Being familiar with the life and times of Lillie Langtry, I’ve been curious to see this series for myself for several years now. My initial reaction towards the first episode was that of disappointment, this being more directed towards the inconsistant quality of the copy rather than to the slow moving plot. I often find this with ‘official’ VHS copies, most of which are average, a few are exceptionally good, with a number that are downright disappointing. When one spends the full amount to purchase a boxed set such as this, I think one should expect to view a decent quality image. Although the series set me off onto the wrong foot - so to speak - once into Episode 2, the story seemed to pick itself up and I found the rest of the film far more enjoyable. As far as historical accuracy is concerned, the production team did a pretty good job in all areas. There were of course, one or two occasions where I found myself questioning the dispositions of the characters portrayed or whether this or that really happened; but of course as one can never know exactly what occured all those years ago then artistic licence simply has to be used. One particular short scene springs to mind which had me on the edge of my seat for a few seconds was where it looked as if Judge Roy Bean (of Langtry Texas) was about to meet Lillie - something of course, that never happened in real life. Perhaps a small example of events I would have approached somewhat differently, would be the showing of the sketches by Frank Miles and the unveiling of the famous Millais painting. I personally, would have shown copies of the ‘real things’ at a respectable distance, or at an angle where nobody would have been able to spot that it was the ‘real’ Lillie rather than a copy based the actress in the series. Another small critisism was the sporadic (but noticable) mis-pronounciation of names, often made by the same character. My conclusion? A most enjoyable series set at a sensible price tag that is likely to give several evening’s enjoyable viewing. Those who appreciate period drama will of course delight in the high quality of the costumes. |
