Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Sense and Sensibility Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman December 9, 2015

It may strike some as at least a little odd that in this supposedly post-feminist age in which we live so many women are drawn so ineluctably to the works of Jane Austen, for Austen’s formulations of women restrained by economics and/or society might appear on their face to be antithetical to everything “women power” stands for. But in another way, the modern fascination with Austen’s plucky heroines is completely understandable, for one of Austen’s theses is that some women at least had the wherewithal to create their own destinies, at least insofar as they were humanly able to in a more restrictive age. That’s true female empowerment, in a time when women were often considered to be little more than property. While scenarist Emma Thompson doesn’t hew completely strictly to Austen’s original conceptions for at least some elements at play in Sense and Sensibility, she captures a lot of the spirit of the author, and makes the plight of the Dashwood sisters, Elinor (Emma Thompson herself) and Marianne (Kate Winslet), relatively believable within the glossy confines of Ang Lee’s sumptuous production. Perhaps less romantically thrilling than the Austen property that tends to typically make some female hearts palpitate wildly, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility still provides ample interest as it essays a bit more on the economic obstacles that women tended to face back in Austen’s era.

Probably tens of thousands of dunderheaded Americans were grateful when Masterpiece hostess Laura Linney described some of the ins and outs of British inheritance law, specifically with regard to so-called entailments, when Downton Abbey: Season 1 began airing stateside a few years ago. While there’s no title to be passed down, the patrilineal sensibilities of British bequests plays a central role in Sense and Sensibility. When Mr. Dashwood (Tom Wilkinson), the father of Elinor and Marianne, dies, his entire estate passes to his son by his first marriage, John (James Fleet). Mr. Dashwood’s deathbed wish is for John to take care of not just his stepsisters, but the girls’ mother (Gemma Jones), but John’s harridan wife Fanny (Harriet Walter) has other plans for the family riches.

That sets the Dashwood females (which includes youngest sister Margaret, played by Emilie François) into precarious straits and makes the two elder Dashwood siblings even less “marriageable” than they might have otherwise been. As is typically the case in Austen romances, picture perfect males show up soon enough, though the perfection of any particular picture may not in fact be instantly recognized by the Dashwood female. Elinor finds herself unexpectedly drawn to an unlikely suitor, Fanny’s reserved but affable brother Edward Ferrars (Hugh Grant). Marianne catches the eye of somewhat older Colonel Brandon (Alan Rickman), while Marianne more or less simultaneously gets swept off her feet (almost literally) by the dashing young John Willoughby (Greg Wise).

Sense and Sensibility perhaps fritters away a bit of plot momentum in several sidebars that tend to take up the longish second act, where various peccadilloes manage to keep various “appointed pairs” apart, at least for a while. But what keeps the film ebulliently afloat is Thompson’s rather artful reimagining of the precarious fates of the Dashwood sisters. There’s a crackling intelligence to much of the dialogue (Thompson evidently found a lot of Austen’s dialogue too archaic sounding and attempted to at least relatively modernize it), and a surprising amount of humor creeps into the goings on.

If Hugh Grant doesn’t quite have the “Colin Firth factor” that helped make that aforementioned adaptation of Pride and Prejudice such a rage, there’s actually some unexpected grace coming from the perhaps unlikely Alan Rickman, whose Colonel Brandon ends up granting the film some adept emotional content. Thompson and Winslet are both wonderful as two quite different siblings, and the rest of the large and colorful supporting cast fill their roles with intelligence and nuance. Ang Lee delivers a scenic offering that places the characters within a natural world that is not always forgiving.

Sense and Sensibility Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sense and Sensibility is presented on Blu-ray with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. I haven't been able to track down any definitive information on whether this transfer was culled from the same master utilized for the British Blu-ray released a couple of years ago and reviewed by my colleague Dr. Svet Atanasov, but the lack of any press releases touting a new scan and/or restoration may suggest that this is the case. That said, this Twilight TIme release looks a bit brighter than the UK release, at least judging by screenshots (compare this review's screenshot 14 with screenshot 8 in the British release review for just one example). Colors are decently suffused and quite vibrant at times, and grain structure is natural looking. The film is not razor sharp by contemporary standards, but close-ups especially offer abundant detail in elements like fabrics on costumes and furniture. Michael Coulter's Academy Award nominated cinematography offers a rather glossy and at times diffused look at rural England in the frequent exterior shots.

Sense and Sensibility Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Sense and Sensibility features both DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 audio options. The surround track typically comes alive in scenes that offer ambient environmental effects or in interior scenes that offer music. Otherwise, this is a somewhat conservative film from a sound design perspective, though everything is presented very cleanly and clearly and with excellent prioritization. While dynamic range is somewhat constrained throughout the film, fidelity is top notch throughout the presentation.

Sense and Sensibility Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Most of the supplements from the Special Edition DVD have been ported over to this release. While ostensibly 1080i in most cases, video (as opposed to film) elements look upscaled and relatively ragged at times.

• Audio Commentary with Actress Emma Thompson and Producer Lindsay Doran


• Audio Commentary with Director Ang Lee and Co-Producer James Schamus


• Adapting Austen (1080i; 11:18)


• Elegance and Simplicity: The Wardrobe of Sense and Sensibility (1080i; 3:57)


• Locating the World of Sense and Sensibility (1080i; 5:42)


• A Sense of Character (1080i; 8:14)


• A Very Quiet Man (1080i; 12:03)


• Deleted Scenes (480i; 2:44) are both window- and pillarboxed.


• Emma Thompson's Golden Globe Acceptance Speech (480i; 4:34)


• Original Theatrical Trailer - Domestic (1080p; 2:08)


• Original Theatrical Trailer - International (1080p; 1:55)


• Isolated Score Track is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0.

Sense and Sensibility Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This particular Sense and Sensibility may forego a few of Jane Austen's original conceptions for both character and plot dynamics, but it's also a decidedly authentic feeling adaptation which benefits from sterling performances, smart writing and a rather elegant directorial touch from Ang Lee. Unerringly beautiful from production design and cinematography standpoints, Sense and Sensibility may not have the sexual tension that informs the FIrth Pride and Prejudice, but it offers a wonderful wit and intelligence that have their own magnetic qualities. Highly recommended.