Wilkie Collins’s 1859 novel has been filmed numerous times; this five-episode 2018 BBC production directed by Carl Tibbetts is one of the best adaptations. Working from a feminist-oriented screenplay by Fiona Seres, the miniseries offers more insight into the legal and societal limitations placed on women in Victorian England. The arranged marriage between young heiress Laura Fairlie (Olivia Vinall) to the considerably senior Sir Percival Glyde (Dougray Scott) is at the core of the drama—and the prenuptial agreement with Glyde absorbing Laura’s entire inheritance in the event of her death sets up a degree of gothic uneasiness. Unlike earlier filmed versions, Laura’s half-sister Marian Halcombe (Jessie Buckley) is given a remarkably prominent and proactive role in the murder investigation that winds through the story, and she also provides a bold running commentary on the era’s blatant gender inequality. The production also dumps the traditional (and politically incorrect) depiction of the Sicilian villain Count Fosco, making him considerably younger and sexier than before (a subtle performance by Riccardo Scamarcio). A handsomely mounted miniseries with two memorable turns by the female leads, this is among the finest recent works made for British television. Highly recommended. (P. Hall)
The Woman in White
PBS, 2 discs, 270 min., not rated, DVD: $34.99 Volume 34, Issue 2
The Woman in White
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