Here is a list of my top three favourite period dramas based on books.
3. Atonement - Ian McEwan
James McAvoy really made his mark on this film as a potential leading actor and his performance in it is pretty incredible. Saoirse Ronan, likewise, put in a terrific performance. It's hard to believe she was just 12 years old, but not at all hard to believe that she received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress. The cast overall is terrific - you have Vanessa Redgrave, Keira Knightley (again), Romola Garai and Benedict Cumberbatch all turning in huge performances. But what makes the story resonate so much is how it's told. If you haven't seen it, I don't want to give it away, but it's probably one of the most heartbreaking endings you can see. Get the tissues ready, in other words.
2. North & South - Elizabeth Gaskell
This series operates on many levels. At the heart of the series is the tempestuous relationship between Margaret Hale, a young woman from a southern middle class family who finds herself uprooted to the north, and John Thornton, a formerly poverty-stricken cotton mill owner terrified of losing the viability of his business. Around them are class struggles between the workers and mill owners and ideological struggles between the industrial North and the agrarian South. After moving North, Margaret's father befriends his student Mr. Thornton. Margaret has already formed her opinion of Mr. Thornton independently after seeing him treat his workers harshly. As the series progresses, she and we the audience begin to learn that his strict treatment is due to an overarching concern for his mill and by extension, his employees. John Thornton, on the other hand, is attracted to Margaret's independence and position in society as a well-educated Southerner.
1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
There's a theory that you can't have a real period drama without a shot of a man's hands. And if you watch Pride & Prejudice through, you'll note that there are some weird, lingering shots of Matthew McFadyen's hands. I've no idea. Maybe people get off on hands. Either way, Pride & Prejudice is considered the best film version of the famous novel with Colin Firth's BBC-miniseries considered the best TV version. McFadyen's confined and restrained Mr. D'arcy is solid, as is Keira Knightley's Elizabeth Bennet.
