Watching English classics two days in a row is nothing more enjoyable and a pastime reminiscent of my childhood, drifted away and immersed in mere fantasies and nostalgia. As a Jane Austen's fan, a single movie would not satisfy me but different versions of them coming in different years - Mansfield Park filmed in 1983 and 2006, Northanger Abbey in 1987 and 2007. It was interesting to see one of the heroines grow so much! The Fanny Price (Sylvestra Le Touzel) in 1983 Mansfield Park was the Mrs Allen in 2007 Northanger Abbey! She was a little plain as a very young girl in Mansfield Park, though once in a while her big brown eyes, soft skin and plumpness inspired a sort of youth and beauty. In Northanger Abbey, she grew to be an elegant lady with subtle lines around her mouth and eyes. Though still pretty, the youthful luster in the eyes disappeared. Watching her is like watching Meryl Streep from The French Lieutenant's Women to The Hour. Drama goes on. Life goes on, with time leaving it traces on the performers, the viewers being the witness.
The danger of dwelling in dramas and fictions is that you can't get out. Imagination trapped in the towers of the abbey, mind lingered in the great mansion, the dialogue, the clankering and clattering of the chaise and four resounded in the ears! When I recollect that a large part of my childhood was spent in these literature and fictions, I can hardly imagine myself ever getting away from these escapades from reality, seeking and wanting the solace they give. Me being the heroine in a drama, repeatedly over the years, letting time to leave its marks on me.
