2011 (1)
2016 (1035)
2017 (752)
2018 (978)
2019 (385)
2020 (175)
2021 (235)
2022 (101)
2023 (983)
the four books from author Thomas Hardy:
- Tess of the D'Urbervilles,
- Mayor of Casterbridge,
- The c (Hallmark Hall of Fame. Tumultuous romantic entanglements of Eustacia Vye and the two men in her life.)
- and Jude the Obscure.
I have read with immeasurable satisfaction. No one can conceive of tragedy in love and life to a greater depth than the author of these masterful works.
A concomitant film to these if you enjoy the genre of dramatic tragedy:
a) 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles', starring Justine Waddell (1998).
b) The Return of the Native, (Hallmark Hall of Fame. Tumultuous romantic entanglements of Eustacia Vye and the two men in her life.)
https://youtu.be/IV7q3FKxWDk?si=h3eEqXdxex8QH11M
Release date
Running time
Audio
Subtitle
Actors
Genres
Provider
Rating
The word iconic is overused. Like many other words. But Thomas Hardy is part of a category. As moody as the Bronte sisters. And Catherine Zeta Jones is to be numbered among the chosen few of actresses with immeasurable beauty and appeal.
This was a CBS Sunday Night Movie. Made for the small screen. Isn't a big studio opus. That makes its power all the more remarkable.
My heart broke for Eustachia. Even though she seemed so shallow in her quest for the trappings of wealth and status. In her case beauty was definitely a curse. It's like being Scarlett O'Hara in the Outback... Welsh, not Aussie.
**
Catherine Zeta-Jones is so beautiful and a talented actress. She married Michael Douglas and he is the one that realized she was bipolar. He is very high strung himself, so they had a very turbulent marriage. He did get her help. I sure would like to know how she is doing.
So beautiful yet these classic dramatic tragedies can be bewildering & disheartening. Maybe the moral is blind deception & passion misguided by the yearning to be loved never ends well. Only the pure at heart can reap the rewards of true love. Just trying to make sense of why the deaths of two star-crossed lovers trying so hard to be good only to fail under the stress of their own separate desires. Bittersweet endings often leave me unsatisfied and mystified!
