PERSUASION: A Modestly Flawed Adaptation

If there is one thing a Jane Austen novel knows how to tackle, it is the timeless idea surrounding unrequited love. Through cleverly crafted displays of society and matters of the heart, Austen’s literary classics have remained their own timeless capsules of love. And over the years, cinema has done everything is can to bring her vision to life. Though it is not without its own trials and tribulations, some adaptations proving to be more successful than others. Where Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice breathed life into beloved literary pages, Persuasion finds that the jump from page to screen is a bit more challenging.

This is not to say that Persuasion is a bad film, rather it proves itself fairly entertaining. Though it is a film that fails to hide its struggles. There is wit and precision, but there are also drawn out moments as well, especially in its audience addressing monologues, that will test the patience and attention of its audience. Yet, while there is plenty to fault the film on, there is also plenty to entertain.

Sharp Opening

The opening of Persuasion is where the film is at is sharpest. Anne Gilliot (Dakota Johnson) is brilliant and captivating, addressing the camera directly and inviting her audience to become her deepest of confidants. This feeling grows as the film progresses, its initial introduction also welcoming of a constantly maintained breaking of the fourth wall. As Anne moves between addressing the audience and interacting with those around her, we begin to understand her predicament and the pain of a love loss that she has felt for years.

As she reveals to us, she had been persuaded by her family to refuse a man she loved and was prepared to marry because he was a sailor. Having not rank or money, Wentworth (Cosmo Jarvis) was viewed as a poor suitor for Anne – reflecting more on what her family preserves for their own image rather than Anne’s. Since her decision, Anne has regretted it immensely, unable to move on from the past and living in a constant state of grief.

Though, as her father Sir Elliot’s (Richard E. Grant) estate falls into debt, the universe seems to set a plan in motion, bringing Anne and Wentworth back together – though separate all the same. Persuasion allows us to bond with Anne in her perception of unrequited love, our introduction to Wentworth driving the idea even further. We feel for Anne as she tries her best to put on a good face, ourselves maintaining the same thread of hope that our protagonist is literally clinging too.

The Hiccups

Persuasion feels like a Jane Austen adaptation, and I would be lying if I told you watching this film did not create a stirring to return to others that have come before. From the lighting to the costume design, Persuasion could easily be put along side other films of this nature, such as Sense and Sensibility, Emma and Pride and Prejudice, and feel as if they were all one and the same. Where the film begins to struggle is in its execution of the source material.

The monologues to the camera drive home the idea we are the confidant of Anne. Where previous Austen adaptations would have the audience watch as its central protagonist seeks the confidence of another on screen, Persuasion speaks directly to the audience. Yet, too often these monologues towards the audience drags the pace the film works so hard to establish, putting a strain on the audience’s attention and connection with the film. Had these monologues been a bit more balanced between audience and surrounding characters, the execution would have had more of an impact. Yet, thankfully this strain is eased as Anne’s confidence extends beyond, the playfulness of breaking the fourth wall in the middle of her interactions with others giving the film its wit and deeply developing the character of Anne herself.

There are moments to when scenes drag on preceding or following the character’s interactions with one another. While presented to create that sense of longing, these moments to threaten the connection the audience may have with the film. Shortening or not including at all would have allowed Persuasion to maintain a steady pace and give its central cast more of a fluidity of movement between scenes.

There is also an out of place feeling in the film’s need to modernize this classic literary romance. Playlists, “I’m an empath” and suggestive lines of masturbation amongst friends may have been a welcomed change if the works of Jane Austin hadn’t been so successful in the past without them – and not so in your face overall. The text the film is based on is strong enough to stand as a timely classic, these alterations lending themselves more to distraction than enhancement.

Conclusion:

Honestly, the standout in Persuasion is Dakota Johnson. She completely embodies the spirit and beauty of Anne Elliot. Where Persuasion seems to capture the essence of a Cinderella-sequence fairy tale, any success of execution lies heavily on the performance of Johnson. Even when the moments feel like they may be starting to drag and the score delivers a heavier weight than might have been intended, Johnson shines, giving the film the breath of fresh air it needs.

Persuasion sadly rushes to its conclusion, lacking the full cathartic realization of its central romance. Much of this rushed feeling surrounds the introduction of Mr. Elliot (Henry Golding) at Bath and the subsequent fall out from his arrival. Though even with this rushed ending and various bumps in the road, Persuasion proves itself a modest adaptation that, while not the best, is sure to entertain.

Have you seen Persuasion? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below!

Persuasion is now on Netflix!

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