Jude (1996)

Synopsis: Acclaimed English director Michael Winterbottom's adaptation of Thomas Hardy's tragic JUDE THE OBSCURE is a profoundly moving drama that is unrelentingly bleak in its depiction of love and poverty... Acclaimed English director Michael Winterbottom's adaptation of Thomas Hardy's tragic JUDE THE OBSCURE is a profoundly moving drama that is unrelentingly bleak in its depiction of love and poverty in the late-19th Century. The story follows Jude Fawley (Christopher Eccleston), a young English lad who finds a mentor in a schoolmaster named Phillotson (Liam Cunningham). Years later, after he's been married and cruelly abandoned by his wife, Jude meets his independent cousin Sue Bridehead (Kate Winslet), and falls in love. He introduces her to Phillotson, who becomes smitten with Sue as well, sparking a love triangle that will alter their lives forever. With JUDE, Winterbottom proves that he is one of the world's most versatile and proficient filmmakers. In translating Hardy's novel to the screen, he retains the author's bitter hopelessness without succumbing to overt sentimentality. This can also be attributed to Eccleston, whose portrayal of the unfortunate hero is deeply affecting. As Jude's second wife, Winslet is her usual magnetic self, giving the audience yet another character with whom they will sympathize as the film builds to its somber conclusion. Special mention should also be given to Adrian Johnston's score and Joseph Bennett's production design. [More]

Starring: Kate Winslet, Christopher Eccleston, Rachel Griffiths, June Whitfield

Starring: Kate Winslet, Christopher Eccleston, Rachel Griffiths, June Whitfield, Liam Cunningham

Director: Michael Winterbottom

Director: Michael Winterbottom
Producer: Andrew Eaton
Screenwriter: Hossein Amini
Story: Thomas Hardy
Composer: Adrian Johnston

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