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Movie Review: Vanity Fair (1987) [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2024-06-15  

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SPOILER ALERT!

Vanity Fair is my favorite novel. A long time ago, after seeing every adaptation of that novel that was available, I published an essay reviewing them. I was especially disappointed by the fact that every single version omitted the murder of Jos Sedley, allowing him to live in all cases, and usually pairing him up with Becky Sharp at the end, the very woman who killed him in the book.

Three years ago, upon reading the novel for a fourth time, I finally figured out the meaning of the allusion to Philomela. I decided that the significance of Philomela regarding the murder of Jos Sedley was enough to justify publishing an update, which I did.

Since then, I have finally been able to see another adaptation of Vanity Fair, the 1987 television series, but there is no need for another update. It will suffice to provide a link to the previous essay:

Movie Review: Vanity Fair (The Book and the Adaptations)

Much to my surprise, the murder of Jos Sedley is actually depicted in the 1987 version, and in a manner similar to that in the novel. Unfortunately, the quality of this television series is only fair. Still, given that it is the only version I have seen in which Becky slowly poisons Jos to get money from his life insurance policy, I felt obligated to at least give it credit for doing what all the other versions have failed to, either out of the need to comply with the standards of censorship at the time, or owing to a failure of nerve. Therefore, this 1987 version wins the award for The Most Faithful Adaptation.

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