As her name suggests, Sharp is of a Dickensian type, not naturalistic. Zola dealt with prols, Balzac with petit-bourgies, Dickens with Victorians. Allegory is not au jour. Long past is the time youngsters were instructed reading of Christian's misadventures with the likes of Probity and Patience in a place called Vanity Fair.
Imagine the shock of learning of an ill-bred woman's secret marriage to your son. Now imagine the shame of learnign it because you yourself are persuing the woman! This is a story, as Sharp says, "more ancient stable than ancient fable" and everything depends on the humor. Mira Nair and Reese WItherspoon have caught Humor and nailed it adroitly to the proverbial Procrustian bed.
If I may be allowed a petty peeve it is the lighting. One regrets the loss of the ability under the studio lot system of creating dusky or stormy interior scenes where all the details could still be seen. The naturalism of today is a muddy grey mess.
Imagine the shock of learning of an ill-bred woman's secret marriage to your son. Now imagine the shame of learnign it because you yourself are persuing the woman! This is a story, as Sharp says, "more ancient stable than ancient fable" and everything depends on the humor. Mira Nair and Reese WItherspoon have caught Humor and nailed it adroitly to the proverbial Procrustian bed.
If I may be allowed a petty peeve it is the lighting. One regrets the loss of the ability under the studio lot system of creating dusky or stormy interior scenes where all the details could still be seen. The naturalism of today is a muddy grey mess.
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