"The Jewel in the Crown" (1984) TV mini-series

User Rating:

8.4/10   

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

12 February 1985 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama | History | Romance | War

Plot:

The British Raj: though their position seems secure, thoughtful English men and women know that "their" time in India is coming to an end...

Plot Keywords:

British Raj | Rape | India | Indian History | Flashback

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 9 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

Tim Pigott-Smith	...	Capt. Ronald Merrick / ... (13 episodes, 1984)
Geraldine James	...	Sarah Layton (12 episodes, 1984)
Wendy Morgan	...	Susan Layton (11 episodes, 1984)
Judy Parfitt	...	Mildred Layton (9 episodes, 1984)
Rosemary Leach	...	Aunt Fenny (7 episodes, 1984)
Peggy Ashcroft	...	Barbie Batchelor (7 episodes, 1984)
Geoffrey Beevers	...	Kevin Coley / ... (7 episodes, 1984)
Eric Porter	...	Dimitri Bronowsky (6 episodes, 1984)
Nicholas Le Prevost	...	Nigel Rowan (6 episodes, 1984)
Art Malik	...	Hari Kumar (6 episodes, 1984)
Derrick Branche	...	Ahmed Kasim (6 episodes, 1984)

Runtime:

778 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Certification:

Spain:13 | Singapore:PG | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:M | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Kashmir, India

Company:

Granada Television

Quotes:

Dimitri Bronowsky: [looks at Perron's shoulder-tabs] Tell me what this stands for - AEC?
Capt. Ronald Merrick: [quickly] Army Education Corps.
Dimitri Bronowsky: I see. Tell me - how does one educate an army?
Guy Perron: One tries to see to it that it doesn't get bored.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Story of the Costume Drama: Affairs of the Heart (#1.3)" (2008)

One of television's finest achievements, depicting the end of an era

'The Raj Quartet' by Paul Scott is one of the finest and most underrated pieces of literature of the twentieth century. The scope and sweep of this epic story is enough to rival Leo Tolstoy's 'War and Peace', particularly in the way it moves so effortlessly from panoramic to personal drama. Scott masterfully interweaves a gripping, incredibly complex narrative with exquisitely fine characterisations and an extraordinarily vivid portrait of India. None of Scott's huge cast of characters -- however small their part -- is anything less than three-dimensional and there is scarcely a false note to be found.

The story chronicles the decline and fall of British India -- the raj -- culminating in the granting of Indian Independence in 1947. Scott's main objective was to show that by the time World War Two began, the British had no option but to 'quit' India and leave it 'to God or anarchy'. 'The Raj Quartet' is first and foremost an historical chronicle and, consequently, every single event and character is used to convey this and other subtle messages and to illustrate how the raj had reached a point of no return. The most tragic aspect of the story is that every character who ignores this situation or attempts to rectify it ultimately becomes a casualty of this great 'divorce' between Britain and India.

The two most important characters are Hari Kumar and Ronald Merrick. Kumar comes from an Indian family but his ambitious father takes him to England at the age of two and sends him to a top public school, in the hope that he will fulfil the Raj's aim in ruling India -- to westernise and 'civilise' its inhabitants. However, before his education is completed he is left destitute and forced to return to his native land. Although accepted in England, back in India he finds himself an outcast -- too British for the Indians; too Indian for the British. Ronald Merrick comes from a poor background, but in India he is able to climb up the ladder and become one of the 'ruling' class. However, in order to compensate for his own insecurities, he becomes the very worst type of colonialist -- brutal, racist and sadistic. Both characters are created to show the worst outcome of British India.

This fourteen-part adaptation, entitled 'The Jewel in the Crown' and originally transmitted in 1984, is astounding in its attention to detail of every kind. Ken Taylor's screenplay is so tightly written and astonishing in the way it manages to translate these books into a coherent, accessible drama, but at the same time, never straying from the spirit of the original. The pace is flawless; measured, yet utterly engrossing and filled with moments of both humour and heartbreaking pathos.

Christopher Morahan and Jim O'Brien's joint direction is splendid, making full use of India's spectacular locations. There are some truly beautiful moments, none more so than the very last shot which is unforgettable. Interspersed throughout is some marvellous newsreel footage, which proves fascinating. George Fenton's music is wonderful -- combining both the British and the Indian, as well as always complementing the drama and never dominating it, achieving just the right balance. The sets, costumes and make up are all top notch and the entire atmosphere is conjured up with such consistently scrupulous authenticity that watching it really is like escaping into the almost alien world of 1940s' India.

The casting is little short of inspired and the length of the scenes allows the players to develop their characters slowly, gradually peeling away layer by layer. Every single actor/actress appears to connect with and understand their character to such an amazing degree and the performances are uniformly impressive and well-judged, hitting just the right note in every case. These characters are after all roles to die for. As the central protagonist Ronald Merrick -- the one character to appear in all four of the books and who links everyone else together -- Tim Pigott-Smith is compelling. He breathes life into a character who is only ever seen through the eyes of other people. Geraldine James is particularly good in the complex role of Sarah Layton -- one of the most challenging parts -- playing her with tremendous subtlety and capturing her 'watchful' quality. Charles Dance simply exudes charisma as Guy Perron, in his star-making role. Art Malik is outstanding as Hari Kumar. He makes you feel the perpetually insurmountable plight of the young man so intensely. Daphne Manners is beautifully played by Susan Wooldridge. She imbues the character with great courage and dignity. The great Peggy Ashcroft as Barbie Batchelor is absolutely superb, delivering one of the greatest performances ever to grace the small screen.

And that is just the leads! There are many, many more excellent performances, with Judy Parfitt as Mildred Layton, Wendy Morgan as Susan Layton -- although she should be dark, to provide more of a contrast with James' Sarah -- and the scene-stealing Eric Porter as Count Dmitri Bronowsky being particular standouts. However, practically everyone leaves a vivid impression -- Rosemary Leach, Nicholas Le Prevost, Derrick Branche, Nicholas Farrell, Zohra Segal, Matyelok Gibbs, Fabia Drake, Rachel Kempson, Warren Clarke, Zia Moyheddin, Frederick Treves -- right down to those in the smallest roles such as Janet Henfrey, Stuart Wilson and Peter Jeffrey.

This is impeccable in every way, dare I say flawless. One of the best television drama serials ever made.