Lorna Doone (2001)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Written by Adrian Hodges, based on the novel by R.D. Blackmore
Directed by Mike Barker
Cinematography by Chris Seager
Fight Choreography by Andreas Petrides
Starring Richard Coyle, Amelia Warner, Aidan Gillen, Anthony Calf, Anton Lesser, Martin Clunes, Barbara Flynn, Peter Vaughn, and Helen Coker

Rating: NR, suggested for audiences 13+

Anamorphic: N/A; appears in its original 1.33:1 format

My Advice: Buy it.

As a boy, John Ridd watched his father shot and murdered by the notorious outlaw family, the Doones. A group of fallen nobles, the Doones take out their bitterness on the countryside, thieving and killing as they please. When Ridd grows up, he falls in love with the lovely Lorna before he realizes that she is herself a Doone, promised to the evil Carver Doone, a petty despot who will kill her if he cannot have her. The background of this film is the Monmouth rebellion, a wonderful time in English history for treachery, loyalty, and learning to choose sides.

The acting is better that you might expect if you saw this film only as a romance. Richard Coyle as John Ridd is wonderfully romantic, but also honorable and clever, everything a real hero should be, all while being essentially human and imperfect. Warner could make Lorna simpering and silly, but she isn’t. Instead, we understand why Ridd loves her so. Aidan Gillen as the wicked Carver Doone is a bit wooden in places, but his character almost calls for that. Carver is nothing more than a greedy tyrant with no soul, and Gillen plays that to the hilt, but almost at times makes him sympathetic in a pathetic sort of way. Anthony Calf makes the highwayman Faggus enchanting and wise, while Lesser as Counsellor Doone is wise and deceptively reasonable and Vaughn is just frightening and sad as the fallen noble Sir Ensor Doone.

Surprise roles include Trevor Peacock, the hysterical Jim Trott from The Vicar of Dibley, as a parson. We also get to see another English comedian in a serious role; this time, it’s Martin Clunes from the very funny Men Behaving Badly as a captain the army and guide of sorts for John Ridd. Even the minor characters are interesting, and viewers are left wanting to know more about the people they don’t get to see enough of, such as the Ridd sisters, Ruth Huckaback, and Judge Jeffreys.

The cinematography of this film is also quite beautifully done. The director of photography knows how to show off the gorgeous northern English/Devonshire landscape without sacrificing the characters or other settings. The verdant green pervades everything, while the inside shots are suitably dark and smoky. The costuming is also very interesting, a fine pageant of English rural life in the late 17th Century, with even the hair being creative, lovely, and realistic, lending real vibrancy to the production The fight choreography also deserves a special nod, as the fight scenes were breathtaking, dramatic, and simply clearly done.

The only real disappointment is the lack of special features. A movie this lush and lavish, especially given that it is a BBC production, deserves something to go with it, such as a making-of featurette, a tour of today’s Devonshire, some liner notes about the Monmouth Rebellion, or even just a timeline of English history. It would be truly nice if the DVD could come packaged with a copy of the book, especially as this is a great story that has not been out of print since it was published in 1869--and there is only one critical edition currently in print. Other suggested features could include actor filmographies, deleted scenes, interviews with the costume designer...anything.

All in all, Lorna Doone is a great choice for mixed households--there’s something here for everyone, including romance, action, history, drama, film craft, and just plain fine storytelling. If you are a fan of movies such as Braveheart, Rob Roy, or other historical dramas with the feel of folktales, then you will love this. A study of villainy and heroism, love and fear, this film has something for everybody.