Bramwell – Series Four (Telefilms)
Picture: C+
Sound: B- Extras: D Telefilms:
Our Brave Boys B
Loose Women B-
Even though the first three series (a British term for a
TV season) have not been issued on DVD, Shanachie Home Video has decided to
offer Bramwell – Season Four (1998).
The stories centers on a female doctor in a man’s world of yesteryear,
but before you can say Dr. Quinn, know that this is not as light and
romantic. Taking place during Boer War,
it can only be darker.
The set offers two films, meaning that this was a very
short season/series. The first, Our
Brave Boys, is the better of the two.
Dr. Eleanor Bramwell (Jemma Redgrave, perfect in the title role) has to
fight to be a doctor at a time when the idea was considered laughable. While Dr. Quinn might have had some odd
leeway being in another country, Bramwell is in England when the British Empire
never had the sun set on it.
Unfortunately for the country, they are finding unprecedented resistance
out of Africa and Bramwell is left trying to help the soldiers against the
objections of their commanders who think the very knowledge that a woman would
examine them nude would be humiliating.
She also beings to fall for one of the soldiers, but this is complicated
by his behavior with a scared patient who may be up to no good and who he
physically abuses. Then things get
worse. This is a very strong telefilm.
Loose Women is still a smart work, but does
not get as much out of its tale of dealing with suffering prostitutes. They are already having problems when one of
them gets especially ill and this leads to other uncovered exploitations. Bramwell herself is being torn between two
lovers and the ugly situation of the women’s plight adds to her own
self-reflection of her own values and how she values herself. Some of it is more predictable, but it is
still nicely done and here we have yet uncovered another gem of an import that
is remarkably unknown to U.S. TV audiences.
Let’s hope we see a boom of such shows on DVD as the next boom in the TV
DVD market.
The full screen 1.33 X 1 images are clean, color rich and
have an enjoyable degree of grain that gives the look of both shows an
authenticity we do not see in TV productions enough, but that approach affects
the detail a bit, though obviously intended.
I liked this very much. The
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo fares better, offering very healthy Pro Logic type
surrounds. This is better than many
feature films, even with Dolby 5.1 mixes we have heard recently. There are no extras, but this has another
solid cast of actors that are mostly unknown to American audiences, though the
one known standout is Jenny Agutter.
Still looking good after all these years, Miss Agutter is best known for
her work in Nicolas Roeg’s Walkabout (1971), followed by hit genre films
like Michael Anderson’s original 1976 Logan’s Run and An American
Werewolf In London (1980). She is
as welcome a presence as ever and she is totally believable in her supporting
role here. That also makes Bramwell
another quality must-see import, as they just keep piling up here on the site.
- Nicholas Sheffo
