Comments | demmed_elusive: Retro-casting suggestion for Marguerite!

madeleinestjust in demmed_elusive

Retro-casting suggestion for Marguerite!

Jan 14, 2009 09:59

After watching the 1980s version of A Tale of Two Cities, the only idea I came away with was - 'She would have made a perfect Marguerite!' (Didn't think much to the adaptation, or to the story.)

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Comments 19

stephaniejane2 January 14 2009, 12:56:14 UTC

Ideal! I love how your mind is always thinking of tie-backs to SP. Great work.

madeleinestjust January 14 2009, 14:04:55 UTC

I love how your mind is always thinking of tie-backs to SP.

You make it sound so unhealthy ;) Thank you, I try!

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madeleinestjust January 14 2009, 13:55:22 UTC

She looks too English to my mind, and too smug,

I forgot to qualify my theory - which won't affect your perspective, but this presents a good opportunity - that I imagined Serena as perfect casting for Marguerite in Eldorado, which is why I chose those two expressions: 'overwrought' and 'proud'!

And I do imagine Marguerite to look very smug, or at least to have that expression in her range - 'I'm a French, Republican actress married to a brave, wealthy Englishman, who I love and admire, and who loves me in return - bite me!' ;)

But that's just me.

More that it's just me who thinks Serena is a Brock illustration brought to life, actually - I see your point about Marguerite on screen!

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madeleinestjust January 14 2009, 14:32:41 UTC

I do see your point about her life situation, but she never comes across as smug to me.

No? Not even in TSP? I don't mean smug in a hateful way, but what I love about Marguerite is that she is aware of her beauty and her charm, and isn't modest, falsely or otherwise. Perhaps 'smug' is the wrong word - merely confident? She has a level of insecurity lurking just beneath the surface that makes her more human, but I don't believe that her whole personality in the first book is merely a disguise, like Percy.

But the neverending game of 'Who To Cast' is fun, no?

Ho, yes! I have my Percy - RPJ - but Marguerite is the one proving elusive, ironically. Maybe because we all want to do the character justice?

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madeleinestjust January 14 2009, 17:20:06 UTC

You managed to make it through that Version of Tale of Two Cities?

Well, I made it through, but I was also reading a book at the same time - and not Dickens, I hasten to add! I just looked up at the loud parts. I have yet to find an adaptation that is enough to sway me - I didn't get through the first half hour of the Dirk Bogarde monstrosity. I really want to be able to persevere with, if not enjoy A Tale of Two Cities, but I can't - just the first part, with Manette in the tower, is enough to switch off my brain. I did enjoy Jerry Cruncher, the ubiquitous comic relief in Dickens' stories, and thought John Mills acted well - naturally - but the three leads were insipid and barely likeable. (And Anna Massey, daughter of Raymond, AKA Chauvelin, played Lucie's maid.) Is Lucie Minette enough of a character for an actress to portray with any life? I don't know. I just kept wondering why Sydney Tupperware was still in love with her; he should have met the little seamstress woman earlier ( ... )

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madeleinestjust January 14 2009, 18:30:41 UTC

I think that the only thing Jane Seymore lacked was the regal bearing of Merle Oberon.

That could be it. I am in no way condoning the choice of casting, but Elizabeth McGovern had more of a screen presence, I think. Any actress playing Maguerite should sort of hold the scene when she is on, even if the action is not directly concerning her.

How are you coming on the Opera Box, by the way?

Damn. Spotted. ;) I am struggling; your reply that you had quickly condensed the chapter into a short scene freaked me out! I think I need to trim it more, but I want to stay close to the book, and I have a 'vision' (not in a scary way) of how it should play, but I don't know how to write it. Me and my big mouth! I shall try and get it down as quickly as possible.

edgeofthewild January 14 2009, 19:44:10 UTC

Oooh, I like that idea, very much. And you are absolutely right, the wedding dress & travelling robe are awfully familiar. ;-)

madeleinestjust January 15 2009, 13:04:03 UTC

And I like your icon, very very much! So simple and yet so ... effective.

I think there must be a costume department, shared by all these 1980s period dramas. I would love to find it ;)

edgeofthewild January 15 2009, 16:03:11 UTC

Hee! Thank you! I am just madly in love with Tony (and with scruffy!Percy too, frankly). :D

Your icon is fabulous too -- any chance I could lift it? (with proper credit of course!)

Hehe, yes, I fully agree about the shared costume department. I think if I ever happened upon it I would just drool.

Ooh, so, that reminds me -- did you see the 1980s version of "The Man in the Iron Mask" (with Richard Chamberlain)? The reason I ask is because it also had Patrick McGoohan in it and he sadly passed away on Tuesday. *tear*

madeleinestjust January 15 2009, 16:21:10 UTC

Your icon is fabulous too -- any chance I could lift it? (with proper credit of course!)

Sadly, it's not mine - credit is due to xperfectlysane (Other icons are still up on this site.) But lift away, it's excellent!

And scruffy!Percy is wonderful, I completely agree. He's not scruffy when reunited with Marguerite, though, is he - she doesn't know what she's missing! I also think Chris Villiers as Tony is gorgeous - far better than goofy Andrew (although Andrew is hotter - than Percy, even - in both the 1932 and 1998 versions).

Richard Chamberlain disturbs me, somewhat, so I haven't seen his version of Iron Mask.

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