Films and novels they're based on should always be kept separate. It's impossible to transpose even a relatively short novel to the screen without sacrificing some parts, therefore the best movies are those that manage to capture the elusive "essence' of a novel. Or even better, those we haven't read the novel they're based on... which unfortunately cannot always be the case.
Probably nobody who read the book will fully appreciate this film. The problem is that Emma Bovary is a complex character and what we get here is just a bored housewife. It's a different tragedy, even if one can sympathise with the young, disappointed wife of the dull country doctor.
The only remedy for her lack of purpose is spending money and falling for other men. Emma's fall from grace is photographed beautifully and the costumes are fantastic. Unfortunately, the novel is so well known and well written that one finds it difficult to take seriously the character of Leon and the lack of the tragic figure of Emma's child.
Emma's tragedy is even more poignant because she drags her whole family down with her, while in this movie the damage seems limited and one can even imagine Charles Bovary recovering after a decent period of mourning.
Probably nobody who read the book will fully appreciate this film. The problem is that Emma Bovary is a complex character and what we get here is just a bored housewife. It's a different tragedy, even if one can sympathise with the young, disappointed wife of the dull country doctor.
The only remedy for her lack of purpose is spending money and falling for other men. Emma's fall from grace is photographed beautifully and the costumes are fantastic. Unfortunately, the novel is so well known and well written that one finds it difficult to take seriously the character of Leon and the lack of the tragic figure of Emma's child.
Emma's tragedy is even more poignant because she drags her whole family down with her, while in this movie the damage seems limited and one can even imagine Charles Bovary recovering after a decent period of mourning.