The BBC mini-series Daniel Deronda is something that I think about quite often, and yet it appears to have been overlooked in popular culture since its release in 2002. Directed by Tom Hooper and adapted by Andrew Davies, the BBC wanted to capitalise off the massive success that was Middlemarch in 1994. Overall, my love of the show Daniel Deronda is as strong as my love of the book by George Eliot.
Many students in Dublin are aware of Eliot’s novel from Normal People by Sally Rooney, which quotes a passage from the novel at the beginning. Sadly, this is probably the only part of the novel students will read, and yet the potential impact of this novel is life-changing.
The story follows my favourite heroine in TV and literature: Gwendolen Harleth. Played by Romola Garai in the 2002 series, the character is analysed thoroughly for the first part of the novel and the show. The series starts with Harleth at a roulette table, gambling her apparent fortunes away, winning then losing suddenly after she spots Daniel Deronda (played by Hugh Dancy). After this moment, the show flashes back on Harleth’s life before the roulette table and Deronda’s life before meeting Harleth. In the book this is done well, but in the TV show it captures the characters meticulously, specifically Harleth as she enters a doomed marriage with the spiteful Mr. Grandcourt (played by Hugh Bonneville). Mr. Grandcourt reminds me of another fictional character, Mr. Osmond in The Portrait of a Lady. If you haven’t read the book you should, or even watch the movie with John Malkovich and Nicole Kidman as it makes for quite an interesting story.
Grandcourt is someone I love in the show or someone, at least, I love to hate. His domination of Harleth and her social life, specifically in relation to Deronda, is better appreciated by watching on screen than simply being read. Bonneville, who you would know from Downton Abbey, captured Grandcourt in a way that I wish Malkovich had been able to do with Osmond.
The second part of this show follows Deronda, his search for his mother and his love for the Jewish Mirah Lapidoth, played by Jodhi May. The novel and TV show follow the theme of anti-Zionism and Deronda’s discovery of the Jewish quarter of London. His love of Mirah and his search for his real mother is an interesting watch, however the trailer for the TV show unsurprisingly omits this part from the plot and instead markets the show mainly as a love affair between Harleth and Deronda. This marketing ploy is disappointing, given that there is so much more to the plot than just the Harleth and Deronda’s relationship.
Overall, the show feels like a slow movie. It was originally made for the big screen, but, due to its lengthy 3.5 hours, it was made into a three-part mini-series. The pacing of the show is done very well, the content is slow-moving but exciting, placing an emphasis on deep character studies which allow Hooper’s directorial vision to to shine. I originally watched this show over summer, on the three nights before my sister was due to get married. Victorian period dramas have always been my go-to for escapism and I believe it is the perfect choice when it comes to this time of year, stress, exams and assignments all mean that we look to enter a different world. To me, the Daniel Deronda world is the perfect escape, the titular character’s search of identity will undoubtedly resonate with anyone who watches. Fortunately, the show was well received at the time, but less luckily it has fallen out of step and appears to be forgotten now in comparison to North and South or Pride and Prejudice; both other shows were also adapted by the BBC. The mini-series is well worth the time, the cinematography is good and the acting is superb – Harleth is known for her role in Atonement as war nurse Briony Tallis but her transition from spoiled brat to trapped wife is extremely admirable and one of the strongest the depictions of a heroine on television. Likewise, Bonneville captures the role of Grandcourt with precision, going from admirable and loving to greedy and spiteful with masterful ease. His cunning treatment of Harleth and his ex-wife makes for a satisfactory viewing experience.
Finally, Dancy is excellent as Deronda, his journey is something that a lot of people can identify with and his discovery of his true self reaches an emotional and beautiful climax. Overall, I highly enjoyed the show and the novel, even if it is the most polarising of Eliot’s work. Hooper is admirable, as is Davies, for making such a bulky plot work for the small screen. I am disappointed that this show’s legacy didn’t stand the test of time as other adaptations have, but it does mean it can stay on as our guilty pleasure.
Available on Netflix in the UK and Ireland now.
