Review | The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister

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Plot: What’s it about?Video: How does it look?Audio: How does it sound?Supplements: What are the extras?

Plot: What’s it about?

Anne Lister (Maxine Peak) was not the kind of woman you ran across often in 19th century Yorkshire. She was a strong, independent woman who owned land and lived openly as a lesbian. As much as people tried to convince her to change her ways, she simply couldn’t fathom living a life that wasn’t hers. But her life is thrown into chaos when Marianne, her true love, agrees to marry an older, wealthy man, Charles Lawton. While shaken by this loss of passion and love, Anne throws herself in a chain of relationships and affairs. She finds a kindred spirit in Ann Walker and the two share a strong connection, but Anne wonders if the love she feels will ever match that she felt for Marianne. As time passes, Anne keeps a record of her sexual experiences in a coded diary, writing of her various experiences. Will Anne ever be able to rediscover the level of passion and love she felt for Marianna and regardless, what does the future hold for this unique woman?

This is a powerful story, especially given that it was based on real life events. To imagine a woman living openly as a lesbian in this time period is remarkable, but the film ensures more than her sexuality is explored. Maxine Peake turns in a potent performance as Anne Lister, which had to be a demanding role to bring to life. The inner strength is palpable in Peaker’s effort, as well as the more obvious external machinations. That strength is balanced with just the right emotional turmoil as well, which was crucial in order to present Lister’s struggles. The rest of the cast is quite good as well, with the dynamics between Peake and her more prominent female costars being a driving force. The chemistry needed to be there between Peake and her fictional romantic interests, so the cast works out quite well. This is a BBC production, so as expected the production values are solid, with lavish costumes and good attention to detail across the board. I found The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister to be a powerful, memorable experience and one that earns a high recommendation.

Video: How does it look?

The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is a high quality visual effort, as the image looks clean, clear, and refined. I found detail to be quite strong, with solid depth in most scenes. The colors have a bright, natural look and black levels are stark and accurate. Not much to complain about with this treatment, as the film looks clear and well detailed.

Audio: How does it sound?

The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is basic, but covers the needs of the material. The dialogue is clear and at a proper volume, which is crucial here. The surrounds don’t have a lot to do here, given the film’s dialogue driven nature, but the music does pump some life into the speakers. The rest of the audio tends to surface in the front channels, which is fine since the film doesn’t require a lot of presence or power. This disc includes English subtitles as well.

Supplements: What are the extras?

The extras consist of an interview with the director and lead, as well as a look at the real life Anne Lister.

Disc Scores

Plot: What’s it about?

Video: How does it look?

Audio: How does it sound?

Supplements: What are the extras?