Little Dorrit is a satirical serial novel by Charles Dickens about life in London in the 1820s, the government's fault as well as society's. It was last made into film in 1988, and now BBC released a Little Dorrit DVD starring award-winning actors as well as amazing newcomers. A lot of people fell in love with the two-part movie of the 1980s but the Little Dorrit DVD deserves equally positive reviews.
The actors for instance are commendable. Matthew Macfadyn, the Mr. Darcy of Pride and Prejudice gives justice to his character Arthur Clennam, though it's partly probably of his charm and the innocent look in his eyes. Claire Foy also is brilliant in portraying Amy Dorrit, and considering she's a newcomer, she shows a very big potential.
The development of the story in this series is also noteworthy. It keeps true to Dickens' style of developing his stories, making it very effective. In an age when almost everyone wants to alter or modify a classic work of art, Little Dorrit of BBC is a gem for sticking to the classic treatment.
I also find the script very riveting. The dialogues are very good, and I follow them with much conviction. Usually, I find remakes of classics very pretentious, especially when they try to glorify the story or the author either by overdoing it or giving it less priority.
For me, what makes the Little Dorrit DVD of BBC very good are the three important factors they were able to get right. Somehow, the writers, producers and directors were able to agree that to be able to capture Dickens and his vision when he wrote Little Dorrit is by understanding and following it.
For more information, check other Little Dorrit DVD reviews.
Erika Ayala works part time for a consumer review company.
