Gormenghast (2000)
A four-episode television serial based on the Gormenghast series by Mervyn Peake. It was produced and broadcast by the BBC. Gormenghast is an ancient city-state which primarily consists of a rambling and crumbling castle. The narrative, based on the first two of the three Gormenghast novels by Mervyn Peake, begins with the birth of a son, Titus, to the 76th Earl, Sepulchrave Groan, and Countess Gertrude. This mismatched pair (he'd prefer the melancholy privacy of his library; she'd prefer the company of her menagerie of cats and birds) also have a teenaged daughter, Fuchsia, who resents her new brother but comes to love him dearly. Simultaneously, a young kitchen apprentice, Steerpike, takes advantage of an altercation between head cook Swelter and the Earl's manservant, Mr. Flay, and escapes from the kitchens. Gormenghast is rigidly feudal in structure, but Steerpike has ambitions.
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I'm an avid reader and found the Gormenghast novels in a friend's book collection and was planning on reading them when I got the chance.He suggested I could also watch the miniseries, which I did not know existed either. So I cannot yet compare the two to each other. I did however like the miniseries. It was well written and very well acted.Christopher Lee was at his usual best. A surprise (probably just to me and maybe not to others) was Rhys Meyers. I was never really impressed by the authenticity he brings to his roles. However in this movie I HATED him, and I mean that in a good way. I really hated his character, he did a fantastic job; I guess now I'll have to watch some more of his work.The sets were incredible.This is one instance where I'm hoping the books will be as good as the movie.
Should this come on TV again, or if you happen to come across the DVD, I strongly urge you to watch it. This mini series is possibly the best made-for-TV production in decades. It has an amazing cast of British greats including Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Christopher Lee, Richard Griffiths, Fiona Shaw, Zoë Wanamaker, Lynsey Baxter and Stephan Fry, but don't think you should watch it just for it's star power. Had it been made with a cast of unknowns, it still would have been fantastic. Gormenghast is brilliant, it's plot is strange, twisted and dark and comes from a mind of great imagination. Originally a novel by Mervyn Peake, it has been conveyed perfectly to the screen. This is a series that is 100% deserving of a look in.
Not bad at all! The second episode is the highlight with Ian Richardson portraying the maddening lord Groan with stunning skill. Christopher Lee makes a very sympathetic Flay and John Sessions is terrific as dr. Prunesquallor. Jonathan Rhys Meyers makes a wildly energetic, charismatic and devious Steerpike, which strays from the cold and rational young man depicted in the books. Neve McIntosh is far too old to play the young Fuchia of the first two episodes, but otherwise its hard to fault her. The costumes and the indoors set design is marvelous. The outdoors scenery however is sometimes plain ugly and looks low budget.
to a fan and repeat reader of the books, this was a very disappointing production. it really had none of the atmosphere, depth of characters, sense of age, menace or drama of the books. instead it was bright and comical, clumsy and light-weight - really inappropriate and even amateurish. the cast had incredible potential, but they were given nothing to work with.i only hope that peter jackson might take this on one day and do these books the justice they deserve.to a die-hard Gormenghast fan, i'd say see it by all means, but be prepared for a pretty big let-down!!