The lowdown: Produced in 1996 and directed by Michael Winterbottom, 'Jude' is a story of forbidden love in the 
Victorian era. Based on a Thomas Hardy novel, 'Jude the Obscure', it stars Christopher Eccleson as Jude Fawley, 
a working-class man who has dreams of going to university and teaches himself Latin and Greek, after being inspired
to educate himself by his schoolteacher, Richard Phillotson. Jude marries Arabella Donn in the belief that she is 
carrying his child, but it was a lie and the marriage ends. He travels to the university town of Chistminster, where he
works as a stonemason and applies to study at Biblioll College. His application is rejected, with the master of the college 
advising that he "remain in his sphere", but he meets and falls in love with Sue Bridehead (Kate Winslet), despite the fact
that they are cousins. Eentually realising that they cannot be together, he introduces her to Phillotson, who proposes to
her. However, this marriage is also a failure, and Sue finds solace in the arms of Jude.

Now a couple but unmarried, Jude and Sue have two children of their own, while looking after Jude Jr, the child of Jude's
first marriage (Arabella having revealed that she had in fact fallen pregnant). However, they have difficulty in obtaining work
and lodgings wherever they go, as the fact that they have children out of wedlock offends the morals of many of the locals.
A horrifying tragedy involving the death of their children (you will have to watch the film to see exactly what happens), finally
drives the hapless couple apart. The film ends with a heartwrenching scene where they part company for the last time on 
Christmas Day, in the cemetery where their children are buried.

The verdict: 'Jude' is a powerful film full of emotion and pathos, and Eccleston and Winslet are both superb. It is 
essentially a love story, but the writer and director quite rightly downplay the fact that the two main characters are cousins.
David Tennant also has a small role as an undergraduate student who challenges Jude to recite the Creed in Latin (which he
does, of course). Tennant's character only appears for a few seconds, and appears in the credits as "Drunk undergraduate". 
This film is highly recommended to anybody who enjoys quality drama, great acting and an emotionally-satisfying script. 
However, it is definitely only for mature audiences, as it features full frontal nudity and a birth scene that leaves absolutely 
nothing to the imagination.
 
  Quotes:
Jude: A difficult question for any man to answer. Whether to follow his 
dreams not matter what or give in slowly and let life let him where it will.

Jude: We are man and wife, if ever two people were on this earth.

   Video Clips:
Jude meets Sue Bridehead  (4.0mb)
Reciting the Creed in Latin  (6.2mb)
Sue gets married  (6.1mb)
Saying goodbye  (5.8mb)

  DVD

 

Novel

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