Vanity Fair (Repackaged) [DVD]

I loved this when it first came out on television. Buying the DVD afterwards simply confirmed what I'd known at the time - that it would be impossible to surpass. The combination of the actors who played their roles to perfection, and the subtlety of the production in almost every possible way, put it into a very different category to a previous version of Vanity Fair that had been serialised back in the 1970s. Natasha Little was perfect in the role of Becky and every single actor fitted with their particular part. The lecherous and filthy Sir Pitt Crawley was hilariously played by David Bradley; just superb.

I watched the recent ITV production with enjoyment...it had several excellent performances & looked a treat. But upon replaying this BBC production adapted by Andrew Davis, the new one suffered in comparison the further into the drama I progressed. And by the end of disc 2, I was so impressed with the old, that despite it being about a decade since I bought the DVD, I cannot think of many drama adaptations that I've enjoyed more, before or since. In a way, it might be a good idea to watch the latest adaptation first so that you really appreciate the superiority of this one! The performances are great & the whole production captures the spirit of Thackeray's novel so well.

I have watched this production of Vanity Fair many times and each time squirmed a little more at the fabulous, dark, almost Gormenghast like characterisation - Every actor is superb and has clearly relished getting inside their part/caricature. Natasha Little is utterly faultless as Becky and casting of all the characters is completely inspired. I was a little disappointed with Amelia as I had envisaged her to be prettier and more fragile to look at, but never the less she could not have been better acted. The splendid music is also so much part of the satire. I will continue to re watch it over the years and know that that this production could not be improved upon and will never date.

Natasha Little IS Becky Sharp !Played with just the right amount of restrained coquettishness. This is a wonderful production which stayed in my mind since it was first broadcast and I am delighted to watch it again. It is streets ahead of the movie with Reece Witherspoon, who looked as if she was expecting, being decidedly plump around the waist. Ironically, Natasha had a minor role in the movie too.I must mention the music soundtrack which was a bit loud at times,but was very original and fitted well into the narrative. There was a lot of brass involved,and at times,sounded like a manic Salvation Army band !This is one DVD that I will hang on to.

Natascha Little is fantastic as Becky, really shining through in the part. I've watched this and the Reese Witherspoon version back to back and RW is simply not good enough to convey the complexity of the character. The rest of the cast is good, except Amelie, who's far too wet (Romola Garai is much better in the film).The jazz/oompah band score is like marmite, you'll either love it or hate it. I loved it, it's so out of character for the period but matches the original's ironic narration perfectly...and it's the narrator who has the best lines in the book.The only cavil is that the last episode is rushed and loses much of the flair of the previous ones. The ending of the RW film is much better, the BBC series ends on a question, and they clearly didn't get good enough weather for the German scenes and couldn't afford to wait.That said, between the two DVDs this is the clear winner.

This is a jaunty adaptation that faithfully captures the sly wit of Thackeray's hugely entertaining novel about a girl who takes on the town single-handed. The ending skims a bit, but intelligently so, and I for one thought putting the narrator's final judgement on Amelia into Becky's mouth was actually an improvement on the book, as it ultimately gave depth to (and in a sense vindicated) Becky's choices, at least from the viewpoint of this 21st-century woman. Good cast, fun score, and some nice pig shots, too.

Amazing Story, beautiful Costumes, gorgeous (believable) settings and some really good acting skills. All in all it is exactly as I remember it!!

Becky Sharp lives up to her name:as sharp as a nail as she seeks to climb the social ladder, whilst remaining 'innocent' throughout!She comes unstuck with Lord X, which turns out for her good, thanks to her quick-thinking!