Given the popularity of PBS's Downton Abbey, filmmaker Louise Wardle's companion documentary—part behind-the-scenes, part behind-the-behavior—is likely to be quite popular. Historian Alastair “The Oracle” Bruce, the hit U.K. show's advisor on anthropological detail in the Edwardian era, here explains the etiquette that accompanies the dramatics—everything from how servants employed precise measurements for dinner-table place settings, to the intriguing notion that the aristocracy's seemingly carefree lives of luxury and opulence were actually for many a “duty" they were required to fulfill. Some scenes—such as a polite, low-key exchange between butler John Bates (Brendan Coyle) and Earl of Grantham Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville), in which much of utmost importance is said in absolute silence—owe as much to the superb acting as to the formal style in which the different classes communicated. Other Downton stars interviewed, mostly out of costume, include Laura Carmichael, Ed Speleers, Elizabeth McGovern, Tom Cullen, Joanne Froggatt, Sophie McShera, and Michelle Dockery. DVD extras include a featurette on the creation of a period-proper party dress. Recommended. Aud: P. (C. Cassady)
The Manners of Downton Abbey
(2015) 52 min. DVD: $24.99 ($49.99 w/PPR), Blu-ray: $29.99 ($49.99 w/PPR). PBS Video (avail. from most distributors). SDH captioned. ISBN: 978-1-62789-197-4 (dvd), 978-1-62789-198-1 (blu-ray). Volume 30, Issue 2
The Manners of Downton Abbey
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