DVD Reviews
DVD Review: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
By June L.
Apr 22, 2008, 14:37 GMT

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is the story of a mid-nineteenth century woman who had the courage and inventiveness to break away from an abusive marriage to save herself and her son from corruption. 

Written by Anne Bronte, youngest sibling of Charlotte Bronte author of Jane Eyre, it is a story full of strength, loyalty, duty and love.  This 1996 BBC production does the novel credit and is beautiful in both filming and performances.

It is one of the great literary mysteries as to where Anne, Charlotte and Emily Bronte found the inspiration much less the skill to craft their emotionally complex novels.  As three young daughters of a rural clergyman, living relatively sheltered lives away from any large society, we can only marvel at the dramatic scope of their individual works.  Books have been written about the influences on these children, from a Celtic housekeeper’s stories, to their own superb imaginations and voracious reading all playing a part in developing their writing skills. 

What will probably remain forever unknown is how they wove such truthful representations of unorthodox relationships without having ever experienced them.  Anne and Emily did not marry and died young, Charlotte married only in her thirties and died soon after giving birth to a child.

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall begins with the arrival in a Yorkshire farming community of a young widow Mrs. Helen Graham (Tara Fitzgerald) and her little boy.  She is an artist and plans to make a living by selling her landscapes and portraits.  As she keeps to herself, and does not venture out socially, gossip and rude rumors soon flow.  Most of the town will not associate with her, but Gilbert Markham (Toby Stephens), his sister Rose and their mother stand by Mrs. Graham in friendship. 

Eventually Helen reveals to Gilbert the particulars of her story, who she is and why she is determined to live on her own and how necessary it is to protect her child.  Gilbert is impressed with her courage, and is dumbfounded when she returns to her husband Arthur Harrington (Rupert Graves).

Arthur is dying from complaints brought on by his excesses, and Helen hopes that by doing her duty and caring for him, and by allowing little Arthur to have visits with him she can at last help her husband realize his better nature.

Tara Fitzgerald and Rupert Graves do justice to Anne Bronte’s story of the love that should have been right, but was so wrong.  There are elements of pity and compassion for Arthur, he was spoiled and given his way, so that he could only become a hedonist.  He had no direction or purpose other than seeking his own pleasures. 

He truly loves Helen when they marry, and she optimistically (because she does not know the depth of his dissolution) thinks that her love will change him for the better.  In turn we feel for Helen, who has been gently raised and is so spiritually acute that she is completely brutalized by Arthur’s words and attitudes.  Once she becomes pregnant, Arthur is bored leaving Helen for long periods of time to seek more interesting company in town, and then berates her lack of care for him when he returns. 

There are constant clashes once Little Arthur is born, and Helen leaves, until Arthur summons her to his side in his illness.  The ending is inevitable, but Anne Bronte made a phoenix rise from the ashes of the unhappy relationship, and this production gives a wholehearted representation of the phenomenon.

All episodes of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall are presented on a single disc with a running time of 160 minutes.  Subtitles are available in English for the hearing impared.  This production won both Peabody and BAFTA awards, and has been restored and remastered for DVD. 

A classic that is anything but boring, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall belongs in the collection of those who appreciate a skillful and beautiful production.

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is now available at Amazon and AmazonUK. Visit the DVD database for more information.