Beautiful but painful

Rating: 10/10 (4 January 2000)

I absolutely loved this film although I found it very emotionally draining. I thought that Anthony Minghella's script and its structure were excellent especially considering the complexity of the original novel. In the end I realise that not everyone can appreciate a film but I feel that a lot of people did not fully grasp the complexity of this story. So many films now are made without containing any kind of depth or worthwhile story and although they are often very entertaining, it was refreshing to watch a film which did not insult its audience's intelligence and simply told a story without feeling the need to include token special effects. I also have to say that I gain something from and understand something more about this film every time I watch it, due to the strength of its story. It is true that this film is extremely sad but I found that it acted as a catharsis. It has also been accused of immorality but in my opinion it is naive to think that love is always warm and happy. The destructive, overpowering nature of the relationship between the Count and Katharine was exactly what fascinated me so much in this film and what continues to reduce me to tears every time I watch it. Finally it is a very beautiful film to watch due to the cinematography and the music is amazing and perfectly fits the film. If didn't fully appreciate this film the first time try and watch it again - it gets better with each viewing.