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BBC
PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
Not part of a collection.
A time without pity. A society without mercy. A love without equal.
In late 19th-century England, Jude aspires to be an academic, but is hobbled by his blue-collar background. Instead, he works as a stonemason and is trapped in an unloving marriage to a farmer's daughter named Arabella. But when his wife leaves him, Jude sees an opportunity to improve himself. He moves to the city and begins an affair with his married cousin, Sue, courting tragedy every step of the way.
CinemaSerf
Nov 10, 2024 · via TMDB
Set amidst a very much class-ridden Britain, the eponymous aspiring stone mason (Christopher Eccleston) has settled down to marriage with "Arabella" (Rachel Griffiths) but dreams of escaping his life of physical labours and entering university. That opportunity might just come his way when she leaves him and he heads to the town where his cousins "Sue" (Kate Winslet) lives. She's a bit of a firebrand and despite their relationship they begin, well, a relationship. He isn't entirely honest with her, though, and when she discovers that he is still married, albeit estranged, she reacts in a fashion that can only hurt them both. To add to their woes, society still takes a very dim view of the unmarried and even when they try to reconcile, any attempt at happiness seems constantly under threat as they struggle to find somewhere to live and look after three young children. These struggles are as nothing though when a ghastly tragedy strikes and the pair are torn asunder with their relationship stripped to the bone and from which recovery might never be possible, however strong their love. Can anything be salvaged from this ghastly scenario? I am afraid that I've always found Eccleston to be an underwhelming performer, and here he isn't really any different. Winslet does better though, managing to convey some of the spirit of a young woman still swimming against a societal tide, but doing so with a practical stoicism that illustrates many of the issues faced by mothers who wanted to do more at the time than tend home and hearth. June Whitfield makes a few amiable contributions as the rather sagely aunt and Liam Cunningham lends extra authenticity to the story but it rather meanders too much at times for me. It looks good, attention to the detail of the period and locations has been paid, but I found the Thomas Hardy story just a little contrived to prod the parochial, attitudinal, bear.
tmdb76622195
Sep 29, 2023 · via TMDB
Well over one hundred years ago, Thomas Hardy experienced critical backlash against his novel "Jude the Obscure" and never wrote another novel. This film version is also controversial, but definitely worth a look. This stars Christopher Eccleston in the title role as a stonemason who yearns for higher learning and a better life. Eccleston's portrayal of Jude is excellent in that he is no Hollywood pretty boy. His ears are too big and his face sallow, but his expressions and gaunt look help his performance immensely, especially in the latter half of the film. Too bad the audience is left in the dark about what exactly makes his character tick. Jude's cousin, Sue, is played by Kate Winslet. She brings a professionalism to her role that almost overshadows Eccleston. Every nuance of her work here does not seem calculated, but very natural. Jude's wife, Arabella, who leaves him, but keeps popping back into his life over and over again, is played by Rachel Griffiths. Her character is a major flaw in the film. Gothicism was fading in the time this novel was written; readers were experiencing more realistic situations in novels by the likes of Charles Dickens, or fantastic situations in novels by H.G. Wells. Arabella seems old hat in a period film. When she is introduced, the scene is full of sunshine and Utopian bliss. Throughout the film, she appears in black widow's wear, striking a contrast against gray backgrounds and the forced happiness of Jude and Sue. This role screamed for a more intense actress along the lines of Nicole Kidman or Emily Watson. Griffiths does not have the presence needed. Any other actress would have taken the part and sunk her teeth into it, but Griffiths comes across as a pitiful old maid without a thought in her head. In the beginning of the film, in her cutesy courtship with Jude, another actress may have appeared whimsical and innocent, Griffiths plays Arabella like a moron. The director is well known in British and art house circles. His direction is expert, and different from other adaptations of long English novels. Winterbottom uses filmed captions to let the viewer know where Jude's travels take him. The film opens during Jude's childhood, and Winterbottom shoots the entire sequence in black and white, evoking antiquated romantic memories. The screenwriter, Hossein Amini, and Winterbottom load the film with too much sex, after a while it almost overshadows the plot and characters. The musical score and set design are marvelous and I would highly recommend this film to others, but maybe not as a study aid for Thomas Hardy-reading high school students. "Jude" has plenty of raw emotion, including the stinging fate of Sue and Jude's children, but Jude's character remains, pardon the pun, obscure. There is something great here, despite the flaws.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
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Fandango At Home
Kate Winslet
Sue Bridehead
Christopher Eccleston
Jude Fawley
Liam Cunningham
Phillotson
Rachel Griffiths
Arabella
June Whitfield
Aunt Drusilla
James Nesbitt
Uncle Joe
Paul Bown
Uncle Jim
Berwick Kaler
Farmer Troutham
Paul Copley
Mr. Willis
Ken Jones
Mr Biles
Emma Turner
Sarah
Caitlin Bossley
Anny
Mark Lambert
Tinker Taylor
Vernon Dobtcheff
Curator
Roger Ashton-Griffiths
Auctioneer
David Tennant
Drunk Undergraduate
Freda Dowie
Elderly Landlady
Amanda Ryan
Gypsy Saleswoman
Darren Tighe
Punter
Dexter Fletcher
Priest
Adrian Bower
Blacksmith
Kerry Shale
Showman
Moray Hunter
Politician
Lorraine Hilton
Shopkeeper
Judy Farr
Set Decoration
Andy Nicholson
Standby Art Director
Eduardo Serra
Director of Photography
Michael Winterbottom
Director
Simone Pereira Hind
Casting
Andrew Eaton
Producer
Adrian Johnston
Original Music Composer
Thomas Hardy
Novel
Hossein Amini
Writer
Emekli Başkan
Pavlínka
The Shawshank Redemption
The Godfather
The Godfather Part II
Nylon Moon
Forrest Gump
Once Upon a Time in America
The Silence of the Lambs
Apocalypse Now
Paths of Glory
Heartbreak Motel
Metropolis
Das Boot
The Wages of Fear
A Prayer for Katerina Horovitzova
Za ranních červánků
Blade Runner
Annaluise & Anton
Freedom Writers
The Great Escape
Rebecca
The Miracle Worker
Rosemary's Baby
Anatomy of a Murder
Stand by Me
Pather Panchali
Mystic River
The Leopard
The Hustler
Fried Green Tomatoes
Black Cat, White Cat
Moulin Rouge!
The Name of the Rose
Eyes Wide Shut
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
The Devil Wears Prada
Bridge to Terabithia
The Blue Angel
Lolita
The Piano Teacher
2046
Closely Watched Trains
Dangerous Liaisons
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Shoot the Piano Player
The Outsiders
Straw Dogs
The Getaway
Fahrenheit 451
Desert Hearts
Grave Decisions
Romance Doll
An Autumn Romance
The Cider House Rules
Broken
Mean Streets
Ronia: The Robber's Daughter
Chocolat
In My Father's Den
The Dimension Travelers
My Hometown
Poslední ples na rožnovské plovárně
Capote
Children of a Lesser God
Velvet Goldmine
The Story of Adèle H.
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Allonsanfan
Oliver Twist
Sleep Sweet, My Darling
Bonjour Tristesse
Absolute Power
Karen Kingsbury's Maggie's Christmas Miracle
Radioactive
You're Killing Me Susana
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2
To End All Wars
So Evil My Love
Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom
From Time to Time
Mudhoney!
Oliver Twist
The Rules of Attraction
The Elementary Particles
A Tale of Two Cities
Silvery Wind
The Door in the Floor
A Gift to Remember
People in the Summer Night
Das Spinnennetz
The Last Song You Left Behind
Age of Consent
Tom Jones
All the King's Men
Virginity
Audrey Rose
Animal Farm
So Cold the River
Tell Me No Secrets
The Passion of Ayn Rand
Rekindling Christmas
Na startu je delfín
A Round Trip to Love 2
Madame and Her Niece
Sister's Keeper
Rosenbaum - Bländverk
Rosenbaum - Målbrott
The Arsonist’s Daughter
Once On This Island
The Invisible Life of Addie Larue
A Poem in Love
Porto Rico
Untitled Bertrand Russell Biopic
Gabriel's Inferno: Part II
Pride & Prejudice
Braveheart
Me Before You
The Bridges of Madison County
Maurice
In Cold Blood
My Policeman
Tell It to the Bees
My Fault: London
The Great Gatsby
Phantom Thread
Safe Haven
Tess
Far from the Madding Crowd
Howards End
The Duchess
Room at the Top
Jane Eyre
Untamed Heart
Love Story
The Go-Between
Nobody Has to Know
Lady Chatterley's Lover
Fifty Shades Freed
Mansfield Park
The Map That Leads to You
“Wuthering Heights”
Cracks
Women in Love
Lady Macbeth
Wuthering Heights
Lady Chatterley's Lover
Not Easily Broken
Inventing the Abbotts
Angels and Insects
The Scarlet Letter
Anna Karenina
Nine Lives
Blind
On Chesil Beach
Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between
Harvest
Maria's Lovers
Wuthering Heights
I Walk the Line
The Object of My Affection
Deep Water
Oct 18, 1996
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Stripper Wives
1999
Sally's Beauty Spot
1990
Sign in to vote
Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Halloween
1978 · 13 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Halloween II
1981 · 11 wins
Trivia
Leaderboard →Playing as a guest — sign in to save your score and rank on the leaderboard.
Movie Trivia
Guess the movie from a clue — tagline, plot, cast and more. Pick from four posters.
What movie experience do you prefer?
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