Jude [Blu-ray]

Director: Michael Winterbottom Michael Winterbottom

Overview

In 19th century Britain, a unconventional young man struggles against the limitations of a rigid, restrictive society. Based on Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure, this somber period drama stars a suitably intense Christopher Eccleston as Jude, a young man with dreams of receiving a scholarly university education. Circumstances conspire against him, however, forcing him into a job as a stonemason and an unsatisfactory marriage. He remains true to his dream, however, and years later, after his wife's sudden departure, heads for the city. There he encounters his beautiful cousin, Sue (Kate Winslet), who shares his intelligence and disdain for convention, and the two develop a romantic relationship. These unlikely lovers must struggle to keep their relationship secret from a disapproving world, however, or else face the tragic consequences of public scandal. Though purists may object to several liberties taken with the text, director Michael Winterbottom fashions a relatively efficient tale of doomed romance from Hardy's tragedy.

Product Details

Release Date:	05/24/2022
UPC:	0738329258696
Original Release:	1996
Rating:	R
Source:	Scorpion Releasing
Language:	English
Time:	2:03:00
Sales rank:	23,310

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Christopher Eccleston	Jude Fawley
Kate Winslet	Sue Bridehead
Liam Cunningham	Phillotson
Rachel Griffiths	Arabella
June Whitfield	Aunt Drusilla
Ross Colvin Turnbull	Little Jude
Berwick Kaler	Actor
Caitlin Bossley	Actor
James Daley	Jude as a Boy
Sean McKenzie	1st Stone Mason
Emma Turner	Sarah
Lorraine Hilton	Shopkeeper
James Nesbitt	Uncle Joe
Mark Lambert	Tinker Taylor
Amanda Ryan	Gypsy Saleswoman
Vernon Dobtcheff	Curator
Darren Tighe	Punter
Roger Ashton-Griffiths	Auctioneer
David Tennant	Drunk Undergraduate
Adrian Johnston	Composer

Technical Credits

Hossein Amini

Thomas Hardy

Michael Winterbottom	Director
Hossein Amini	Screenwriter
Andrew Eaton	Producer
Thomas Hardy	Screenwriter
Mark Shivas	Executive Producer
Stewart Till	Executive Producer
James Boyle	Sound Effects
Paul Conway	Sound Effects
Joe Gallagher	Sound Effects
Simone Ireland	Casting
Vanessa Pereira	Casting
Martin Trevis	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Romantic tensions escalate to dizzying heights in director Michael Winterbottom's compelling adaptation of Thomas Hardy's classic novel, Jude the Obscure. Christopher Eccleston (Shallow Grave) stars as Jude Fawley, a stonemason in 19th-century England whose love for his brainy and beautiful cousin Sue Bridehead (Kate Winslet) is tested to the limit by Victorian mores. Eccleston and Winslet are completely convincing here: The chemistry between them is powerful right from the start, making their long, obstacle-filled courtship simply and beautifully agonizing. Rachel Griffiths (Hilary and Jackie) provides an erotic counterpoint, bringing an earthy, predatory sexuality to her portrayal of a pig-breeder's daughter who traps Jude into an impulsive, short-lived marriage. Jude is about the clash between powerful passions and conventional morality; by the end it becomes a full-blown tragedy, a truly potent blend of desire and despair.

Barnes & Noble - Gregory Baird

Although it was considered so shocking at the time of its publication that author Thomas Hardy never wrote another novel, the subject matter of Jude the Obscure probably won't outrage or titillate modern audiences. It may, however, depress the hell out of them, which may explain this adaptation's relative obscurity and lack of awards. Lit-flick fans flocked to the film, soaking up its sumptuous Victorian detail and the flat-out beauty of Eduardo Serra's cinematography; the mainstream audience, however, missed out on a complex picture that transcends corsets and accents to delve into the heart of what it means to stand outside of society. The difficulty of capturing the essence of Hardy's novel is that it's more than a mere story of forbidden love. Jude (grave, granite-faced Christopher Eccleston) carries two torches, one for his cousin, Sue (Kate Winslet, vivacious and prickly), the other for the life of a scholar; both are denied to him through no fault of his own. It's easier to encapsulate Hardy's intertwining issues of class, social propriety, and unfulfilled longing in the story of two cousins who fall in love, but first-time screenwriter Hossein Amini and jack-of-all-trades director Michael Winterbottom refuse to give short shrift to their protagonist's scholarly passions. There's a great scene here where Jude stands atop a table in a pub full of monied students, singing out the Apostle's Creed in flawless Latin, and spitting out a condemnation of his country's class-based educational system -- perfect visual shorthand, and hardly the film's only example. The sense of inexorable doom that overtakes the picture as it progresses hardly prepares the viewer for the harrowing final act; to the filmmakers' credit, though, they follow this sucker punch with a steady rumination on what it all means before they roll the credits.

All Movie Guide - Brian J. Dillard