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Adapted from the novel by George Eliot, Daniel Deronda is the tale of an aristocrat's illegitimate son whose mysterious bloodlines are the source of a host of family secrets. There is, however, one glaring difference between Deronda and other Eliot works: a focus on anti-Semitism in Victorian England that made it by far her most controversial. The sensitive protagonist, Daniel (Hugh Dancy) meets lovely Gwendolen Harleth (Romola Garai) at a fashionable resort, and their sudden passion becomes the catalyst that sets the plot in motion. Finding herself suddenly impoverished, Gwendolen consents to marry Henleigh Grandcourt (Hugh Bonneville), an arrogant aristocrat whose oppressive treatment leads her to ask Daniel for help. When Deronda's relationship with a Jewish singer (Jodhi May) is subsequently revealed, the sensitive issue of his heritage is thrust before him. Called "a jaw-dropping roll-call of British thespianism" by the Financial Times and featuring fine turns by such respected non-Brits as Greta Scacchi and Barbara Hershey, Daniel Deronda rises above its occasional melodramatic plot devices to offer a complex portrait of Victorian nobility in all its opulence and imperfections.

All Movie Guide

Produced for British television, Daniel Deronda was adapted from George Eliot's final novel, written in 1874 (and first filmed in 1921). As was her habit, Eliot laid bare the hypocrisy and venality of Victorian-era "class culture," at the same time admitting that a certain amount of conformity was necessary if one hoped to survive in a world where nonconformity was not only looked down upon but actively suppressed. Essentially, both the novel and the TV presentation are comprised of two separate stories, linked together by the titular Daniel Deronda (Hugh Dancy), a young man of Jewish heritage. In the main narrative, Daniel is attracted to the spoiled, headstrong Gwendolen Harleth (Romola Garai), who is reluctantly poised to enter into a marriage of convenience with the wealthy, snobbish, and intensely anti-Semitic Henleigh Grancourt (Hugh Bonneville). This romantic intrigue is played against the curious relationship between Daniel and the Zionist visionary Mordecai (Daniel Evans), who tirelessly proselytizes in favor of a permanent homeland for the Jewish people. Things come to a head when Daniel finds himself falling in love with Mordecai's sister Mirah (Jodhi May). Originally telecast in three parts on the BBC beginning December 7, 2002, Daniel Deronda was re-edited as a two-parter for the PBS anthology Masterpiece Theatre, where it first aired on March 30, 2003. Hal Erickson

Product Details

• UPC: 794051288523
• Source: BBC WARNER
• Region Code: 1
• Language: English
• Editions: Repackaged
• Time: 3:30:00
• Sales Rank: 2,895

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• George Eliot Collection

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