FeatherlessBiped While this film has garnered some poor user reviews, it impresses me. The lush island scenery, the rhythms of West Indies life, and the steamy and stormy personal interactions create an atmosphere both sensual and sensuous. I think all the main actors portray Rhys's characters well: Rochester as masterful yet in over his head; Antoinette as passionate but mercurial; the servant girl Amelie as wide-eyed and irresistible; and especially the spooky Christophine as intensely self-possessed and a formidable defender of those she holds dear.On DVD, this film can be watched in its NC-17 form or one that was edited down to a softer R rating. I watched the NC-17 version and found it surprisingly tame. There is occasional female nudity (mainly by Antoinette) and a bit of male frontal nudity (by Rochester), but the sex is not strikingly graphic. Meanwhile, the only real violence affects some animals — images that will disturb some viewers but leave others unfazed.Running just 1 hour 38 minutes, the film skips over some less important parts of the plot. Still, it captures the spirit of this intricate tale of the seismic ruptures that can occur when societies or social strata collide. I can see how it would be unpopular among viewers who are unfamiliar with, or dislike, the book; as a depiction of Rhys's vision, though, I find it gratifyingly true.

Nissimo I've heard so many great things about the novel Wide Sargasso Sea and I expected this movie to at least live halfway up to its literary counterpart. Within the first ten minutes of the movie, however, the ludicrousness of the storyline reared its proverbial ugly head.First of all, the movie's treatment of Black Jamaicans reads like something out of a Jim Crow era film. They almost function like prop sets in the background and often have a sinister aura about them. Actually, they are the agents of evil in the film. It also doesn't help that the one "good" Black character engages in clichéd voodoo practices. This aspect of the film is downright nauseating.Secondly, Mr. Rochester's character is diametrically different from the Rochester of the Jane Eyre novel. Of course, the film depicts his earlier years before he develops into who he is in the novel, but give me a break! I refuse to believe that Mr. Rochester is really so stupid and bumbling at any point in his life. Thirdly, the sex scenes are positively eyeroll worthy. Deep breaths, sweat drenched skin, and tightly shut eye lids do not make a sex scene better. Geez, it was so amateur. It didn't even make me clutch my pearls.Overall, the film is terrible. From the manner in which it develops, to its treatment of the Black characters and Mr. Rochester, it's all just bad. I'm upset that I wasted my time watching it. And now I think I'm going to feel offended for the rest of the night.

austinjames 'Wide Sargasso Sea' is a film that combines a very loose film adaptation of Rhys's novel with sex scenes that are alternately hokey and hilarious (they never get it on nearly as prodigiously in the novel). That said, I *will* readily concede that the primary actors in the film did a good job. However, their abilities are wasted on a film that suffers from amateurish pacing (with the story advancing in disorienting fits and starts), inconsistent cinematographic style (occasionally stunning, sometimes questionable, such as the event early on with the parrot).Anyone looking for a faithful adaptation of the novel is frankly out of luck and anyone wanting a true background on "Jane Eyre" would do well to read the far-superior book of the same name.Cheers and good luck.

scrooge Back when this movie came out, I read reviews which said how powerful and erotic it was. I finally found the video in a bargain bin and bought it. I found the movie to be a real mismash, with many elements that weren't fully explained. The scenery was wonderful, and one or two of the characters put in good performances, but the two leads were wooden throughout. I was unable to feel empathy for either character. The much touted erotic scenes were not developed, and lacked much enthusiasm. I haven't read Jane Eyre, and maybe this movie tries to explain a few things which happen in that book, but on the whole it seemed contrived, and lacked any real passion. I was disappointed, and certainly won't be keeping my copy of the video. It's going into the trash.