Hard Times

One of Charles Dickens' strangest yet also strongest novels, Hard Times (1854) is basically a critique of heartless utilitarianism, set in the gloomy, soot-covered industrial city of Coketown. At one philosophical extreme are educator Thomas Gradgrind, who espouses purely fact-based learning, and his friend, the coarse self-made mill owner Josiah Bounderby, a resolutely practical man. At the other stands the carnival barker Mr. Sleary, who represents the emotional and creative side of humankind that will surely starve from mere pragmatism. Caught between these poles is the lovely Louisa, Gradgrind's daughter, who's married off to Bounderby but pulled toward a less constricted view of humanity due to a number of influences and events, including her attraction to the rascally Harthouse, the misdeeds of her greedy brother Tom, and the thoughtless abuse of an upright laborer named Stephen Blackpool. This four-hour 1977 British miniseries lacks the opulence of contemporary television adaptations, but the dank, tattered ambiance somehow suits Dickens' story better than a more elaborate production, and the cast—headed by Patrick Allen as Gradgrind, Timothy West as Bounderby, Edward Fox as Harthouse, and Jacqueline Tong as Louisa—is very strong. Like the book, this adaptation is heavy-handed and almost preachy at times—especially when Sleary offers his closing monologue on the importance of feelings and imagination—but it serves up an accurate reflection of the author's message and style and therefore remains a solid, compelling translation of Dickens' flawed but powerful original. DVD extras include a text bio of Dickens and cast filmographies. Recommended. (F. Swietek)