denizov Review of Mrs Dalloway

Mrs Dalloway (1997)

An unsuccessful adaptation of Virginia Woolf's novel

[4/10 · 2 October 2012]

Let me start in this way: Woolf is a writer who is almost impossible to put on screen.It is so because there are hardly any plots in her works--the emphasis is on thoughts, memories, reflections, parallels and contrasts. Even taking this into consideration, I think this film is unsuccessful. First of all, the authors allow themselves too many liberties with the original text.Perhaps the greatest of them is that Clarissa and Septimius MEET in the film ( through the window of the shop). This spoils the whole idea of Woolf that her two main characters NEVER MEET in the novel. This is extremely important in the book and is ,I believe, one of the main themes in it.Second: at the end it is suggested in the film that Clarissa also contemplates suicide which again is NOT present in the book. And there are other "departures" from the text...These are not trifles as they change the whole perspective of the viewer. I am sure that most viewers would find the film boring and dealing with banalities, especially if they have not read the book. Septimius is unconvincing and he should have been EXPLAINED to the spectators more. In general the film leaves me with a taste of superficiality. There are lots of themes in it and important themes at that. But they all are presented very superficially and light-heartedly. As a whole the film can be classified as some kind of comedy and the funny, entertaining music also adds to this impression. But this is horribly wrong I think! Virginia Woolf's works are NEVER comedies and should never be presented as such I think. I myself have an ambiguous attitude to Woolf: I both like and dislike her but I have always considered her a serious author. This film will convince viewers that probably she is not worth reading which is a pity.