David Copperfield [1999] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

Ciaran McMenamin is the mature David, his youthful face increasingly clouded by the gathering of experience. Trevor Eve oozes evil as his stepfather Mr Murdstone, ultimately neutralised by Maggie Smith's Aunt Betsey, a comic performance of true genius that gives frequent flashes of the vulnerable human being beneath. In other inspired pieces of casting, Nicholas Lyndhurst's incubus-like Uriah Heep haunts every scene he's in and Pauline Quirke's Peggotty exudes the motherly warmth that sustains David during his darkest moments. Three hours of classic drama heaven.

On the DVD: the disc is presented with a Dolby Digital Stereo soundtrack and 16:9 picture format, reproducing the original high quality of its first television transmission. The three-hour production is beautifully lit, with carefully chosen locations adding to the authentic "Dickensian" atmosphere. A short "making of" documentary is largely based around the likeable Pauline Quirke's experiences of playing Peggotty and generally leaves you wanting to know more about the conception and processes of the production. As an audio extra, there is 30 minutes of Rob Lane's original music presented in Dolby Digital 5.1. --Piers Ford

The BBC builds here on its impressive record of period dramas (including the impassible Pride and Predjudice in 1995), and whilstm being Dickens much of this production is set in dingy victorian London, it doesn't lose any of its beauty. The costumes are wonderful, the rich costumes suiting even the younger members of the cast. The two Davids are wonderful, Daniel Radcliffe shows, at the age of 9 the ability to draw in the viewer that would be exibited two years later as Harry Potter. His eyes alone, on the close ups are enough to make any viewer weep at the various injustices that befall our hero. Ciaran McMenamin is good as the adult David, though I admit a certain inability to see how the young David developed into him.

Of the rest of the cast, its virtually impossible to pick a best. Trevor Eve and Zoe Wannamaker show equal meaness in their roles as David's evil mental torturers and with a cast that also includes such greats as Ian McKellen, Bob Hoskins, Dawn French, Pauline Quirk and Emelia Fox it would be an injustice to single anyone out. That is, were it not for the spectacular performance of Maggie Smith, who pulls out all of the stops in her wonderful, heartwarming performance as David's aunt. The idea of anyone else now playing this role, seems foreign to me.

All in all this is a great adaptation of a great novel. Filmed in all its beauty by Simon Curtis and his wonderful crew. Let this version stand as a benchmark for a long long time.


Doesn't do the book justice!   March 14, 2004
 10 out of 17 found this review helpful

I read the book before I watched the movie and loved the book to bits. I liked the characters and how Dickens had developed them but it didn't come out in the movie. The beginning of the movie started well. Young David, older David, David's mum, peggotty, mr and miss murdstone, ham peggotty and Mr peggotty were cast perfectly. The young and the older Emily were completely wrong though. Young Emily is meant to be more shy and playful but in the movie, she wasn't at all! From then, it just got worse. Nicholas Lyndhurst was totally wrong for Uriah Heep and Agnes was terrible! Agnes is meant to be a very friendly, loving and guiding character in the book and thats why we grow to love her, but in the movie, she's always depressed and jealous of Dora. It's completely wrong! One of the most amazing characters was completely missed out! Thomas Traddles! Also, in the book, I thought it was great how David, Martha and Mr Peggotty found Emily after Rosa Dartle had but there was no Martha this time and it was not as good as it should have been. If you want my opinion, read the book first and then watch the movie otherwise your impressions will be spoilt. Try another version of David Copperfield!