Plot: What’s it about?
This is a three volume collection which spans many tales of The Scarlet Pimpernel. It is not my intention to spoil any of the twists or turns this series offers, so I will provide a brief and simple plot outline for the first volume in the series. Percy Blakeney (Richard E. Grant) is a British aristocrat with little in terms of charisma, at least when he isn’t under the guise of a swashbuckling hero. You see Blakeney has another aspect to himself, a heroic and noble side that he displays when he dons a mask and becomes The Scarlet Pimpernel. In the midst of the French revolution, The Scarlet Pimpernel works to save innocent people from having their heads removed by the bloodthirsty masses. It seems like someone is always facing the guillotines, but very few of them deserve that fate so Blakeney takes it upon himself to save them. But even as this dashing savior Blakeney is in grave danger, as the heads of the government seek to discover his true identity and send him to the guillotine.
This adaptation of The Scarlet Pimpernel is presented by A&E in a boxed three disc collection, but they’ve done little in terms of adding value to the title. As for the feature itself, this is a fine representation of the story and while the production values aren’t on feature film levels, the series still comes off very well in this adaptation. The costumes are beautiful and seem very intricate, while the production design is just as impressive with gorgeous locations and realistic sets and interiors. If you’ve other A&E pieces such as Horatio Hornblower, then you’ll know what to expect in terms of production values and such. For such an epic and sprawling storyline such as this, this series does a great turn in keeping all in touch and making it come together. But while I liked The Scarlet Pimpernel a lot, this release from A&E has some issues I need to speak about. This release sports a sixty dollar suggested price and for a release with no bonus materials at all, I think that’s on the steep side. Had they issued some nice supplements like they did with Horatio Hornblower, I could recommend this release with no hesitation. But as it stands, I am forced to recommend a rental in almost all cases unless you simply can’t live without this in your collection.
The first two volumes of this series were directed by Patrick Lau, who has some experience directing period pieces and television films. His talents are put to good use in this series, as he delivers a solid pair of adventure tales loaded with danger and suspense. I’m sure it wasn’t easy bringing this tale to the screen, especially on a made for television budget, but Lau comes through in the end to be sure. If you want to see more of Lau’s work I recommend The Return Of Sherlock Holmes, The Casebook Of Sherlock Holmes, and Invasion: Earth. The third volume was directed by Edward Bennett, who keeps the same tone and texture in the final episode. The lead in this series is played by Richard E. Grant, who brings the character to life in perfect form. Grant (The Age Of Innocence, Spice World) is able to balance his dual roles very well and fills them with a balance of arrogance and nobility. Also turning in a solid performance is Elizabeth McGovern (The Wings Of The Dove, Twice Upon A Yesterday), who plays her role with charisma and charm to no end. The rest of the cast includes Beth Goddard (The Last Seduction II), Anthony Green (Tomorrow Never Dies), Suzanne Bertish (Thin Ice, The 13th Warrior), and Martin Shaw (The Golden Voyage Of Sinbad).
Video: How does it look?
The Scarlet Pimpernel is presented in a full frame transfer, which retains the original aspect ratio of the series. This was a made for television feature so the image is sharp and solid, but lacks the polish of a major motion picture. Nonetheless, A&E has issued this series in fine form on this release and I doubt many will complain about this transfer. The colors retain a natural tone which means they never become vibrant, but this is the intentional visual effect and I never found any smears or bleeds. The flesh tones emerge well also, as they display natural hues that never distort. The contrast is just as impressive, with high visible detail levels and bold, accurate shadow layering. I found no compression errors and the source print used shows little in terms of grain or debris.
Audio: How does it sound?
This release contains a 2.0 surround track which sounds very good, much better than I expected in fact. You’ll notice some nice directional use when it comes to background noise and such, but this mix belongs to the musical score. The score emerges in spectacular fashion and sounds rich and immersive at all times. This is one of the best 2.0 surround mixes I’ve heard and I can’t find imagine it disappointing anyone. The dialogue is sharp and clean as well, which cements this as a tremendous track. This release is also closed captioned, which is always welcome.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This release contains no bonus materials.
