Cranford: The Collection (Repackage/DVD)

An absolute delight! Superb in every way! Keeping in mind that I have not read the books this production is based on, I would like to share my review of 2007's Cranford from The Cranford Collection. The BBC, known for high quality, entertaining period drama, did not disappoint. This production has it all. It is absolutely high quality entertainment! What an amazing cast! Several of this distinguished cast I was familiar with. Others I knew less well or not at all. Several times throughout the unfolding twists and turns of gossip and the dilemmas resulting from it I kept saying to myself, `why doesn't he just tell Mrs. Rose why he bought the gloves?' Or `why won't they take his/her word instead of assuming the worst?' So I had to keep reminding myself that this takes place in another era and in a community staunchly marked by the lack of change. Evidently being raised elsewhere, and most recently from London, the young doctor had no idea his well-intentioned gestures were being so misconstrued. Here are some of my observations on a few of the characters: Miss Pole - the town gossip extraordinaire. What she doesn't know she finds out, and what she doesn't find it out she manufactures. She and sweet Mrs. Forrester were as much to blame for the scandal associated with young Dr. Harrison as was his mischievous friend, Dr. Jack Marshland. Yet neither seemed to either recognize or admit to their part involving Mrs. Rose, nor did anyone else in their little close knit circle - knowing them as they did - consider that things were not altogether as they seemed. Indeed, Mrs. Rose moved in with Miss Pole afterwards, and Miss Pole referred to Dr. Harrison as 'that vile man.' As is so often the case with nosy gossipers, how unfortunate that Miss Pole and Mrs. Forrester did not realize or acknowledge their part in putting such ideas in Mrs. Rose's head to begin with. Miss Deborah Jenkins - altogether stoical and reserved. While she exhibits Christian graces and promotes them, her friendship seems dependent on whether or not others adhere to her opinions and her ideas of 'proper behavior.' I found her domineering to some degree, coming across as 'it's my way or the highway.' (As when she stated to Captain Brown, upon learning of his opinions on and impending job for the railroad, that their acquaintance was clearly at an end.) There is no doubt she was a good woman at heart, well liked and respected by all who knew her, but altogether too stuffy for my taste. Lady Ludlow - while Francesca Annis, in her statements in The Making of Cranford, said that she (Lady Ludlow) was a very kind woman, I found her kindness altogether too intermingled with a will to be in control of others' lives and the snobbery so apparent in her class. Snobbery less toward those of a lower station than she, and more toward station and ideas regarding education of the lower class. She clearly believed they should be kept 'under the thumb' of those more fortunate. I also found a part of me feeling great pity for her. As a mother with only one surviving child out of seven, she truly sensed, I believe, that her son cared much less for Hanbury than she was willing to let on. There was a real element of sadness to her demeanor. She was struggling desperately to hold on to a way of life that she knew was destined to disappear. Harry Gregson - a young boy who cared more for and took more responsibility for his mother and siblings than his worthless, lazy, wandering father. A father who, in his narrow minded ignorance, denounced his son's desire to learn. Harry's inner character and staunch perseverance in the midst of his circumstances proved unswerving, however, and succeeded in winning the admiration of Mr. Carter, Miss Galindo, and, eventually, Lady Ludlow herself. His life circumstances gave him a maturity beyond his years. Mr. Carter - although he comes across at first as being somewhat harsh, his softer side soon emerges. His devotion to and love for Hanbury often puts him at odds with Lady Ludlow's views and methods. It is in becoming a mentor to Harry that we truly see his compassion show through. I believe he indeed could - as he stated to Lady Ludlow - imagine what it was like to have a son. Upon learning that the poacher on the estate was Harry's father and that Harry was involved, we see his anger. Yet, despite his disapproval, he intervenes on the man's behalf because of his regard for Harry. Harry's love and respect for him grows as he mentors the young man, teaches him to read, and fosters in him a desire for further knowledge. The legacy he passes to Harry impacts not only Harry and his family but future generations as well. The Tomkinson sisters - it seemed so very evident to me that neither of these ladies could (or would) recognize that Dr. Harrison displayed none of the characteristics of a suitor toward Caroline. His politeness was that of a gentleman only, his show of concern that of a physician only, and his admiration of Sophy was clearly evident to Caroline, if not to Augusta. As I saw Caroline sit idly clutching the infamous valentine, which caused so much unhappiness, I just kept saying, 'lady, you need to get a life!' But then I had to remind myself of the era, and the desperate emotions that so many women in that era surely felt at the lack of, and even remote possibility of, gaining a husband. How unfortunate that an unsigned valentine was attributed to one who never even knew it was sent. The doctors - Dr. Harrison is absolutely adorable! Handsome, dedicated, a true young gentleman. I found Dr. Morgan's demeanor toward him to be less than satisfactory. When Dr. Harrison arrived later than expected, there was no 'so glad you're here. I was getting worried.' Instead, only a stern countenance as he pronounced him late. He went to Jem Hearn's house when Dr. Harrison was there to remove the bandages, saying he wondered if he could be of assistance. Really?! How many doctors are required to remove bandages? He obviously wanted to see the outcome. While he asked to shake Dr. Harrison's hand, I would like to have heard a 'you were right and I was wrong.' He even reprimanded Dr. Harrison on 'beginning extremely badly,' reminding him that 'this is Cranford - everything unchanging, perpetual...' He did not seem to welcome new medical procedures that might 'rock the boat' that is Cranford in spite of saving limbs and lives. I also found him lacking in the unfortunate scandal that arose surrounding the young doctor. He apparently refused to even consider Dr. Harrison's pleas of innocence, instead assuming his behavior to be that of less than a gentleman. Why did he not undertake to investigate the situation? I must say Dr. Harrison remained a gentleman through it all; wounded and heartbroken as he was. Miss Matty - kindness personified. While she admired, depended on, and looked up to her sister, thankfully, she did not exhibit Deborah's stoicism and firmness in her opinions. There is a melancholy sadness about her. Her regret over never having a child, her enduring love for Mr. Holbrook, her continued heartache at having to turn down his proposal so many years earlier, her renewed hopes for the future, snatched away so abruptly. Through it all she remained a true lady who displayed no bitterness. Even in the midst of her devastating financial setback she remained more concerned over the ten shillings owed the butcher than over her own uncertain future. The scene where she recounts to Mary Smith the incident with Peter and why he left home is superb! Sophy Hutton - a young woman catapulted into the responsibilities of adulthood by the death of her mother. Yet, instead of resenting her lot, we find her devoted to her younger siblings and caring for them with as close to a mother's love as one could have from a sister. She was beautiful inside and out. I would very much have liked to know, at the end, where the young couple made their home. In Return to Cranford, there are absent, as is Dr. Morgan, apparently. I've given you my opinions of some the characters. Now to give you my opinion of those portraying them. The casting in this production is outstanding! Indeed, the cast members BECAME these characters. I'm not an expert, but I found no performance lacking. The costumes, the sets, the locations, nothing is found wanting in this pristine production. From humor, to sadness, from long held love, to young love, from privilege, to poverty, this production covers the gamut. I'll be honest. I have not yet watched the whole Return to Cranford. For me, having gotten so `into' the characters of Cranford, I found the sequel a bit disappointing and lost interest early on. So many of the characters in the first production are missing from that one, and the new ones introduced seem so much less `Cranfordish.' After some time has passed, I'll watch it. But it has a lot to live up to reach the standard of Cranford. I don't think it could be any better.

The DVD set came on time and well packaged. No problems with the playing of the DVD. It's closed-captioned (as all DVDs should be) for deaf/hh folks. As far as the movie itself, if you like fictional characters set in relatively accurate historical settings -- and if you like good acting and British dramas -- I think you will like this. In addition to likable and engaging characters, it really help reflect the way the class system impacted the ways of thinking in an English era that was far earlier than the eras of "Downton Abbey", earlier than "Mr. Shelfridge", and even predates "The Paradise". All that was secondary, but realistically incorporated into the historical framework, and helped [but not heavy handedly] engage some aspects of the storyline and characters' frame if reference and thinking. Heartwarming, humerous, engaging, entertaining. If any of you have these others, it's an interesting look at how the system evolved over the 19th and early 20th Century. None of that takes away from character interaction, the writing of relationships and events, or the enjoyment of the viewers. On a side note: it was interesting to see the lion's share of the movie (its writing, production, event-driven characters, etc.) was accomplished by women.

I thoroughly enjoy reading about eighteenth century England, Scotland and Ireland, so watching Cranford: The Collection was amazing and brought all the characters to life. Of course, any project that Dame Judi Dench is involved in is top notch! The English have a marvelous way of presenting a story that actually has something meaningful to share with the audience. Cranford involves twists and turns that you do not necessarily expect, keeps your interest throughout, and leaves you with that feeling of a time long since gone by, when life was a bit simpler. I was originally hesitate to purchase this DVD because I thought it would just be about a group of old "hens" in a small town in England - well, it is about a group of old "hens" in a small English town, but they are a feisty group of women who do what is right rather than what is convenient. Hmmm - something to think about. It's well worth the time to watch!!

The only reason I am knocking off a star here is because of the follow-up/sequel, Return to Cranford. The original series is great, intermingling humor with fantastic period acting and scenery, making for a classic BBC production. It's also a good length - 5 episodes. Return to Cranford, while still fun, is decidedly of a lower quality, returning only some of the characters that made the first series so fantastic. We enjoyed it still, but not nearly as much as the original.

Super série, j' ai retrouvé des acteurs de Downton Abbey, et l histoire est sympa. Se plonger dans une autre époque avec des acteurs aussi talentueux, c est génial. L audio et les sous titres sont en anglais de quoi se perfectionner!

Edizione con audio e sottotitoli in inglese. Non conoscevo il romanzo da cui questa mini-serie è tratta, ed è stata quindi per me una meravigliosa sorpresa. Si tratta dell'intrecciarsi delle vite di diversi abitanti di un piccolo paese dell'inghilterra, all'inizio dell'era industriale. La recitazione è strepitosa, la regia ottima, e la storia interessante e commovente. Bivamente consigliato. Questo cofanetto contiene l'opera completa, cioè anche il "séguito" della prima serie, intitolato "Return to Cranford".

Danke fuer die wirklich schnelle bedienung, Brilliant product. Ein wirklich SEHR gutes Produkt dass ich nur empfehlem kann. LOVE IT

There lives in the Beeb a genie with genius for choosing script-writers, producers, cameramen, sound technicians and set designers - not to mention actors and good source material. Judy Dench is chief protagonist amongst a tribe of gentle ladies somewhat affectionately called "The Amazons" in a small 1840s market village in the countryside somewhere near Manchester through which evil demons plan to run a railway. She is more than ably assisted in her portrayal of Mattie, a sad but proud spinster of strength and wit, by a cast of instantly-recognizable actors whose abillity to bring life to the fictional characters of Cranford is just amazing. Once one gets past the shock of hearing English as spoken before all hell broke loose on the linguistic front thanks to newspapers, wireless, television, movies and the internet, one is transported back to this gentler time. A time when one was shocked by an unexpected pregnancy, rather than some nutter with an AK-47 in a shopping mall. Life is simpler, but sorely touched by generalized frugality imposed by the times. The poverty that makes HM Social Services cringe is somehow borne and made better by random acts of kindness that will bring moisture to the eyes of the unwary. Pour yourself a small glass of sherry, set yourself before the fire on a damp and chilly winter evening, and plunge into this masterpiece of tight direction, first-rate acting and satisfying plot. You will not regret the investment of time or treasure - particularly the latter, as the Amazon price is exceptional value, less than the cost of a pair of cinema tickets for several evenings of entertainment. Even more value, as well: unlimited viewing - you'll come back to it again and again to savor the experience, making the investment a no-brainer.

If you're a fan of costume dramas, this is an excellent series for you. I've read some of Gaskell's writings. I found it tedious reading. However, Sue Birtwistle and Susie Conklin have performed an incredible task in taking Gaskell's works and from them creating this story. They've captured village life in mid 18 century England beautifully. Judi Dench, Imelda Taunton, Francesca Annis and other first rate actors carry us through one sweet, hilarious, heartbreaking episode after another. We learned to not only enjoy these characters, but to love and identify with them. Through every perfect detail in costuming, dialogue, colour, sets and photography, the heart of 19th century English village life is wonderfully revealed. The advantages of 21st century life are made clear through the incidences portrayed in these movies, especially in the medical field. However, there is in most of us, I believe, a dream of returning to the simple pleasures and enjoyment of friends portrayed in these movies. I highly recommend this collection.