The opening episode of this film version of William Makepeace Thackeray's beloved novel "Vanity Fair" portrays Miss Rebecca "Becky" Sharp more as a survivor of the rigid British class system than as a greedy social climber.
The feisty and strong-willed Miss Sharp stands up to the stuffy headmistress of her school and loses her job as a French instructor. As the unfortunate orphan and daughter of an art instructor and a French danseuse, Miss Sharp is determined to defy the odds against social class in an unforgiving classist world. She is then shunted off to the thankless job of governess at the Queen's estate of Sir Pit Crawley.
This episode focuses on an important interlude for Miss Sharp when she spends a week at the home of her dear schoolmate Amelia "Emmy" Sedley. It is there that Miss Sharp encounters a coterie of young, eligible bachelors. The young men include Emmy's beau George Osborne, to whom she has an instant attraction, despite his utter contempt for her. Then, there is Emmy's brother Jos Sedly, whom his father describes as a "lazy loafer" with a thankless administrative post in India. Finally, there is the dashing soldier Dobbin, the true gentleman with an earnest attraction to and admiration for Miss Sharp. During Miss Sharp's stay, her daring is apparent with her willingness to sample the hot curry dish and to embark on a ride in a hot air balloon.
In the long scene at the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, Jos is about to propose to Miss Sharp. But he becomes inebriated on "rack punch" and embarrasses himself in what nearly becomes a drunken brawl. After sleeping off his stupor, he decides not to propose. The cruelest line of the episode is that of George Osborne, who give a brutal sendoff to Miss Sharp as she is leaving the Sedley home: "Better luck in the next life."
The strength of the opening program is the nuanced performance of the actress playing Miss Sharp. This is not a one-dimensional character, but someone with strength of character and the virtues recognized by her friend Emmy. Miss Sharp has been drilled in knowing her station in life. But she refuses to accept any social limitations.
The episode closes with the arrival of Miss Sharp at the Queen's Estate of Sir Pit Crawley. She is assigned a cold room in the foreboding manor house. Her only comfort is the arrival of a dashing soldier the following morning. Sir Pit and his formidable dog Gorper reflect an aura of menace.
The indomitable spirit of Miss Sharp is apparent in her memorable line to Becky, "I just want to make sure that tomorrow is better than today...every day." But the real "enemy" of the title of this episode is the strict class system of Great Britain.
The feisty and strong-willed Miss Sharp stands up to the stuffy headmistress of her school and loses her job as a French instructor. As the unfortunate orphan and daughter of an art instructor and a French danseuse, Miss Sharp is determined to defy the odds against social class in an unforgiving classist world. She is then shunted off to the thankless job of governess at the Queen's estate of Sir Pit Crawley.
This episode focuses on an important interlude for Miss Sharp when she spends a week at the home of her dear schoolmate Amelia "Emmy" Sedley. It is there that Miss Sharp encounters a coterie of young, eligible bachelors. The young men include Emmy's beau George Osborne, to whom she has an instant attraction, despite his utter contempt for her. Then, there is Emmy's brother Jos Sedly, whom his father describes as a "lazy loafer" with a thankless administrative post in India. Finally, there is the dashing soldier Dobbin, the true gentleman with an earnest attraction to and admiration for Miss Sharp. During Miss Sharp's stay, her daring is apparent with her willingness to sample the hot curry dish and to embark on a ride in a hot air balloon.
In the long scene at the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, Jos is about to propose to Miss Sharp. But he becomes inebriated on "rack punch" and embarrasses himself in what nearly becomes a drunken brawl. After sleeping off his stupor, he decides not to propose. The cruelest line of the episode is that of George Osborne, who give a brutal sendoff to Miss Sharp as she is leaving the Sedley home: "Better luck in the next life."
The strength of the opening program is the nuanced performance of the actress playing Miss Sharp. This is not a one-dimensional character, but someone with strength of character and the virtues recognized by her friend Emmy. Miss Sharp has been drilled in knowing her station in life. But she refuses to accept any social limitations.
The episode closes with the arrival of Miss Sharp at the Queen's Estate of Sir Pit Crawley. She is assigned a cold room in the foreboding manor house. Her only comfort is the arrival of a dashing soldier the following morning. Sir Pit and his formidable dog Gorper reflect an aura of menace.
The indomitable spirit of Miss Sharp is apparent in her memorable line to Becky, "I just want to make sure that tomorrow is better than today...every day." But the real "enemy" of the title of this episode is the strict class system of Great Britain.
