To me period dramas are meant to be an escape from the depravity and crudeness is today's modern films, but Clarissa brings all of life's depravity from life and when you are least expecting it, rams it down your throat.
From the very beginning Clarissa was heading up to become my favourite film. The relationship and chemistry between the two main characters (Clarissa and Lovelace) was the most moving dialogue and acting I had seen in a long while. Being forced to marry a grotesque man, Clarissa risks her reputation and safety by relying on Lovelace, a scoundrel of a man, to take her away from her father's house. Once he does so Lovelace tries everything to seduce her. Pretty words, guilt and seemingly earnest promises. Sean Bean plays an amazing part of the seemingly repentant Lovelace who tries to win Clarissa by all kinds of strategims, but who is slowly being reformed against his own will. His passion is unrelenting, but Clarissa's morals and resolve are unyielding. Their chemistry is incomparable and my hopes for some kind of happy ending were high! Perhaps Lovelace would be reformed in spite of his very dark past. Or perhaps he would even sacrifice his life to save Clarissa's honour. (Which would be more believable).
But instead my hopes were completely dashed as Lovelace violently Clarissa and Clarissa dies of shame and hopelessness. What a horrible, horrible ending to what I thought was going to be a beautiful story.
If you have any desire for a period drama to contain some amount of innocence or integrity, then don't watch this one!!!
From the very beginning Clarissa was heading up to become my favourite film. The relationship and chemistry between the two main characters (Clarissa and Lovelace) was the most moving dialogue and acting I had seen in a long while. Being forced to marry a grotesque man, Clarissa risks her reputation and safety by relying on Lovelace, a scoundrel of a man, to take her away from her father's house. Once he does so Lovelace tries everything to seduce her. Pretty words, guilt and seemingly earnest promises. Sean Bean plays an amazing part of the seemingly repentant Lovelace who tries to win Clarissa by all kinds of strategims, but who is slowly being reformed against his own will. His passion is unrelenting, but Clarissa's morals and resolve are unyielding. Their chemistry is incomparable and my hopes for some kind of happy ending were high! Perhaps Lovelace would be reformed in spite of his very dark past. Or perhaps he would even sacrifice his life to save Clarissa's honour. (Which would be more believable).
But instead my hopes were completely dashed as Lovelace violently Clarissa and Clarissa dies of shame and hopelessness. What a horrible, horrible ending to what I thought was going to be a beautiful story.
If you have any desire for a period drama to contain some amount of innocence or integrity, then don't watch this one!!!