Product Description

Studio: A&e Home Video Release Date: 04/29/2008

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12438 in DVD
• Brand: A&E HOME ENT.
• Released on: 2008-04-29
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 253 minutes

Features

• Anglophiles will find much to admire in the 1978 production Disraeli, a comprehensive look at the political and personal lives of one of that nation's most important historical figures. Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881), played by Ian McShane (Deadwood, The Golden Compass) in a bravura performance, was "an enigma even to myself," as he puts it. Born to Jewish parents but baptized into the

Amazon.com
Anglophiles will find much to admire in the 1978 production Disraeli, a comprehensive look at the political and personal lives of one of that nation's most important historical figures. Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881), played by Ian McShane (Deadwood, The Golden Compass) in a bravura performance, was "an enigma even to myself," as he puts it. Born to Jewish parents but baptized into the Anglican Church as a boy, he had already established a reputation as an author of "scandalous" novels, not to mention a silver-tongued flatterer and ladies man, when he began pursuing his political ambitions in his early thirties. His career didn't exactly get off to a flying start; it took him five tries to win a seat in Parliament as a "progressive conservative," and even then his defiant, blustery style earned him little favor among the somnolent stiffs who comprised much of that august body, some of whom dismissed him as "a tinseled coxcomb" whose attire resembled that of "an Italian dancing master" (Disraeli was known to sport lavish amounts of jewelry early in his career). Anti-Semitism didn't help, either. But he persevered, going on to serve twice as Prime Minister (the first and thus far only Jew to do so) and proving himself to be an eloquent and able leader with a dynamic vision that government should be more than simply a monarch ruling through an enlightened aristocracy (Rosemary Leach charmingly plays Queen Victoria, the monarch in question, with whom Disraeli formed a close and fruitful relationship).

The series also details his personal life, focusing on his 33-year marriage to the considerably older Mary Anne Lewis (Mary Peach), the widow of Disraeli's former patron and a seemingly frivolous chatterbox whom he admittedly married for her money ("I never intend to marry for love," he said. "It's a guarantee of unhappiness"), only to end up completely devoted to her. Along the way, Disraeli and his fellow politicians also deal with issues ranging from India and the Suez Canal to Ireland and the looming threat posed by Germany's "Iron Chancellor," Otto von Bismarck. All of this is accomplished primarily with words (including Disraeli's own, as well as those of scriptwriter David Butler), and there are lots of them. Disraeli isn't exactly action-packed--indeed, this is a genteel, stately, and occasionally rather tedious undertaking--but those willing to stick with it for its four-plus hours will find no shortage of rewards. --Sam Graham

Customer Reviews

history made simple but enjoyable
There was a time when Masterpiece Theatre truly showed masterpieces rather than sordid and foul detective series or more recent novels that are perhaps a notch above Harlequin Romances. One of the better series, I recall, told the story of the life, loves and political triumphs of Benjamin Disraeli; and I have often longed to see it again, knowing full well it went the way of many old films introduced by Alistaire Cooke in the good old days. Well lo and behold! Acorn Media has made Disraeli: Portrait of a Romantic available once more in a boxed set of four one-hour video tapes. Like most BBC historical recreations, this one-although produced on a modest budget, as one can tell from the absence of crowd scenes-is extremely accurate as to décor, dress, speech patterns, body language, and all those details that so add to our enjoyment and appreciation of the subject matter. Then again we have the grand British acting tradition in which even the smaller roles are played with individuality and an avoidance of stereotyping. Ian McShane is our Disraeli and viewers of `Lovejoy " and "The Dick Francis Mysteries" just might recognize him. The historically accurate way in which the younger Disraeli overdressed himself as a defense against anti-Semitism is worth the price of the set alone, as are the looks he gets when he changes to almost Puritan black and enters Parliament as a new man. After what we just went through in our nation's capital, it is refreshing to see the story of a truly talented man who acted for the good of his country and when he thought his Party wrong, told them so! Even when he decided that marriage with a rich widow considerably older than himself was the only way to pay his debts, he spent most of the rest of his life as the happiest of married men. The estimable Mary Anne is played wrinkles and all by Mary Peach, who perfectly portrays the sort of wife that such a man needs. And after seeing the dour Queen Victoria of Judi Dench in the recent film "Mrs. Brown," it is a bit surprising to see the almost jolly Victoria of Rosemary Leach. Very human, very believable. Of course, a little boning up on what "Liberal," "Conservative," "Tory," and so on meant back then would help a little toward better understanding the intricacies of the political situation-but this is exactly what I hinted at above. What better way to teach the history of any period than to feed it up in a thumping good story. For myself, I found the social posturing of the times as much fun as the history lesson. By the way, very little of both have changed, since those who do not read their history are bound to repeat its mistakes. As you watch you cannot help but see how important it was to oppose the party in power no matter what plan they had for the country. The important thing was to act for Your Party, which usually meant fighting the Other Party tooth and nail over everything. If this sounds familiar, you see my point. Most of all, this is the story of a man taking social prejudices in the only way that works: showing them that he is better than any of them. For example, when Baron Rothchild was elected to Parliament, he refused to take the oath on anything but the Old Testament. When Disraeli wanted to shame the House for their bigotry, he appealed to them as a Christian (he had converted long before that) and reminded them that Rothchild was of the same religion as Christ. In a later sequence, he asked his bitterest opponent to be Viceroy of India because Disraeli thought him the best man for the job. This is what we used to call integrity

A compelling story about a very powerful and diverse man.
The life of Disraeli draws you in and keeps you captured until the very last episode.

Great recreation of a great man's life
In a bravura performance, Ian McShane (of Deadwood fame currently and, I think, a very underrated actor) brings to fascinating life one of the most intriguing, multi-dimensional figures of English (or any) history. Benjamin Disraeli was a Jew, a fact that would normally have precluded him from ever rising in the British government. However, he was no ordinary man and this retelling of his story is utterly absorbing. From his start as a romantic novelist and outrageous fop, we follow his rise to the leadership of his country, admiring his skill in learning his way around English society (one of the most effective ways into English politics), charming all the right women, intriguing and outwitting the men, and developing into a genuine statesman along the way. His relationship with Queen Victoria and her consort, Albert, and then with the Queen alone after Albert's death is worth the price of admission (though maybe not the resale price) alone. Victoria, herself often misunderstood and underestimated, found a trusted advisor, brilliant political tactician, and real kindred spirit in Disraeli and this film captures it to perfection. Filled with the usual outstanding (in British productions)secondary performances, this is a series to be treasured.