Persuasion (1971) Movie Review

Here are my thoughts on this miniseries adaptation of Persuasion that stars Ann Firbank and Bryan Marshall. This discussion includes some spoilers. Enjoy!
The film, part 1: • Persuasion 1971 Minise...
The film, part 2: • Persuasion 1971 Minise...
Related reviews:
1995 version: • My Thoughts on Persuas...
2007 version: • Persuasion (2007) Movi...
short review of the book I did a million years ago: • Austen 4-in-1: Persuas...
Jane Austen review playlist: • Jane Austen Reviews
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[@timheaney7408]

3:05 - "...almost Hammer Horror style hairdo" Ha! Nice!

[@simongeoghegan9842]

It's nice seeing someone appreciate the older BBC adaptations of classic novels they were more like stage plays back then.Thanks👍💓🇬🇧

[@markbrooks6979]

Thanks for a thoughtful and detailed review! I have tended to avoid this version, but it is nice to know that it is faithful to the book.

[@itsmonday7450]

I have the BBC Jane Austin set of all the 70s and 80s miniseries. I haven't watched this one yet, but watching several in close succession does give the BBC style a coziness of its own.

[@laurum1318]

I Have the DVD and watched it in YT 1,000 times 😍

[@alandhopewell]

Good Morning, Sister Jerome! It's 0223 on Sunday, and your enthusiasm is the perfect stimulant for the moment. I need to catch up with some of these, if only because I, given my tendencies, would spend much of my viewing time on monster movies and shoot 'em ups. You used the word "kerfuffle" in your review, which made me smile, as I had to explain the word to my (adult) Sunday School class last week. Have a blessed Sunday!

[@Weiselberry]

Oh, "kerfuffle" is a great word! Hopefully your students will start using it themselves. :)

[@sageantone7291]

This was probably my favourite adaptation, next to the 1995 movie.

[@josephmayo3253]

Excellent review JW. Persuasion is my favorite Austen novel, and I enjoy this quite a bit.. It's one of the best of that era of BBC adaptations. If you thought Louisa was over exuberant, just wait until you watch the 1971 S&S. That Marianne has me annoyed before we see Fanny for the first time. But it is worth it for an excellent Elinor, and a fun casting choice for Mrs. Jennings, especially if you watched a lot of PBS in the 1990s.

[@danielrobinson7350]

Marianne and Elinor in that version seem to be in different adaptations at the same time.

[@pcjs]

Haha, I think I have some wrapping paper that looks like that plaid green costume, too -- ghastly! I don't have much experience with Jane Austen's works, but this deep dive has me intrigued. Thanks.

[@RobertAshby-x9j]

I'm sorry that my first comment is a correction, when I've found so much pleasure from your reviews for several years: Ignore the DVD packaging - this was not a BBC production and was never broadcast on the BBC. It was made by Granada TV, the holder of the NW England franchise on ITV from the mid-50s, that later made the much-lauded, all film productions of Brideshead Revisited and The Jewel in the Crown in 1981 and 1984, respectively. Back in the early 1970s, the BBC had 2 slots for classic adaptations, running about 30 weeks a year. On BBC1, there were early Sunday evening broadcasts for a family audience, eg., The Last of the Mohicans, Ivanhoe, The Black Tulip, Cranford, etc. On BBC2, there were Henry James, Hardy, Balzac and Tolstoy, etc. Granada didn't have that tradition, so that may explain some of the costume discrepancies. Otherwise, yet another delightful review!

[@viviennehayes2856]

Thank you for your thoughts etc. I liked it very much. The main thing that irked me was when Elizabeth was, at the beginning, lying back in her chair eating chocolates (I think) - it seemed to me that a lady of that day would do no such thing. However, I could be mistaken.

[@flowermeerkat6827]

I’m glad you are reviewing this version. The 1995 is my favorite and this is my second favorite. I really love Anne Firbank as Anne.

[@Adam_Le-Roi_Davis.]

This was a good review, I agree with you about the costuming, wigs, etc. I quite like this version, I much prefer adaptations when they stick closer to what the author had in mind, I know that furtive glances can convey a lot to the viewer and make any concealed passion more obvious, but due to the period that this was set this type of behaviour wouldn't be acceptable in mixed company only when people were alone so, I don't mind that it's lacking in this version.

[@Weiselberry]

Good point!

[@smelisi]

I do like this adaptation -- in fact, I have the DVD, which your video here reminded me of, so I need to dig it out. I have such nostalgia for the look this period of BBC productions -- video in studio, film on location -- as I grew up on it with Doctor Who, Upstairs Downstairs, Masterpiece Theater, etc.

[@alandhopewell]

I love the Delft owl on your shelf.

[@tonydeluna8095]

Hello Jerome, sorry for coming in later as I just got back from a family vacation! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

[@spencerbookman2523]

After watching part 1, it strikes me that this Anne is less put upon and less willing to suffer indignity, while still being pleasant, than in the two other adaptations discussed. She's quite wry. From what I know of the Netflix adaptation, I can almost imagine it taking some inspiration from this version. So far, it seems well written and acted. It flows along pretty well, and I didn't take much notice of the things that were rearranged or deleted. I think I disagree a bit with the point made about Capt. Wentworth not attending. Whenever he addresses Anne directly, It's very obvious (at least to me, if no one else) that he's paying her special attention.

[@winterburden]

Thanks for this neat movie review!

[@nadinaventura]

Hello, Jerome! I as a self proclaimed Austen purist, am offended :P just joking. I did enjoy this version of Persuasion when I watched it, but I certainly prefer either 95 or 07 to it, and both more or less to the same degree, which is heresy to some other austenites XD of the 70s-80s BBC austens, I'm only a diehard for P&P 80 and S&S 81 -and that one mostly because Robert Swann is the only time that Brandon has been done RIGHT in adaptation, IMO (thinking that he was born the same year as Alan Rickman drives home how much other adaptations age Brandon in casting). And also because I have a mock-conspiracy theory about Mrs. Dashwood having a romance story in the background with Tom the gardener (a character that for some reason got an extended role and more speaking lines than others); it is the kind of thing that makes these adaptations endearing, I think. MP 83 is good, and of course it measures against two adaptations that fall short in completely different ways, but I think it manages to make Fanny, Edmund, Henry, and Mary all sympathetic, which is not an easy task by any means. The rest... as I said, Persuasion was okay. S&S 71 benefits from having Joanna David as Elinor, and I do giggle at a scene where they were trying their hardest to make Edward "attractive", so he is in his lodgings with his shirt unbuttoned and his hair ruffled and XD but otherwise it's a pass for me. And Emma 1972... nothing could make me endure that one again. Not even to witness again the baffling decision of having Mrs. Elton try to seduce Mr. Knightley. Back to Persuasion... Yes, this Wentworth isn't particularly handsome, but after the extreme airbrushing of these days, I tend to find this kind of thing refreshing (?) people that look like people I'd see in the street (?) the people making the DVD cover you used on the thumbnail disagreed, as they put Robert Swann's Brandon in it for some reason XD I also felt that Benwick was given more dignity in his grief, which was a fair choice. Oh, Anne's radioactive green dress of horrors! It's mesmerizing XD There's a set of men coats in a very striking shade of green that makes the rounds on all these 70s-80s adaptations, and it makes me think of Mrs. Norris saving the green baize from the curtains. She never used it, and it got passed down until a poor costume designer at the BBC found it in a dire hour of need, like a lesser and more comical king Arthur.

[@Weiselberry]

Haha, some years ago I probably would have put myself in that hardcore Jane Austen fan category, but humbling encounters with the real McCoy have set me straight on that score. :D I do believe where Persuasion is concerned, the 1995 version (which is my favorite) is preferred by the purists. Or at least the majority of them. I wondered who that guy was they stuck on the DVD cover! I made an alternate thumbnail with the image from the VHS, but since this one came out looking a better, I went with it. Such a bizarre choice, though. Did they think no one would notice that the man featured on the box wasn't in the movie?? I've already been looking forward to checking out the other miniseries, and you're whetting my appetite! I keep delaying all Mansfield Park and Sense and Sensibility reviews until after I reread the books. (They're the only Austen novels I've read just once.) I've heard good things about the Mansfield Park one, but the bar is pretty low... Hopefully I can get to them sooner than later!

[@martinlguzman7711]

I'm not a harsh critic of Auston adaptations I usually find something to enjoy from (almost) l\all of them but this is not among my favorites : )

[@yyyfffff33333]

You should go on holiday to Lime Regis and take a walk along the Cob .

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

Great review, JW...👍

[@kathleencraine7335]

Which is the production with a scene from Austen's original ending, where Wentworth asks Anne whether the Crofts will soon need to leave Kellynch because of the rumors about Anne & William? I have a hard time getting past Anne's hair, but otherwise this is a faithful adaptation. Not one to adore, but well worth watching. I do agree about the Lyme Regis jump scene, though--needed better directing or at least editing to give it action. Never say it's your last review--what if a new fantastic adaptation shows up in your lifetime?😊

[@bartolomeuomacduibheamhnad6855]

Happy Sunday :) I had previously seen the last episode of this series and maybe the last ten minutes of the penultimate episode while it aired again a few years ago and watched it in its entirety on Friday and Saturday night, I do like it but prefer the later adaptations ( Except the 2022 film :0 ) 1995 is probably my favourite but also like so much of the 2007 adaptation too, I did really find myself enjoying the slow build to the story in this version and it was nice to see more elements and conversations from the book added, i particularly liked the walk with Anne and Wentworth after Anne had read the letter, seeing her feel so at ease in his company, arm in arm after their awkwardly distant previous interactions was sweet, Anne always looked slightly uncomfortable to me, even in her own home but she came across like she’d happily fallen into her favourite comfy chair and was free to finally express her feelings without fear of hurt while walking with him, I imagine it as the kind of walk where nothing exists any longer except the person you’re with and time goes by in a dash and even tiredness fails to interrupt, I thought it was romantic in its simplicity but still don’t know if it’s my favourite conclusion over the 95 and 2007, the street festival from 95 was odd but I’m okay with it and the run from 2007 was a tad rom-com repetitive but again I was okay with it, I guess it’d be difficult for me to outright hate one of these adaptations ( Except the 2022 version:0 lol )hate is probably a strong word as I try not to hate anything or anyone. I did chuckle whenever Sir. Walter’s mirrors were referenced, I’m sure a certain Count from Transylvania would be very relieved he didn’t meet Anne before Mina because his secret would’ve been discovered two minutes after entering their residence, “ Listen to them children of th……wait! what’s with all the mirrors? “ There’s one, two, three, four, the count from Sesame street popped into my head. I also really enjoyed the face cream scene between Anne and Sir. Walter, his insistence was very funny and I found myself contemplating what on earth could be in that 1814 face cream? Sir. Walter : my dear Anne I highly recommend this cream as it is full of the finest lead and asbestos on the market. Sir. Walter must be a fun character to play, the characters Sir. Walter and Mary Musgrove are a LOT and can be irritating but there’s also fun in seeing the actors portray them. The jump!! :D the Louisa jump was so strangely filmed and edited, I laughed! it was like everyone was playing musical chairs and Louisa missed the chair and fell while everyone else froze in place or she was the victim of a crime and everyone was fearful of moving should Inspector Poirot suspect them. You made some interesting observations about the costumes appearing in many scenes and wonder was there apprehension from production in regards to how they were used, could they have been told there’s no replacement so don’t rush to Louisa, in fact don’t go to Louisa slowly, actually just stand there like statues lol, the set up was very odd, the camera angles were peculiar and it looked like the actors hadn’t rehearsed the scene, I’m picturing the cast and a small crew sitting in a van while someone watches for the tourists to pass and then he tells the unit director who screams “ places everyone we’ve gotta get this in one take!” lol. I thought most of the interior scenes were strangely lit too, there was some candelabras aflame but the light was so bright it reflected off the actors hair and thought it was coming from behind the camera and above the actors, it gave the impression of a TV production or a brightly lit classroom and not a warmly lit home to me and felt the exterior shots looked better because they had a reality to them in comparison, extremely windy but better. The interiors were well decorated though. Wentworth being kind to Mrs. Musgrove as she spoke of her son was a nice addition and Mr. Croft attempting to prove he was the greatest tenant in the land by stating the improvements he’d made was entertaining, it was also nice to have more interactions between Anne and Mrs. Smith. I laughed out loud when you compared the hair to a Hammer production, you’re right! lol. I was curious about Ann Firbank so checked her IMDB and discovered that Anne Elliot was her biggest role but she’s been consistently busy, her first part was in the 1950s and she’s had a film or tv part almost every year since then, she was in Star Wars : The Rise of Skywalker, she was the woman at the end who asks “Rey who? :0 Reys answer causing controversy lol, funnily enough Ann Firbank was also in an episode of Poirot :) Guess i found Ann Firbanks as Anne interesting enough to look up her other roles but don’t believe I’d put her above Amanda Root or Sally Hawkins, although i liked the walk between Anne and Wentworth i did feel Root/Hinds and Hawkins/Penry-Jones had more chemistry even in silence. Wonderful review as always. :) ~ Thank you Ms Weiselberry ~

[@the_bookish_took5348]

Yay! I really enjoyed your thoughts on this adaptation and for the reminder that I need to revisit it! 1995 is still my go to adaptation but I really enjoyed this one more than the other two. 2007 has its merits but it was too odd with the running debacle and that kiss and though this older one has flaws as well (the whole thing with Charles felt off due to how detailed they went with following the rest of the book and if I recall rightly they changed some of the wording in the letter, just a little bit) I prefer it over the two newest. I remember I was so excited about the couch scene where Mrs. Musgrove sits between them! Still haven't brought myself to watch the new one in full but I've heard people talk about it which is enough.

[@Weiselberry]

I agree, hearing people talk about the newest one has been more than enough for me. I'll pass, thanks. :) Yes, that was a cute moment when they're on the (little) sofa together and they briefly make eye contact over Mrs. Musgrove. I could have used a little more of that kind of thing, but I won't take it for granted!

[@DanKyrke]

Your review persuaded me to check it out someday.

[@FishstickUSA]

I watched this version this week. Ann Firbank was very good as Anne Elliot despite or due to her age. I agree with your details, many of which made me say, “Oh yes, that’s right.” My biggest dislike is Louisa. Her shrill had me reaching for the remote. Every time she giggled and wanted to jump, I wanted to push her. Sorry Mama Weiselberry was not swooned.

[@HardscrabbleBlake1968]

Have you ever reviewed A Man For All Seasons? I just rewatched it for the umpteenth time, it's a great movie.

[@Weiselberry]

Yes, I have! I talked about it in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6rOk3tmp5ujqsk

[@HardscrabbleBlake1968]

@@Weiselberry Thanks, but I have to respectfully disagree about it being occasionally witty - it's frequently witty.

[@rosezingleman5007]

I really am a hardcore Jane Austen fan and have bailed out of this adaptation a couple of times. Maybe I’ll give it a longer chance once again. After all, if Anne and Wentworth can eventually get together, maybe I can find something to like about this after all.

[@SurferJoe1]

The "Hammer Horror" comment is just killing me.

[@DianaW3431]

Out of the older BBC adaptations, this may be my least favorite. I have a hard time getting past the terrible costumes and wigs. I much prefer the 1995 Persuasion. I agree with you that it's nice to see some of the scenes from the book that aren't in later movie versions.

[@NobuhikuObayashi]

❤

[@LiamMichael-zr1uz]

This adaptation of Persuasion has the feel of a stage play which I kind of like. However I thought it was rather bland and plodding. This is the fourth Persuasion adaptation I’ve seen thanks to your reviews. The 2007 adaptation is still my favorite. I even like the running scene in that version despite some people (ahem!) feeling otherwise. :)

[@Weiselberry]

And you've watched them all within a pretty short span of time too! You've definitely entered into the spirit of the thing. :D By the way, KZbin recommended this fun little blooper from that scene! kzbin.info/www/bejne/imG2lmyniL92a8ksi=ItdRZs-82c_oDulv

[@LiamMichael-zr1uz]

@@Weiselberry Thanks! I enjoyed that!

[@glennsmusic]

My first time watching this one. It was most enjoyable with a few additional thoughts. My first impression was I'm watching a stage play. The camera is rather static and the actors are projecting as if in a theater. And then it occurred to me that this is how it was done in the 70s. I remember watching a number of English productions such as I Claudius with a similar approach. Is this perhaps the inevitable result of their penchant for Shakespeare? Some scenes seem to go on a little too long. eg. The long walk in the countryside. I can only assume there is some interesting text in the book that doesn't translate to the screen. The stair jump thing was weird, as you pointed out. I thought I must have nodded off for a second, there seemed to be about 20 seconds of action missing and then they're all standing around as if waiting for "action!" from the director. I'm not qualified to comment on the costumes but I did notice something I think I'm not supposed to notice which is the ladies are clearly not adhering to the day's fashion for multiple layers of garments. (I'm trying to keep it polite :-| ) Or maybe I'm thinking of period dramas from earlier times?

[@Weiselberry]

Yes, these productions are generally very stagey, even in the exterior shots. It's like that for older adaptations of Shakespeare, Dickens, Brontë, and so on... I find it off-putting every single time, but then I always get used to it, ha. Someone else could probably explain why they were made this way, if it had to do with budget or was just an artistic choice... Re: the walk in the country, I also noticed that it seemed to go on a long time, and it didn't emphasize what I consider to be the main idea of the scene: they're traipsing all this way and poor Anne, who doesn't have anyone to lean on, is getting exhausted. Wentworth perceives this, so when the Crofts show up in their... curricle?, he insists Anne be the one to join them and ride back. Unfortunately, his action seems downplayed here. Unlike in other versions, we haven't really seen him notice her fatigue, she hasn't gotten bedraggled (or fallen), and when the Crofts first pull up, he's not even paying attention! He's in the back helping Louisa jump over another turnstile. And through the whole thing, we have one static shot, so when he draws Anne forward, you've got to squint to see it. So by keeping the walk long but NOT drawing our attention to these little details, it becomes a scene that drags with no clear purpose. Re: the ladies' costumes and layers (or lack thereof), haha, well... It's Regency fashion? I'm not actually qualified to talk about costumes either, but it's my understanding that ladies didn't wear nearly as many layers in that era as they did in previous or subsequent periods. The empire waist creates a loose, slim silhouette and sometimes the textiles are pretty light, so, yeah, some gowns can leave less to the imagination than you might expect. But I can't say I noticed anything scandalous here. :D

[@glennsmusic]

@@Weiselberry My inference re the curricle is that Wentworth wanted to get her out of the way, so I guess the whole point of that entire scene is lost. Nothing scandalous per se but I think a lad of the day would definitely approve ... :D

[@oaktreeman4369]

@glennsmusic Yes, I agree, I've always found that mini-series made in that period are always too word-bound. By that, I mean that they are too reliant on the dialogue to keep the story going. A scene of posh people talking is followed by another scene of posh people talking... and so it goes. Yawn. Hitchcock used to say that if you can watch a movie with the sound on mute the whole way, and still follow the story, that's good direction. Okay, Hitchcock didn't do Austen adaptations, but it's a great point.

[@gillianstapleton7741]

It's partly budget, partly the convention of the time and partly the recording medium. The BBC output of classic series at this time was enormous, and they were usually screened on Sunday evenings in prime slots (as I recall it from my childhood and teens). Because the shooting schedules were tight, they were filmed as studio 'plays' with few outside shots. I also recall reading that they were shot on video tape rather than film stock, giving them a markedly different quality to what we see now. That said - I do love them. Every adaptation has its good and bad points. This one, as you say, takes its time, but one of the highlights is Ann Firbank's lovely, calm and sincere performance.

[@LarryFleetwood8675]

@@gillianstapleton7741 Yes, most UK TV productions in the '70s were shot on videotape which gives them this sense of immediacy like you're (there) watching it live, outdoor scenes would usually be 16mm film, a crass yet interesting contrast but being inside is of course different to being outside, so after all it kind of works. America used videotape too but mainly for soaps and sitcoms, some adult drama too like Dark Shadows. I like videotape myself a lot it adds realism and atmosphere, it doesn't have the distance that film does I think it works quite well especially for horror and suspense of which there were plenty of great ones back then. Such things as Thriller (the Brian Clemens show not the Karloff show), Shadows of Fear, Dead of Night, etc. I have some of those anthology series up on my YT account's playlist. Sadly, due to cost of tape back then they erased quite often which means there's a ton of stuff missing today - yet for some reason most costume dramas like Persuation still exist, probably because they were a bit more expensive and rank as timeless so they were kept while more comtemporary drama didn't survive. As for (sometimes wobbly) sets, BBC may be more famous but a company like ATV had much more elaborate productions as evident in things like Thriller. Three other famous BBC drama series I'd recommend are, for costume drama The Duchess of Duke Street (1976-77), Poldark (1975-77) and for contemporary drama Survivors (1975-77).

[@earthcreature5824]

"Persuasion 2022. It exists." Jerome Weiselberry Your thoughts on 1971 are more expansive. The deliberate pacing and elongated length will not appeal to everyone.But on the plus side this helps to capture the slower pace of life of the Regency era.Where a simple walk in nature is a big deal and if you want to send a message afar, you must rely on the speed of your steed.LOUISA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You once stated that Jane Austen did not write romance novels.This version helps to illustrate your point in that much time is spent with characters chatting about the people they know.The romance between Anne and the Captain only comes to the forefront late in the game. That you could reach half way across the world and encourage me to watch a nearly 4 hour,53 year old television program,shows that you yourself have certain powers of Persuasion.Would you not agree,Lady Weiselberry. Thank you.

[@Weiselberry]

Speed of your steed, indeed! :D Yes, that's a good point about this version demonstrating how quiet and sedate life often was from day to day. People mostly sit around talking, a walk is a major activity, and an impromptu trip to the sea is a huge deal. Times were simpler and, in many ways (at least from our nostalgic perspective), better. Also, you're right, in this version more than any other the romance between the leads seems to be of less importance until the end. I'm glad you took a chance and watched this one!

[@earthcreature5824]

@@Weiselberry Yes.When Anne's father tells her to stop reading because it will hurt her eyes, I thought he would then tell her to listen to an audiobook.Of course the Regency version of an audiobook is someone sitting in a room reading a book to you live. Your mention of Hammer hair made me think.Hammer released about 7 horror flicks in 1971. Stuff like Twins of Evil,Vampire Circus etc.They had better costumes than Granada.But then they were better photographed. Thank you for your considered reply.I always enjoy watching the shows that you highlight.

[@mikesilva3868]

😊great

[@wmbriggz]

Reinforcing my decision never to read/ watch any version of this story….

[@Weiselberry]

That's a pity.

[@wmbriggz]

@@Weiselberry 😇😇😇