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Clarissa
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The hints were there all along, of course, in this original dangerous liaison, based on the 1748 novel by Samuel Richardson: The virginal Clarissa Harlowe (who'd be obnoxiously virtuous if not for the steely performance of Saskia Wickham) suffers horrendously at the hands of her jealous siblings, overlooked in their grandfather's will (he left his fortune to Clarissa), so they scheme to marry her to the most hideous clown of an aristocrat they can find -- picture a Regency version of Carrot Top, and imagine the gall.
The evil glee with which Clarissa's family variously disowns and dishonors her foreshadows the horror to come, as she is forced by circumstance to throw herself upon the mercy of notorious rake Robert Lovelace (a harrowing Sean Bean: The Island), who is alternately plotting to pluck her virtue and finding himself genuinely besotted by her. This is the rare period production that is enjoyable as both serious drama and delicious camp... until that riveting moment toward the end, when you'll be tempted to start watching all over again in order to appreciate how dark the entire affair really is. The transfer to DVD of this 1991 production is fine, and unexpected among the bonus material are outtakes and actors' screen tests.
--MAJ, 08.23.05
Source: Flickfilosopher.com
Clarissa
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Feeling the pressure from her upwardly mobile family, who are pushing her to marry an aristocratic gentleman she can't abide, the lovely Clarissa Harlowe (Saskia Wickham) seeks a way to escape their clutches.
Finding solace in Robert Lovelace (Sean Bean), the man who helps her escape her fate, Clarissa sees her world about to cave in once again when the nefarious Lovelace makes it clear that he has designs on her himself.
Source: Yahoo movies
Set in Georgian England, Clarissa is an adaptation of Samuel Richardson's classic 18th century novel about the saintly, beautiful but doomed heroine Clarissa Harlowe and the aristocratic rake Robert Lovelace, whose obsession with Clarissa leads to tragedy. Clarissa, written in 1747-1748, is the longest novel in the English language! This BBC production features Saskia Wickham as Clarissa and Sean Bean as Lovelace. At her grandfather's death, Clarissa, the youngest daughter of the wealthy but untitled Harlowe family, inherits his estates, to the shock and dismay of her family. Her brother and sister are jealous, and her parents, motivated by greed, arrange an advantageous marriage to a local land owner whom Clarissa despises.
Enter his rival: young, handsome aristocrat Lovelace, who is intrigued by Clarissa's beauty and her virtue and offers her a means of escape from the prison of her home: to run away with him. Clarissa is wary of Lovelace's reputation, but desperate to escape, and Lovelace insists his intentions are honourable, so she flees with him. Lovelace takes Clarissa to an inn where he has found respectable lodgings. He offers her marriage, but Clarissa, unhappy in her compromised situation and distrustful of Lovelace's intentions, refuses his advances and demands her independence.
Tantalized by Clarissa's combination of unapproachability and sexual vulverability, Lovelace persuades her to move with him to London, and tricks her into lodging in what he tells her is a respectable house. In fact, the house is a brothel, run by Lovelace's accomplice, Mrs. Sinclair. Clarissa escapes the brothel, moving to new lodgings in Hampstead. Lovelace tracks her down and, in disguise, insinuates himself into the confidence of her protectors. Using all his theatrical and persuasive talents, he regains his power over Clarissa . He arranges for one of his accomplices to pretend to be his aunt and to offer Clarissa protection.
Eventually, he succeeds in returning Clarissa to the London brothel where, maddened by her defiance, he drugs and rapes her. Clarissa escapes once more but, although unbroken in spirit, she is worn down in mind and body by her ordeal, and, huddling in a pauper's lodgings, refusing food, she prepares for a martyr's death.
Clarissa is based on the novel of the same name, written by Samuel Jackson. The novel is set in Georgian England, and revolves around Clarissa Harlowe, a virtuous heiress.
When Clarissa comes into her Grandfather's inheritance, there is much jealousy and sibling rivalry. This is heightened even more when Robert Lovelace, (Sean Bean) forsakes the charms of Clarissa's sister Bella, for Clarissa.
Clarissa, desperate to escape the clutches of her family, who have virtually imprisoned her in her own home, and are attempting to betroth her to someone she will not accept at any cost, believes the lies of the incorrigible Lovelace and flees to London with him under his "protection"
Clarissa soon begins to realise that she has made a terrible mistake as she encounters lies and deception at every turn. Lovelace is a treacherous rake who is plotting Clarissa's downfall, as she is part of a wager, that Lovelace can succeed in seducing a virgin who is renowned for her piety.
The wager however soons falls by the wayside, as the seduction of Clarissa becomes a personal challenge for Lovelace, a challenge which totally consumes him, and which eventually leads him to force his effections upon Clarissa. An act which has dire consequences for Lovelace and imposes on Clarissa an emotional burden that she cannot bear to live with.
Saskia Wickham starred as Clarissa, with Sean Bean playing the dissolute rogue, Lovelace. With a budget of over 3 million, filming on Clarissa began 29 Apr 1991 and continued for 16 weeks until 19 July 1991. Locations included several large country houses (one in the north of England, another near Stratford, and a third in Hampstead). Some exteriors were shot outside The Inns of Court in London but much of the filming was done at London's Ealing Studios, where a three-storey Georgian house was specially constructed for the series.
