"DANIEL DERONDA" (2002) Review
With the exception of the 1994 miniseries, "MIDDLEMARCH", I am not that familiar with any movie or television adaptations of George Eliot's works. I finally decided to overlook my earlier lack of interest in Eliot's final novel, "Daniel Deronda" and watch the television version that aired back in 2002.
This adaptation of Eliot's 1876 novel was set during the same decade of its publication, although the literary version was set a decade earlier - during the 1860s. Adapted by Andrew Davies and directed by Tom Hooper, "DANIEL DERONDA" contained two major plot arcs, united by the story's title character. In fact, Davies followed Eliot's narrative structure by starting its tale mid-way. The miniseries began in the fictional town of Leubronn, Germany with the meeting of Daniel Deronda, the ward of a wealthy landowner; and the oldest daughter of an impoverished, yet respectable family, Gwendolen Harleth. The two meet inside a casino, where Gwendolen manages to lose a good deal of money at roulette. When she learns that her family has become financially ruined, Gwendolen pawns her necklace and considers another round of gambling to make her fortune. However, Daniel, who became attracted to her, redeemed the necklace for her. The story then flashes back several months to the pair's back stories.
Following the death of her stepfather, Gwendolen and her family moves to a new neighborhood, where she meets Henleigh Mallinger Grandcourt, a taciturn and calculating man who proposes marriage safter their first meeting. Although originally tempted to be courted by Grandcourt, Gwendolen eventually flees to Germany after learning about Grandcourt's mistress, Lydia Glasher and their children. Meanwhile, Daniel is in the process of wondering what to do with his life, when he prevents a beautiful Jewish singer named Milah Lapidoth from committing suicide. Kidnapped by her father as a child and forced into an acting troupe, Milah finally fled from him when she discovered his plans to sell her into prostitution. Daniel undertakes to help Milah find her mother and brother in London's Jewish community before he departs for Germany with his guardian, Sir Hugo Mallinger. Although Daniel and Gwendolen are attracted to each other, she eventually marries the emotionally abusive Grandcourt out of desperation, and he continues his search for Milah's family and becomes further acquainted with London's Jewish community. Because Grandcourt is Sir Hugo's heir presumptive, Daniel and Gwendolen's paths cross on several occasions.
There are times when I find myself wondering if there is any true description of Eliot's tale. On one hand, it seemed to be an exploration of Jewish culture through the eyes of the Daniel Deronda character. On the other hand, it seemed like an exploration of an abusive marriage between a previously spoiled young woman who finds herself out of her depth and a cold and manipulative man. Most critics and viewers seemed more interested in the plotline regarding Gwendolen's marriage to Henleigh Grandcourt. At the same time, these same critics and viewers have criticized Eliot's exploration of Jewish culture through Daniel's eyes, judging it as dull and a millstone around the production's neck. When I first saw "DANIEL DERONDA", I had felt the same. But after this second viewing, I am not so sure if I would completely agree with them.
Do not get me wrong. I thought Andrew Davies, Tom Hopper and the cast did an excellent job of translating Gwendolen's story arc to the screen. I was especially transfixed in watching how the arrogant and spoiled found herself drawn into a marriage with a controlling and sadistic man like Henleigh Grandcourt. However by the first half of Episode Three, I found myself growing rather weary of watching Hugh Bonneville stare icily into the camera, while Romola Garai trembled before him. Only Gwendolen's pathetic attempts to rattle her husband and Grandcourt's jealousy of Daniel provided any relief from the constant mental sadism between the pair. In contrast, Daniel's interest in Milah, her Jewish ancestry and especially his confusion over his own identity struck me as surprisingly interesting. I also found the conflict between Daniel's growing interest in Judaism and his godfather's determination to mold him into an "English gentleman" also fascinating. When I first saw "DANIEL DERONDA", I thought it could have benefited from a fourth episode. Or . . . the producers could have stretched the second and third episodes to at least 75 or 90 minutes each. But you know what? Upon my second viewing, I realized I had no problems with the production's running time. Besides, I do not think I could have endured another episode of the Grandcourts' marriage.
I have to give George Eliot for creating an interesting novel about self-discovery . . . especially for the two main characters, Daniel Deronda and Gwendolen Harleth. And I want to also credit screenwriter Andrew Davies for his first-rate translation of Eliot's novel to the television screen. I would not say that Davies' work was perfect, but then neither was Eliot's novel. I have to praise both the novelist and the screenwriter for effectively conveying Daniel's confusion over his own identity and his fascination toward a new culture and how both will eventually converge as one by the end of the story. Although Gwendolen plays a part in Daniel's inner culture clash, she has her own struggles. I do not simply refer to her struggles to endure Grandcourt's emotional control over her. I also refer to Gwendolen's moral conflict - one in which she had earlier lost when she had agreed to marry Grandcourt. But a trip to Italy will eventually give her a second chance to resolve her conflict. On the other hand, I do have some quibbles about Davies' screenplay. Daniel was not the only character who had developed feelings for Milah. So did his close friend, Hans Meyrick. Unfortunately, Davies' screenplay did little to explore Hans' feelings for Milah and toward her relationship with Daniel. Speaking of Milah, I could not help but feel fascinated by her backstory regarding her relationship with her father. In many ways, it struck me as a lot more traumatic than Gwendolen's marriage to Grandcourt. A part of me wishes that Eliot had explored this part of Milah's life in her novel. Speaking of Milah, Episode Two ended on an interesting note in which she finally became aware of the emotional connection between Daniel and Gwendolen. And yet, the story never followed through on this emotional and character development. Which I feel is a damn shame.
Some fans and critics have expressed regret that Daniel ends up marrying Milah, instead of Gwendolen. After all, Eliot allowed two other characters to form a mixed marriage - the Jewish musician Herr Klesmer and one of Gwendolen's friends, Catherine Arrowpoint. Surely, she could have allowed Daniel and Gwendolen to marry. I do believe that they had a point. I feel that Daniel and Gwendolen would have made emotionally satisfying partners for each other. But if I must be honest, I can say the same about Daniel and Milah. I believe the two women represented choices in lifestyles for Daniel. Gwendolen represented the lifestyle that both Sir Hugo and Daniel's mother wanted him to pursue - namely that of an upper-class English gentleman. Milah represented a lifestyle closer to his true self. In the end, Eliot wanted Daniel to choose his "true self".
I cannot deny that the production values for "DANIEL DERONDA" struck me as outstanding. Don Taylor's production designs for the miniseries did a beautiful job in re-creating Victorian England and Europe during the 1870s. The crew who helped him bring this era to life also did exceptional jobs, especially art director Grant Montgomery and set decorator Nicola Barnes. However, there were technical aspects that truly stood out. Simon Starling's colorful and sharp photography of Great Britain and Malta (which served as Italy) truly took my breath away. I could also say the same for Caroline Noble, who did an excellent job of re-creating the hairstyles of the early and mid-1870s. As for Mike O'Neill's costume designs for the production . . . in some cases, pictures can speak louder than words:
Truly outstanding and beautiful. I was especially impressed by Romola Garai's wardrobe.
"DANIEL DERONDA" also featured a good deal of outstanding performances. If I must be honest, I cannot find a single performance that struck me as below par or even mediocre. The miniseries featured solid performances from the likes of Celia Imrie, Anna Popplewell, Anna Steel, Jamie Bamber and Daniel Marks. "DANIEL DERONDA" also included some interested supporting performances, especially Allan Corduner's skillful portrayal of the blunt-speaking musician Herr Klesmer; David Bamber as Grandcourt's slimy sycophant, Lush; Edward Fox as Sir Hugo Mallinger, Daniel's loving benefactor; Amanda Root's interesting portrayal of Gwendolen's rather timid mother; Daniel Evan's intense performance as Miriam's long lost brother; and Greta Scacchi's very complex portrayal of Grandcourt's former mistress, Lydia Glasher.
Superficially, the character of Miriam Lapidoth seemed like the type that would usually bore me - the "nice girl" with whom the hero usually ended. But actress Jodhi May projected a great deal of depth in her portrayal of Miriam, reflecting the character's haunted past in a very subtle and skillful manner. Barbara Hershey more or less made a cameo appearance in "DANIEL DERONDA" that lasted a good five to ten minutes. However, being an excellent actress, Hershey gave a superb performance as Daniel's long lost mother, a former opera singer named Contessa Maria Alcharisi, who gave him up to Sir Hugo in order to pursue a singing career. Perhaps I should have been horrified by her decision to give up motherhood for a career. But Hershey beautifully conveyed the contessa's frustration over her father's determination that she adhere to society's rules by limiting her life to being a wife and mother. And I found myself sympathizing her situation.
Like Miriam Lapidoth, the Daniel Deronda character seemed like the type of character I would find boring. Superficially, he seemed too upright and not particularly complex. However, I was surprised and very pleased by how Hugh Dancy injected a great deal of complexity in his portrayal of Daniel. He did an effective job in portraying Daniel's conflict between the lifestyle both Sir Hugo and his mother had mapped out for him and the one represented by Miriam, her brother Mordecai, and their friends, the Cohens. Romola Garai was equally superb as the complex Gwendolen Harleth. She did such an excellent job in conveying Gwendolen's growth from a spoiled and ambitious young woman, to the matured and more compassionate woman who had survived an emotionally traumatic marriage that I cannot help but wonder how she failed to earn an action nomination, let alone award, for her performance. Hugh Bonneville also gave an excellent job as Gwendolen's emotionally abusive husband, Henleigh Grandcourt. I read somewhere that the role helped Bonneville break out of his usual staple of good-natured buffoons that he had portrayed in movies like 1999's "MANSFIELD PARK" and "NOTTING HILL". I can see how. I found his Grandcourt rather chilly and intimidating.
"DANIEL DERONDA" may have a few flaws. But overall, it is a prime example of the British period dramas at its zenith during the fifteen-year period between 1995 and 2010. It is a superb production and adaptation of George Eliot's novel, thanks to Tom Hooper's direction, Andrew Davies' writing, the excellent work by its crew and the first-rate cast led by Hugh Dancy and Romola Garai. It is something not to be missed.
"THE PROBLEMS OF A SAVIOR COMPLEX"
The Season Three finale of ABC's "ONCE UPON A TIME" ended on a curious note. The finale consisted of two episodes - (3.21) "Snow Drift" and (3.22) "There's No Place Like Home" - in which two of the series' protagonists, Emma Swan and Killian Jones aka Captain Hook, found themselves transported back in time and to the Enchanted Forest due to circumstances beyond their control.
Let me make this brief. The main villain of Season Three's second half turned out to be Regina Mills' older half-sister Zelena, who was also known as the Wicked Witch of the West from "The Wizard of Oz". Due to Zelena's jealousy of her younger half-sister's privileged life, which included being raised by their mother Cora Mills aka the Queen of Hearts, she wanted to go back in time and erase Regina from existence. Although Zelena managed to set up a portal to convey her back in time, Regina managed to defeat her. Unfortunately . . . an angry Rumpelstiltskin ended up murdering an incarcerated Zelena for the death of his son, Neal Cassidy aka Baefire. Zelena's spirit ended up re-opening the time travel portal. And both Emma and Hook got sucked into the portal and into the past.
During the pair's adventures in the Enchanted Forest of the past, Emma nearly ruined the first meeting between her parents - Snow White and David, Prince Charming. She and Hook, with Rumpelstiltskin's help, set out to repair the timeline and ensure that her parents will not only meet, but fall in love. Their efforts to do so led to Emma's capture during the wedding party of Charming and Princess Abigail by Regina, also known as the Evil Queen. Inside the Queen's jail cell, Emma met a woman who had been incarcerated for helping Snow White flee Regina's wrath. With her and the woman set to be executed the following morning, Emma managed to break out of the cell. Hook, who had earlier warned Emma about changing the timeline, reacted with slight dismay when he discovered that she helped the woman escape. And yet . . . when Emma wanted to bring the woman with her and Hook to Storybrooke, Hook agreed to help her, arguing that the woman's family thought she was dead and they need to continue to believe it. The woman refused to go with Emma and Hook to Storybrooke, so the former knocked her unconscious and with Hook's help, brought her with them. As it turned out, the woman proved to be Maid Marian, Robin Hood's wife. And Marian's presence in Storybrooke brought an end to Robin's newly found romance with Regina Mills.
Judging from Regina's angry reaction to Emma and Hook's actions, many fans reacted in different ways to this new twist in the story arc between the two women. Many fans continue to assume that Regina will fall back on her old evil ways and seek revenge against Emma for ruining her romance with Robin. Some believe she will be tempted, but continue her redemption arc and eventually forgive Emma. What is interesting about all of this is that most of the fans seemed to be interested in how Regina will react to the loss of Robin in the upcoming fourth season. Only a few fans have even bothered to criticize Emma and Hook for their actions. Yet, despite these criticisms, other fans came to Emma's defense by stating that she was right to save Marian from being executed by Regina. I am tempted to discuss this situation from Regina and Robin's point of view. But right now, I am more interested in what led Emma to change the timeline in the first place.
I can image the response to the last sentence in the previous paragraph. What led Emma to change the timeline? To save Marion's life, that's why! Emma Swan is supposed to be "the Savior". As fan as the series and many of the fans are concerned, this is what she is supposed to do. I wish I could agree with that sentiment. I really do. But considering her actions in "There's No Place Like Home", I wish it were not so. Emma became labeled as "the Savior" back in Season One, when it was revealed that she was the person destined to break the curse that found many of the Enchanted Forest's inhabitants in "the Land Without Magic" - namely Storybrooke, Maine - thanks to Rumpelstiltskin's creation of it and Regina's willingness to cast it. After spending nearly a season refusing to believe in the curse, let alone the idea that the town's inhabitants came from a fairy tale world, Emma finally broke the curse with a "true love" kiss to her son Henry, who was trapped in a sleeping curse. And the only reason Emma found herself in this role as everyone's "savior" was because Rumpelstiltskin manipulated events so they would lead to this moment. And why? Because he wanted to find his son Baefire, whom he discovered had ended up in our world. Now, if the only reason Emma had been set up as "the savior" who break that first curse . . . why did everyone else continued to regard her as "the savior" after she broke it? Why did she, for that matter?
One would think I am accusing Emma Swan of developing a bad ego trip. And you know what? They would be right. I am well aware of the fact that Emma reacted with a great reluctance and wariness to the idea of her being "the savior". I am also aware of the fact that she was willing to flee Storybrooke (with Henry) in the Season One episodes, (1.20) "The Stranger" and (1.21) "An Apple Red as Blood" because she could not face the responsibility of being responsible for the lives of Storybrooke's citizens. But once she broke the curse in (1.22) "A Land Without Magic", Emma ended up embracing her "savior" role with a vengeance . . . despite her continued wariness. This was especially apparent in three episodes from Season Two and Three. After she, Snow White, Mulan and Aurora ended up captured by Cora and Hook in Season Two's (2.09) "The Queen of Hearts" in the present day Enchanted Forest, the following exchange occurred between the four women:
(Emma is futilely banging the door of the cell with her sword, while the rest of them watch.)
Snow White: We aren’t going to break it down, Emma. It was enchanted to hold Rumpelstiltskin. We don’t have a chance.
Aurora: This is my fault.
Mulan: No, it’s mine. Cora stole your heart because I failed to protect you.
Emma: That’s very sweet, but I believe it’s my fault. I’m the saviour, and I’m not doing much saving, am I?
When I first saw this episode during the fall of 2012, I thought nothing of Emma's words. But when I recently viewed the episode from my copy of the series' Season Two DVD box set, her comment stunned me. I could not believe what I had just heard. For the second time, Emma expressed her deep-seated view to her mother Snow White that she would always be destined to be "the savior" in the Season Three episode, (3.11) "Going Home". In this episode, Rumpelstiltskin had defeated his father Malcolm aka Peter Pan and Regina had to permanently destroy the curse by ripping the scroll that contain the words to it. Because Henry was born in "the Land Without Magic" and Emma managed to avoid the first curse, they were able to avoid being sent back to the Enchanted Forest. Before Regina destroy the scroll, both Regina and Snow White hinted that since Emma was "the savior", she was supposed to remain behind and take Henry away. Emma responded to Snow White with the following words:
"I'm the savior, right? I'm supposed to bring back all the happy endings."
Dear God. Emma's belief in her role as "the savior" truly reached egotistical heights in her conversation with Hook in "Snow Drift" in which both discussed Emma's plans to return to New York with Henry:
Hook: Don't listen to me, listen to your son. (He takes the storybook from his satchel and hands it to Emma.) He thought this might remind you of what you're leaving behind--your family.
Emma: Henry is my family and I am taking him where he is safe.
Hook: No, Swan. The safety-first nonsense is just that. You defeated the bloody Wicked Witch. You defeated Pan. You broke the curse. And you keep running. What are you looking for?
What I found amazing about Hook's words is that he had credited the defeats of Peter Pan and Zelena to Emma. Apparently, he had forgotten that Regina was the one who saved Henry's heart from Pan back in Neverland. Hook had forgotten that Rumpelstiltskin was the one who ultimately defeated Pan . . . and that Regina was the one who defeated Zelena. The only thing Hook got right was the fact that Emma had broken the curse. Some fans claim that Hook was merely trying to bolster Emma's self esteem. Emma's self esteem was not on Hook's mind. Emma's reluctance to live in Storybrooke with her parents WAS the topic between them. Hook merely slipped in Pan and Zelena's defeats into the conversation. And what I found even more amazing . . . and scary is that Emma never bothered to correct him. By this time, Emma had incorporated the idea of her being "the savior" so much that she ended up wallowing in illusions over who had really defeated the Big Bads of Season Three.
As for the situation with Maid Marian . . . I can only shake my head in disbelief. I realize that many fans believe that Emma should have chosen saving a woman's life over maintaining the timeline. I do not. Throughout most of "Snow Drift", Hook had warned Emma about changing the timeline . . . for any reason. This reminds me of an episode from the 1998-2006 supernatural series, "CHARMED". In the latter's Season One episode called (1.17) "That '70s Episode", the Halliwell sisters traveled back in time to 1975 in order to prevent their late mother from being coerced into making a pact with a warlock - a pact that might have deadly circumstances for them. The youngest sister (at the time) Phoebe Halliwell gave into temptation and left a warning to her mother on how the latter would die nearly three years later. Realizing that she would end up changing the timeline, Phoebe tore up the letter before she and her sisters returned to 1999. As much as Phoebe wanted to save her mother, she realized that maintaining the timeline was the right thing to do . . . even if it meant her mother's early death.
Despite the constant warnings from Hook about changing the timeline, Emma ignored him and saved Maid Marian from the cell. While I might admire her willingness to save someone, I wish she had realized that one cannot save everyone all of the time. And sometimes, it is not a good idea. But in her arrogance and misplaced belief that she had to save everyone, Emma decided to change the timeline. To make matters worse, she forced Marian to accompany her and Hook back to Storybrooke, despite the fact that Marian wanted to remain in the Enchanted Forest and find her family. And Hook's argument that Robin and the others probably thought she was dead did not sit well with me. Emma had already screwed up the timeline by saving Marian. I did not see how dragging the latter back to Storybrooke was going to help the matter. As it turned out, it did not.
The Season Four premiere, (4.01) "A Tale of Two Sisters" featured Emma wracked with guilt for ruining Regina's newly formed romance with Robin. It was nice to see that Emma felt some guilt over wrecking havoc on the private lives of Regina, Robin and Marian. But her response to Regina made me realize that she has yet to understand the real problem behind her actions in "There's No Place Like Home":
"Henry brought me to Storybrooke to bring back the happy endings. My job is not done until I do that for everyone, including you."
Despite her feelings of guilt, Emma still believes that her role as "the Savior" will give Regina her happy ending and solve everyone's problems. She never considered the possibility that her belief that she always has to be "the Savior" had led her to upset the timeline and cause a great deal of personal trouble for Regina, Robin and Marian. She has not changed one bit. After what I saw in both "There's No Place Like Home" and "A Tale of Two Sisters", I have come to the conclusion that Emma has absorbed the idea of being "the savior" to such a degree that she has become illusional. Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis, have also become illusional in this belief that Emma is always supposed to be "the savior". Unless they have plans for Emma to develop some kind of mental complex over her role as "the savior" in the later seasons, I suspect that Horowitz and Kitsis will never allow Emma to really face the consequences of her action in There's No Place Like Home", aside from a few angry rants from Regina and encounters with the latest character in the series, Queen Elsa of "FROZEN". And I suspect that Regina's anger will not last very long. I have complained in an earlier article that when it comes to Emma and her family, Horowitz and Kitsis have a bad habit of not allowing them to consider or face the consequences of their actions . . . with the exception of Snow White, who had committed murder. And the consequences she faced proved to be mild and rather brief.
I must admit that I am getting weary of Emma constantly being labeled as "the savior". This is a label that should have dropped after she had broken the original curse in "A Land Without Magic". The only reason she was fixed with "the savior" role in the first place was because Rumpelstiltskin had arranged for her to be the one to break that curse. The longer this series continues to label Emma as "the savior", the more I will become convinced that she has developed serious complex issues over this role.
