Name: Retro Film Review: Basil (1998)
Item: Basil
Rating: 50
Author: @drax

(source:tmdb.org)

(SPECIAL NOTE: Capsule version of the review is available here.)

Christian Slater's role of Will Scarlet in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is not among the brightest moments in that actor's career. Following that film, it was very hard to imagine Slater playing Englishman again. But Slater defied such expectations by appearing in Basil, 1998 period drama written and directed by Radha Baradwaj.

The plot is based on the relatively unknown novel by famous Victorian author Wilkie Collins. Protagonist is Basil (played by Jared Leto), young British aristocrat who grew up on the country estate of Windermere Hall. His father Frederick (played by Derek Jacobi) is a traditionalist who believes that there are things people of their class should never do. One of those things is romancing the women of lower classes and Frederick threatens to disinherit Basil him if he ever succumbs to the temptation. Young Basil is, however, of rebellious nature and during his studies befriends a commoner named John Mannion (played by Christian Slater). Mannion introduces young aristocrat to Julia Sherwin (played by Claire Forlani), beautiful daughter of local merchant. Basil falls in love and marries the girl only to realise that it was all part of an intrigue.

What sets Basil apart from most of 1990s Hollywood adaptations of 19th Century English literature is casting of not one but two American actors in the roles of Englishmen. Slater does very credible job, although his American accent can be spotted at times. This is not the case with Leto who is more convincing in role of English aristocrat. Baradwaj's script is at times looking very predictable, with audiences figuring some of the plot twists before the protagonist does. On the other hand, realities of class-conscious Victorian society are very well-presented in the film and Baradwaj puts superb production and costume designs to good use. Basil is perhaps less known than 1990s Jane Austen adaptations or works of Merchant-Ivory but it nevertheless succeeds in familiarising the audience with the seemingly incomprehensible past.

RATING: 5/10 (++)

(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.films.reviews on April 22nd 2004)