simply have nothing in common but this sexual attraction (at least where Christopher is concerned). And that he would be desperately unhappy afterwards.

**Posted by SusiGo** May 29, 2013 4:11 pm

So, here's my summary from TV Spielfilm:

A question of honour - neither good nor bad but strange times: The love drama Parade's End proves how brilliant period drama can be. Without any soap or kitsch.

Especially BBC is a master in adapting historical subjects for the screen. With PE the author Tom Stoppard and the director Susanne White manage to translate a story set before and during WW1 into modern images and dramaturgy.

Christopher embodies tradition and decency but also stubbornness. Sylvia is the symbol of modern times (I don't agree with this) but also of greed, pleasure, and vitality.

The series is not for easy consumption (quote BC).

Many characters are not clearly defined but of a shimmering ambiguity. The director has coloured the champagne hedonism of the upper classes with a desperation alluding to the end of the empire. In nearly 300 minutes there are a lot of exquisite images. But White doesn't leave any doubt that sometimes there's only a pan shot between beauty and horror.

**Posted by miriel68** May 30, 2013 3:14 pm

"champagne hedonism", lol, a curious description. I would say we don't see much of Edwardian pre-war decadentism in the movie.

And yes, I agree with you that Sylvia is not a "modern" character. In a way, she is as much of relict as Christopher: a sad reminder of times when female intellect and capabilities were wasted by the social conventions women were forced to follow.

**Posted by Davina** June 15, 2013 6:51 pm

Well the screening of Parade's End on French TV has hardly been a resounding success with an average of between 1.7 % and 2% share of viewers for each episode. How disappointing!

**Posted by SusiGo** June 15, 2013 6:56 pm

I don't know about German viewing rates but arte is an excellent but "very highbrow" channel. So I would expect that the ratings are not as good as if it had been on one of the big state-owned or commercial channels.

**Posted by SusiGo** June 25, 2013 8:31 am

So I've started to do research for my new book set in the Edwardian Age. And I once again realise how well PE portrays society in these times by the hypocrisy and cruelty of the class system, the political and social tensions, the situation of women. Compare this with DA's often glorifying and at best overconscentious efforts to depict a golden age that wasn't golden. At least not for most people.

Another thing that struck me when watching the last part of PE was the bathroom scene with Sylvia after having slept with Gerald Drake again. She's shown to have used a contraceptive appliance while talking to him about his brutality and leaving her pregnant years ago. It's a wonderful scene - composition, design, dialogue, everything feels right about it. And it strikes me as realistic and shows how difficult and crucial the question of contraception was for women at that time.

**Posted by Davina** June 25, 2013 6:19 pm

With reference to that you might want to have a look at the life and work of Marie Stopes.

**Posted by SusiGo** June 25, 2013 6:32 pm

Yes, I'll do that. I loved the scene in the teachers' room when they discuss the book.

**Posted by SusiGo** June 28, 2013 8:40 am

There is a new blog on tumblr about FMF, his novels, the film, etc.

http://fordmadoxford.tumblr.com/

**Posted by SusiGo** July 2, 2013 10:48 am

This is really good:

http://emmadelosnardos.tumblr.com/post/32165693396/tietjens-head-injury-in-parades-end-im-still

**Posted by Harriet** July 2, 2013 11:26 am

Good for true Geeks

**Posted by Davina** July 18, 2013 8:00 pm

Emmy nomination for Benedict for his role in this.

**Posted by besleybean** July 18, 2013 8:01 pm

Woohoo!

**Posted by sj4iy** July 18, 2013 8:07 pm

As much as I liked him in this, I think Rebecca Hall deserved the nomination more.