Cheap Bleak House (DVD) (Ross Devenish) Price

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Customer Reviews of Bleak House

The Court-house is the Bleak-house.
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>By "Bleak House", Mr. Dickens meant the Court-house is a bleak place. This 1985-version makes the home of the good, cheerful, characters attractive, and the unjust, Court proceedings bleak. In contrast, the 2005-version shows their home with darker furnishings, filmed by candlelight, with abrupt scene changes, accompanied by seconds of scary music, for a bleak home; missing Mr. Dicken's point entirely. Thus, this 1985-version is the best version. The story should have been easier to follow, at a livelier pace; without so much time on the dreary. <
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>This 1985 version shows better: <
>The legal system of lawyers getting rich, and cases dragging for years, brought to life in Dicken's characters. <
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>Law attracts those wishing to make a lot of money; often the greediest among us. Lawyers are paid up-front, win or lose, good job, or not. Lawyers may be expressing their clients lies, more cleverly, enabling an otherwise failed case. <
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>All law should arise from Ethics and Fair-play; "Do to others, as you wish done to yourself". Thus, the uneducated, good person should find a law to protect them, and the evil person expect the law to punish them. <
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>The U.S. Constitution desires, the Right of the Citizen to represent themselves in Civil-Court. However, try representing yourself today, and see what happens. No matter the merits of your case; you are viewed as, knowing nothing compared to your esteemed, attorney-opponent. You are not in the attorney-club, (Judges are attorneys). Your legal-complaint, no matter how well-written, is likely, not even read. Lawyers have usurped a monopoly, and are making lots of money. <
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>Is Dickens true today? Had I been a juror in the OJ Simpson trial; after being locked in a hotel room for 6-months; I would soon only care of getting free from that hotel room. <
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>The moral of this film is to not spend much time on things we have no power to change; rather enjoy the company of our loved ones. <
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>Mr. Dickens other works, the wonderful "Oliver Twist" and "A Christmas Carol" cannot be improved. "David Copperfield did not need much help. Unlike "Bleak House", they balance the dreary with cheer, moments of triumph, adventure, or empathy with the main character, and they build to good endings. "Bleak Houes" is way out-of-balance. While Mr. Dickens is a most brilliant writer; I would re-write all of "Bleak House" for film. <
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>1.) Opportunity for balancing cheer: The nice uncle and sister avoid emotional involvement in the unjust Court-case. Thus, opportunity to contrast them more as happy, playing piano, singing, and doing fun things, at their sunny home, compared to the sister's now miserable brother emotionally entangled in the unjust Court-case. The brother's happiness, before his entanglement should be better contrasted, by more time on his happy activities, with his wife, even give them children, prior to his entanglement. <
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>2.) The solving of the murder mystery is not believable in either version. I would like to see something like, the inspector questioning the suspects, determining when, who passed who, in the hallway, and on the street, wearing what, and the victim's door was unlocked, allowing the murderer entry, and murderer had locked the door after, and two of the suspects have said the door was locked upon their arriving, so the inspector determines it was this person, by the timing of the murder, and fitting all the seemingly, unimportant pieces together, until the whole tells upon fitting one last seemingly, unimportant fact. I would re-write the story to have the doctor, accompanying the inspector, with the doctor solving the murder; as the doctor can best tie together events as a central character. <
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>3.) "Bleak House" needs to cause the characters to be more likeable, rather than presume audience interest, by build-up events, and more personality. The homeless boy should be seen doing activities which the audience likes, prior to his involvement in the mystery plot. Lady Dedlock needs to be more likeable, playing piano, teaching the girl who is her maid. Give the servants some personality, when the mistress is not present. There is so much of the unpleasant to be cut, such as forgetting the hostile cat, the brick-makers, and the interest between the uncle and the sister. <
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>4.) The book is very long. Either a longer series needs to be done, or more of the book left out; because both versions fail to develop characters we admire, with personality, and cheerful activity, for trying to get everything in. There are so many characters, that too much time should never be spent away from the central character, the sister, and a couple other focus characters, like Lady Dedlock, and the Doctor, both connected to the sister. <
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>Even with its many faults, this 1985-version is still better than the darker 2005-version.

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The best classic costume drama....
I have watched all the costume dramas with great pleasure, & this is the best, certainly much better than the new remake. It is brilliantly directed & acted so drawing the viewer into the story, which itself covers the gamut of human emotions, wryly & accurately observed & recorded by Dickens. More, the photography is also brilliant, making participation smooth & realistic. The principal actors are real stars of theatre film & TV, lending their talents & experience to this fantastic series, which can be seen over & over again with enjoyment & increased appreciation.

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Great Classic!
Anytime I get a chance to see Dame Diana Rigg in anything, I jump at the chance. This is a classic tale - a wonderful costume drama, and you get Diana Rigg. What more could you ask for?