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markdchristiansen
Reviews
Clarissa (1991)
Awful story
My wife and I found this series repugnant. Watching an innocent woman imprisoned first by her family, then by a rake was distasteful. Then, after watching the graphic rape scene, we strongly regretted having seen this at all. Shame on the BGG and on Masterpiece Theater. Violence against women is not entertaining to me.
Yes, I suppose the production was "well done." It did keep me engaged throughout, until the rape about half an hour before the end - at which point I kept watching despite my anger only to see how it ended, having invested so much time in it already.
The ending was very unsatisfying, despite the horrible people finally feeling some consequences for their actions. The Clarissa character also gave up, either despairing from her imprisonment and ill-treatment, or out of some martyr complex. An awful story filled with despicable characters, along with a few "good" characters who fail to prevent what they know is happening.
I regret I watched this. A pointless waste of time spent watching insensitive violence against a woman. This is the last time I trust a high rating on IMDb.
The Jewel in the Crown (1984)
Disappointing
Not knowing anything about the book, I was expecting this celebrated PBS series to be somewhat like a longer variation of the excellent David Lean movie Passage to India. But I was disappointed by Jewel in the Crown. While it did give me valuable glimpses into the British Raj, the class tensions between the British and the Indians (and between the British themselves), and the history of the period, the overall effect on me when the series ended was depression.
And I did not enjoy the portrayals of rape, brutality, torture, insanity, homosexuality, etc. I regret having watched this series. If you would be offended by such content, then I also caution you about this film. PBS has been going downhill in recent years, in my opinion, as far as portraying more and more offensive content. After watching Jewel in the Crown, I now realize the decline had began much earlier - at least as early as 1984, when this series was broadcast.