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PD James' The Adam Dalgliesh Chronicles
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Definitve Dalgliesh collection.
Review date: 2008-11-06 Rating: 10 out of 10
PD James' The Adam Dalgliesh Chronicles
Roy Marsden IS Dalgliesh in the fine series of dramatisation of P D James first ten novels featuring the poetry writing thinking persons detective.
Initially the BBC selected the most suitable novels for adaptation, and in the case of "Death of an Expert Witness" considerably deepening the characterisation in the process, reading the book after seeing the series is something of a shock.
As a result of the dramatisations P D James gained a greater awareness of the potential of Dalgliesh and wrote one of the really great crime novels "A Taste for Death" also one of the best dramatisations.
Four novels were adapted in shorter three episode formats, the two early novels "Unnatural Causes" and "A Mind for Murder) are the least satisfactory, but are faithful to the novels in the author's earlier style.
I find "Original Sin" a fine series and faithful to the book. In "A Certain Justice" P D James took a change of direction with other characters dominating the earlier part and Dalgliesh appearing later, it is faithful to the book but does not meet normal expectations.
The extras are three interviews with Roy Marsden, and the transfers excellent.
Absolute must for fans.
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Reviews
Comments by Michael Calum Jacques, author of '1st Century Radical'.
Review date: 2008-06-17 Rating: 8 out of 10
Customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars Drama and Detection! Comments by Michael Calum Jacques
This suitably presented DVD set contains the T.V. adaptations of the crime fiction novels written by P.D. James and featuring the detective and poet Adam Dalgliesh, based at New Scotland Yard but making frequent 'sorties' to East Anglia and, occasionally, elsewhere.
The set is complete and comes with many extras, including televised and written interviews with Roy Marsden. Informal and informative, these furnish an added dimension to the viewing of each episode as that player's 'on screen' time alone as Adam Dalgliesh is in the region of a staggering 36 hours!
Phyllis Dorothy James White, Baroness James of Holland Park (b. 1920) did not in fact begin writing until she was in her thirties and it was 1962 before her first novel, 'Cover Her Face', was actually published. More recently, she has received serious literary acclaim and is now respected as perhaps Britain's premier writer of crime fiction, although such proposals can inevitably be countermanded by the opinions, tastes and preferences of other reviewers ... and rightly so! What we can say for certain is, hitherto, at least, James' other 'crime creature', Cordelia Gray, has not enjoyed such a scorching ascent to the azimuth of public acclaim as Adam Dalgliesh has! P.D. James has been awarded the mantle, by some writers, of being the obvious successor to Agatha Christie.
The novels and, to a considerable extent, these excellent adaptations, too, furnish a number of features usually considered to be James' 'watermarks'; there is usually a balance between an urban and a rural setting of the plot (with the possible exception of 'A Taste for Death', 1986) and there is usually a large institution (a hospital, retirement home, church, nurses home, even a nuclear power station et al) in evidence which houses a number of suspects. Her 1989 novel, Devices and Desires, provides the reader with what is perhaps the most excellent modern example (within the crime fiction genre)of a cunning and misleading intertwining of plot and subplot. Fortunately, the T.V adaptation and screenplay of 'Devices and Desires' do not disappoint, with exceptional casting and five hours running time in which to develop the carefully sculptured characterizations, so representative of the writer.
We should not be surprised by the authoress' preoccupation with institutions. She herself commenced employment in the Department of Home Affairs (Crimainal Department) and she remained a civil servant - including work in the Criminal Law department of the Home Office - up to her retirement in 1979. The exacting, and sometimes decisive forensic details add an edge to her books and to these episodes; in almost each instance, precise details are finely delineated and scrutinised, probably most notably in the eerily ambient adaptation of 'A Taste for Death'.
As a character, Commander Adam Dalgliesh is most certainly a highly cultivated individual with, at times, what amounts to a pitiless attention to detail. He has found success in his prime occupation along with passing accreditation as a man of letters ... Notwithstanding all this, this bard's amorous pursuits, in stark contrast, have been serenaded only by dirges and delusion. This makes him something of a complex personality; at times brooding and pondering; at other times, mechanically analytical. In print and on screen Dalgliesh often appears to be more content when engaged in contemplation than he does when part of a social company; pure sensory emotion alone does not suffice.
To sum up, this is an excellent collection and the productions have faired pretty well. What the older episodes lack in technical effects and frills, they more than compensate for with their copious indulgence in plot, subplot and luxurious characterisation.
Michael Calum Jacques (aka Mike MacKinnon, former radio presenter)
Measured Detection, Measured Diction
Review date: 2008-01-29 Rating: 10 out of 10
Roy Marsden made the role of Dalgleish his own. This is the kind of policeman English people like and there are parallels to Inspector Morse: a thoughtful senior detective, caring, cultured (Dalgleish a published poet, Morse a music buff and above all a Wagnerian). There are some differences: Morse less likely to go along with changes in society and manners, Dalgleish more physically active. He's higher in rank, too, a Detective Chief Superintendent, later a Commander in the Metropolitan Police as against Morse's Det. Chief Inspector from Thames Valley. And Dalgleish is more politically connected and involved with "security" matters etc. Dalgleish is more ruthless than Morse, harshly manipulating a young girl in one story, to achieve "justice". Both detectives are unlucky with women, Dalgleish more obviously active in that way too, a widower with the occasional girlfriend, Morse a perennial bachelor who always seems to lose out, only to take solace from real ale and single malt Scotch whisky.
These stories, filmed in the early to mid 1980's (in the case of the better ones; the less good are the later ones made in the early 1990's), often have an East Anglian location or background, like the books of Dorothy L. Sayers. The windswept, sometimes bleak geographical background suits the specific locations of several of the tales, set as they are in fairly structured micro-societies: clinics, laboratory institutes, care homes etc. The societal differences between the quite "statist" Dalgleish stories and the more "Thatcherite" background of those of Morse (chronologically overlapping, the first filmed only 5-10 years later than the earliest of these) make an interesting contrast.
As other reviewers have commented here, these stories are well worth their length and repay the time taken to watch them.
Dalgliesh does not improve with age
Review date: 2007-07-16 Rating: 6 out of 10
The first six stories here are all very long and each require a double DVD to tell their tale. They are: 'Death of an Expert Witness', 'Shroud for a Nightingale', 'Cover Her Face', 'The Black Tower', 'A Taste for Death' and 'Devices and Desires'. Roy Marsden is cool, imposing and authoritative throughout all of these episodes and does a great job of bringing Adam Dalgliesh to life. Production values are old-fashioned by today's standards, but the quality is unmistakable.
The final four stories are all much shorter and are abysmal in comparison. They are: 'Unnatural Causes', 'A Mind to Murder', 'Original Sin' and 'A Certain Justice'. In these episodes Dalgliesh has been transformed and is largely unrecognisable to his former self. Increased technology does nothing to mask poor production; everything from the script to the editing in these stories is lackluster and ham fisted. After sitting through the final four discs in this set, one is left with little doubt as to why Roy Marsden gave up the role.
If you are a P.D. James fan, try and pick up the first six Adam Dalgliesh stories on their own.
A Classic Revisited
Review date: 2007-06-08 Rating: 8 out of 10
At first the earlier episodes of this P D James classic series seem slow paced in comparision with today's fast moving television dramas. However this is soon outwayed by intricate plots and a greater depth of character than we have now come to expect.
Roy Marsden is the definitive Dalgliesh, mixing the character's high intellect with soft spoken manner to a tee.
As you watch more of the episodes you find yourself unable to wait to watch the next.
Excellent for any lover of detective drama that actually allows the viewer to think for themselves.
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Roy Marsden
Creators:
Roy Marsden (Primary Contributor)
Recording label: Network
Manufacturer: Network
EAN: 5027626265946
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 16
Format: Box set, PAL,
Release date: 2007-02-19
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 2300 minutes
Language: English (Original Language)