A Short History of the Period Drama, Part Three: Tear Up the Script (or, the present day) David Brake June 15, 2014 Analysis, Close-Up, Features Long before the superhero movie took the words "gritty reboot" and revolutionised a genre, period drama was working quietly away in the background doing exactly the same thing. As the '90s gave way to a...
A Short History of the Period Drama, Part Two: Merchant Ivory (or, the ’80s and ’90s) David Brake June 8, 2014 Analysis, Close-Up, Features 1 Comment Ask someone what they think of when you mention 1990s period drama and they might just say "Merchant Ivory" - even if they don't know what that means. Launched in 1961, the production powerhouse has become...
A Short History of the Period Drama, Part One: Faith to the Text (or, the 1940s) David Brake June 1, 2014 Analysis, Close-Up, Features Period piece. Costume drama. Historical epic. Any way you slice it, it's been around about as long as cinema itself. Of course, in those days what we now consider quintessential period drama was practically...
The Invisible Woman – Review David Brake February 22, 2014 Reviews 1 Comment If you expect The Invisible Woman to enlighten you about its eponymous heroine, you might be disappointed. Despite a fine performance by Felicity Jones as Ellen "Nelly" Ternan, the woman who spent thirteen...
By The Book: Jane Eyre (2011) David Brake February 9, 2014 Analysis, By The Book, Features 1 Comment Welcome to By The Book. Every fortnight, we’ll compare a book with its visual adaptation. Are they faithful and delightful partners in storytelling or are the authors turning in their graves through these...
