It is always tricky to film a book dear to the hearts of its admirers. Wilson and his design team achieve a look rather more pre-Raphaelite than Peake's own illustrations--shabby velvets, garish sunlight, and dank, stone passages. The score by Richard Rodney Bennett is full of attractive surprises--fanfares and waltzes and apotheoses--and John Tavener's choral additions are plausibly parts of the immemorial ritual of Gormenghast. --Roz Kaveney

Description
Since its publication at the end of World War II, Mervyn Peake's masterpiece, The Gormenghast Novels," has stood unchallenged as one of English literature's most extraordinary flight of imagination. Its themes of treachery, decay, madness and honor have come to be regarded as a metaphor for the fall of an empire, the passing of an age, and the rise of fascism. The glorious castle of Gormenghast is home to the ancient family of Groan, where nothing has changed for thousands of years. The dynasty is threatened by the charming and evil kitchem-boy, Steerpike. With the birth of a new heir, Titus Groan, Steerpike begins his ruthless ascent to power. As he charms, outwits and terrorizes the castle's inhabitants, only the young and timid Earl of Groan, Titus, stands in Steerpike's way. Who will ultimately rule Gormenghast?

The show came on every Saturday, and I watched each hour or so segment every week. The story revolves around an old castle called Gormenghast. The people themselves are born into caste systems, and adhere to the strict rules and rituals of the Kingdom. Nothing changes; the culture won't let it. That is, until Steerpike, a young kitchen hand, grows tired of the kitchen life and denounces his caste. His goal, to seek for better things, and for him better things can only mean greater power.

Now, after the reading the books, I was all the more impresed with the BBC rendition. While the series had to cut out a lot of scenes, as the trilogy itself is huge, they were very prudent with their cuts. While they couldn't capture the absurdity and creative flair in its entirety, they also didn't rehash Mervyn Peake (the author's) tendency towards pointless, self-indulgent waste (i.e. cliche romance scenes/dialogue), and occasional repitition (i.e. conversations and thoughts of characters). However, the acting was superb, the costumes elegant, and the plot as unique as ever. Above all is Jonathan Rhys-Meyer (Steerpike), and Christopher Lee (Flay). Also, Zoe Wanamaker and Lynsey Baxter did a superb job playing the mad twin sisters(and stroke victims) Cora and Clarice Groan. Gormenghast runs miles around anything America produces (i.e. Noah's Ark, The Tenth Kingdom), and deserves, despite its minor flaws (even those from nitpicky Peake fans), nothing short of 5 stars.


An unsettling and captivating dark fantasy   May 28, 2004
 31 out of 33 found this review helpful

"Gormenghast" is an odd series, a little too odd at first glance. I have never read the books, and didn't even know that a "Gormenghast" series existed when I watched it. I just thought it looked like an interesting fantasy series, so I gave it a try.

It was very surprising, and I had to watch the first episode twice before I got a feel for the series and could get captivated by its peculiar meter and character. However, when you get sucked in it is as complete a world as "Labyrinth," "Legend" or any other such darkly gothic fairy tale kingdoms. The endless rituals, the conflicting costumes, the affected accents and speeches all combine to create a disturbing reality of crumbling decadence and a society that has run its course, aching for change and new blood.

The amazing actors in this series, many with an impressive fantasy film pedigree, are what pull you in, and force you to believe in the topsy-turvy kingdom. Christopher Lee ("Lord of the Rings"/"Star Wars"/"Dracula"/Too many to name...) brings you home right away as the brutish but loyal Flay. It is interesting to see him play such a sympathetic and nobel character, after watching him is so many villain roles. Jonathan Rhys-Meyers ("Bend it Like Beckam," "Titus") is perfect as the charming anarchist Steerpike. who plays a necessary role as a bloody catalyst for change. Zoe Wanamaker ("Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone") and her sister Lynsey Baxter play the bizarre twins perfectly, with an unsettling atmosphere each time they are on screen. Ian Richardson, who comes with an impressive Shakespear resume, portrays the descent into madness of the Earl of Gormenghast, as crumbling as his realm.

The BBC again proves that they know how to make quality programs, allowing for a slow wicked pace and a weird mood along with bright costumes and talented actors. I highly recomend "Gormneghast," but give yourself some time to get into it. You might have to watch the first episode twice like I did.


5 Star Movie, 1 Star DVD   July 9, 2001
 22 out of 23 found this review helpful

When I first watched this mini-series, it was on BBC America. It was divided into 4 episodes. Each episode was an hour long. It was also in widescreen (1.85: 1). The second time I watched it, was on PBS, two weeks ago. This time it was divided into two episodes, with the first one being episodes one and two, seemlessly edited together. The same applied for the second half. This version was also in widescreen. Then the DVD came out. Now, it's been my experience with DVD's based on TV a mini-series (Merlin, Joan of Arc, The Stand) that they should be presented better then they were on television, not worse. The DVD version is not in widescreen, it is Pan-and-Scan (Although, there is no message on the case telling you that it has been edited from it's original version). Also, they didn't edit the episodes together. Instead, they put the first three on disc one and the last one on disc two with the special features (which, along with the packaging, were the only pluses). And the picture has serious artifacting problems. Here's a little note to BBC and Warner Brothers, so that they can make a version of the movie that I and other fans of the film will buy:

Put the first two episodes, seemlessly edited together, on disc one. Put the second two episodes, edited together, on disc two, along with the special features. Make it anamorphc, so that it can be watched on widescreen TV's. If you can't handle this, then maybe you should hand the job over to PBS and Artisan. They know what there doing.


You have to see it to believe it!   January 20, 2004
 14 out of 16 found this review helpful

I feel a little guilty for watching "Gormenghast." I own a copy of Mervyn Peake's epic tale but have yet to read it. The length of the novel is part of the problem; at well over 1000 pages, one does not assume the responsibility of this tome lightly. It would take me roughly a week to read it if "War and Peace" is any indication (I read that novel in about eight days). I want to read the novel at some point, but I will delight myself with the memories of this colorful adaptation from the nice folks at the BBC in the interim. English television dramas, at least the few I have seen, tend to be much better than American efforts. Apparently, British audiences want their multipart productions to have canyon deep character development and expansive storylines not easily resolved within a few hours. I couldn't agree more, as I hate most of what I see on American television (with a few exceptions). Anyway, since I did not read the book before diving into this program, I came into the whole thing with little expectation of what I would see. I should not have worried. "Gormenghast" is an amazing imaginative flight, full of lush scenery, hilarious and intriguing characters, and complex plot lines. This production clocks in at four plus hours.

Where to start? Well, Gormenghast is a sprawling city/state presided over by the Groan dynasty. The royal house of Gormenghast is an ancient, decaying line stretching back into the dim recesses of time. The city and its monarchy are so old that no one remembers what any of the rituals of rule mean anymore. The current occupant of the throne is the doddering Lord Groan, a leader weary of the endless drudgery associated with his duties. Every minute of every day requires a host of arcane rites that saps his soul. But the birth of a new heir named Titus means that the lineage will continue through the veins of a new leader. All residents of Gormenghast must prepare for the eventual transfer of power; an amusing thing indeed considering the ascension of a new Groan will mean little overall change. Even as the new heir begins the long process of grooming, an ominous threat arises within the byzantine Gormenghast, a threat that, if unchecked, could well topple the Groans forever.

This threat to the very essence of Gormenghast is the wily Steerpike, a lowly soul who begins his climb to power as a lackey in the vast kitchens of the city. Through a combination of fawning subservience and ruthless calculation, Steerpike manages to move out of the kitchens into a series of increasingly important posts. As Titus Groan grows into a man Steerpike gets closer and closer to what he perceives is his true destiny: the destruction of the Groan dynasty and the installation of himself as ruler of the city. And not a soul will stand in his way, not the elder Lord Groan, not the conniving sisters Clarice and Cora Groan, and certainly not the man who keeps track of all of Gormenghast's various rituals. It is to this post that Steerpike eventually rises, a position only a few inches away from the seat of real power. Inevitably, a showdown between Titus Groan and Steerpike will decide the very fate of this ancient city as well as pave the way for Titus Groan to make his own decisions about what he wishes to do regarding his onerous heritage.

"Gormenghast" is stunning in every sense of the word. The set pieces, the costumes, the performances, the expansive plot, and the humor all contribute mightily to this majestic piece of entertainment. I don't know what I was expecting when I popped this DVD into my player, but it definitely wasn't the images that flowed across the screen. I had always heard Peake's novel delves into some very bleak and dark places. I also heard that the book emphasizes the idea of a monarchy in decline, thereby drawing--perhaps appropriately--parallels to the English royal family. "Gormenghast" the film is not moody and dark but rather a brightly lit, almost garish collection of odd buildings and just as odd characters. Moreover, the movie stresses class struggle between the thousands of employees toiling away in the city and the strange family that rules them, with Steerpike often speaking in language reminiscent of a Marxist rabble-rouser.

The best element of the movie isn't the issue of class or the lurid scenery; it is the warped characters and the actors who breathe life into them. Jonathan Rhys-Meyers turns the scheming Steerpike into one of cinema's great villains. You learn to loathe his character and cannot wait to see him get his comeuppance. Celia Imrie and Ian Richardson do wonderful turns as Lord and Lady Groan, Neve McIntosh marvels as the lovelorn Lady Fuschia, and Christopher Lee turns up in the crucial role of Flay, one of the household servants who sees Steerpike for what he is but can initially do little to stop him. My personal favorites, however, were John Sessions as the hilarious Dr. Prunesquallor, Fiona Shaw as his excitable wife Irma, and Stephen Fry as the absentminded Professor Bellgrove. I might as well just paste the entire cast list here, write "excellent" beside it, and leave it at that. Everyone here is that good. How does the BBC manage to put together such amazing casts? I may feel guilty about not reading the novel before watching the movie, but I think I will get over that sensation quite nicely!