Review of Sense and Sensibility

For all the rest that can be said about this beautiful film, there is one reason why I particularly love it: During the whole movie you see Emma Thompson portraying Elinor successfully as a young woman who deeply loves, but who chooses to conceal her own feelings so she will not bring reproach on herself or her loved ones, or even on less deserving people. Emma Thompson succeeds in conveying all of this in looks, small hesitations, subtle body language and never are we in disbelief. It all seems real and right, and you can truly believe that people never saw her feelings although at the same time you can see that they are real and very deep. I compare it for an example with Amanda Root's portrayal of Anne Elliott in Persuasion; I really had a hard time believing people did not see through her sad puppy eyes and sighs and nervous grabbing chairs and all these unsubtle ways she would play out Anne's inner torment. Anyway, to come back to Emma Thompson and Elinor, I know some people thought that her reaction at the end of the movie, when she finally learns that Edward is not married and that he wants to ask for her hand, is not really lady like and maybe even exaggerated. I could not agree less. This is the reaction of someone who has been loving and feeling and hurting for a long time, holding it in so she would hurt people around her the least possible; and on the moment of learning that finally, happiness is within her reach, that finally all this has not been for nothing, she just bursts out in uncontrollable crying and sobbing. I just could not hold my own tears when I saw the movie the first time, and believe me, I am not one to cry over sappy love stories usually. I just identified so much with her self-sacrifice of every moment for so long, which suddenly turned into too much happiness to hold inside. Wow! That, in and of itself, is one reason to see and cherish this version of Sense and Sensibility; and then there is so much more but I'll leave it at that!