The Crimson Petal and the White

[dremble wedge]

The BBC are broadcasting a version of Michael Faber's huge novel (Anyone read it? I picked up the hardback in a charity shop a while ago but haven't got round to it, probably because it's too heavy ) this spring.

The cast sounds promising.

Here's the press release:

"If you dare enter this world," declares Sugar, the heroine of Michel Faber's The Crimson Petal And The White, "you had better tread carefully."
Romola Garai, Chris O'Dowd, Gillian Anderson, Richard E Grant, Shirley Henderson, Amanda Hale and Mark Gatiss star in this four-part tale of love, lust, desire and revenge, adapted from Faber's international best-selling novel.
Revealing the true underbelly of Victorian life in a way never before seen on screen, The Crimson Petal And The White is a bold and original new serial, adapted by acclaimed playwright and screenwriter Lucinda Coxon and directed by Marc Munden.
Evocative and sexually charged, this provocative and riveting emotional tale takes viewers into a hidden world seething with vitality, sexuality, ambition and emotion in which a young prostitute and a prominent businessman embark on a dangerous relationship with epic consequences.

[Elaine]

The BBC are broadcasting a version of Michael Faber's huge novel (Anyone read it? I picked up the hardback in a charity shop a while ago but haven't got round to it, probably because it's too heavy ) this spring.

The cast sounds promising.

Here's the press release:

"If you dare enter this world," declares Sugar, the heroine of Michel Faber's The Crimson Petal And The White, "you had better tread carefully."
Romola Garai, Chris O'Dowd, Gillian Anderson, Richard E Grant, Shirley Henderson, Amanda Hale and Mark Gatiss star in this four-part tale of love, lust, desire and revenge, adapted from Faber's international best-selling novel.
Revealing the true underbelly of Victorian life in a way never before seen on screen, The Crimson Petal And The White is a bold and original new serial, adapted by acclaimed playwright and screenwriter Lucinda Coxon and directed by Marc Munden.
Evocative and sexually charged, this provocative and riveting emotional tale takes viewers into a hidden world seething with vitality, sexuality, ambition and emotion in which a young prostitute and a prominent businessman embark on a dangerous relationship with epic consequences.

Ha ha. Hope you can manage to pick it up, try a marmite sandwich. LOL This sounds really interesting. I would watch it alone for Richard E Grant and Romola Garai, and also Gillian Anderson of course.

[CaptainWaggett]

I carried it around with me for a while but IIRC it's written in the present tense which is always a turn-off. The series does look fab though.

[Brigger]

Starting very soon now, looking forward to it...

BBC - Press Office - Network TV Programme Information BBC Week 14 Wednesday 6 April 2011

[jaycad]

i saw the trailer yesterday-it's to be on BBC2 IIRC?

[didi-5]

Haven't read the book but agree this adaptation looks very promising. It's been a good year so far for these kind of dramas.

[LocalHero]

I absolutely loved the book when I read it a few years ago, so am in two minds about watching the series in case my fond memory of the novel is destroyed.

I always find that in this kind of situation if I read the book first I have my own idea of what the characters look like, and this is rarely matched by the TV adaptation, so I find it jarring and difficult to get involved in the series.

Avoided the recent "South Riding" for the same reason, but haven't yet definitively decided whether to watch Crimson Petal or not.

[jaycad]

I only have problems with adaptations of novels that i've read if there's plot changes-small alterations and character omissions i can deal with,invented storylines and 'updating to suit a modern audience' changes i cannot! recent BBC 'Bleak House'=very good,recent BBC 'Oliver Twist'=very bad!

[cully]

Great fun. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Is it anything like the book? I don't know the author but I felt I was in the territory Sarah Waters writes so well about.

[narabdela]

The book was superb, thoroughly recommended.

Should be fairly strong stuff for television.

[DB7]

Should be fairly strong stuff for television.

All fairly tastefully done and probably lacking the tawdry realism. I enjoyed it and no doubt will do further as it develops.

[LocalHero]

I did watch it in the end, and I quite enjoyed it, but I'm still not sure it matches up to the novel.

They seem to be flogging the bird imagery quite heavily and was it me or were there some camera effects? For example when Sugar is looking up at Rackham's house, the house seemed to expand and fill the screen - may just be my eyes though!

Also not sure that Romola Garai is playing Sugar charismatically enough, but this may change in future episodes.

[batman]

I am not sure about it yet. It was very well done, but although some of the acting was excellent, I couldn't engage with any of the characters. I'll give it another whirl next week.

[cully]

The review in my paper this morning answered my question. Apparently, this "magnificent novel" of 800 pages plus is too vast a project to fit into a 4 part mini series. He also "complained", tongue in cheek, I think, that the TV version is nothing like as gory and explicit as the book!

[narabdela]

Any thoughts on the final result?

I thought it was quite successful in capturing the "feel" of the book, but made a total hash of two of the crucial episodes; the flights of both Agnes and Sugar+Sophie.

[jaycad]

Any thoughts on the final result?

I thought it was quite successful in capturing the "feel" of the book, but made a total hash of two of the crucial episodes; the flights of both Agnes and Sugar+Sophie.

I enjoyed it although i thought the last episode appeared rushed but not having read the book cannot comment on whether it was a faithful adaptation. It was very dark though wasn't it?

[Windyridge]

I didn't think Romola Garai played sexy or charismatic enough to make me believe Sugar was so highly prized. Also, what was with her make up? Sugar has a skin complaint yes, but those dry half chalked lips were odd. Chris O'Dowd was a strange casting choice,but did quite well, although it took me ages to forget The IT Crowd. It all ended up camp Dickensian meets Sarah Waters (sans girl on girl action) and seemed quite cheaply done as well. Which scenes were shot in Canada then?

[waldo_lydecker]

I found it engrossing without ever quite knowing what the point of it was meant to be. Very nicely directed and acted.

[batman]

I couldn't get into it at all and gave up half way through episode two. It was well produced and acted but there was nothing within the story/script that could draw me into the drama.