This is a very typical boring British story, and for me, it is extremely lethal. I probably won't watch it a second time.
However, if I have the opportunity, I plan to find a novel to read. The disc I found has no subtitles, and in many places, the dialogue is still unclear. (For example, can someone tell me that when Charles returned to Brideshead from Paris, he was packing his bags in his room to leave, and asked Sebastian, who just woke up, and honestly tell me if you didn't want me to stay here, and he said yes Yeah, I don't want to. What did Charles say next?)
The beauty of this kind of story is that it doesn't make any sense, so you're done and you're in bed thinking, why is this, why is that?
I watched the new movie first and then the TV series. The problem with the movie is that it makes things too clear, and abruptly turns such a boring, sad and mysterious story into a love triangle, which loses its interest.
It may be possible to guess, speculate, and even partially understand the story, but basically, I can't. Because this story is too far from my spiritual world.
One of the biggest mysteries in the story is Sebastian's self-destruction. As a 21st century atheist, religion doesn't have a place in my life, and I just can't understand what life should be like with an almighty Lord overhead.
There are many people in the world who believe in religion and those who do not believe in religion, those who believed in religion and then did not believe in religion, and those who did not believe and then believed again. The tragedy of Sebastian, I guess, is that religion is both the source of his pain and his refuge. He wanted to give up but couldn't give up.
It is the source of his pain, which is very understandable. Julia's later words and deeds explain this problem, that is, living in sin. As a homosexual person, of course, is living in original sin.
At the end of the story, Cordelia, returning from a visit to North Africa, tells Charles that Sebasitan lives in a monastery. I heard right, she presumably said that religion is the place for these people who can't fit into real life. This is reminiscent of Cara's judgment of Sebastian in his early years, she said, he is in love with his childhood.
Before the Father, all people are children.
It has to be said that movies and TV series are basically opposite on several key issues. I don't know what the original is like. For example, in Venice, the conversation between Cara and Charles, the two versions mean the opposite. In the movie, Cara warns Charles not to get too involved with Sebastian because the latter loves him more. In the TV series, Cara should be trying to persuade Charles , this family are full of hate, he shouldn't put too much affection on Sebastian.
In the movie, Sebastian loves Charles, very clearly, and the latter loves his sister. In the TV series, Charles loves Sebastian, he admitted it to Julia himself, and the latter, he didn't say it anyway.
Personally, 1981's Sebastian was captivating, his enigmatic inner world far more captivating than blond hair.
Sebastian in 2008, unremarkable.
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