The Thorn Birds (2004, DVD)
The second most-watched miniseries (after Roots) of all time, The Thorn Birds was originally broadcast in 1983 and captivated viewers with its story of a lifelong conflict between the spirit and the flesh. Adapted from the bestselling novel by Colleen McCullough, the production stars Richard Chamberlain as a Catholic priest named Ralph de Bricassart, whose life in Australia between 1920 and 1962 is one long torment as he pines for his lover, Meggie Cleary (Rachel Ward), while seeking advancement in his clergyman career. The passion and the guilt make for compelling drama, but a stellar cast of supporting players adds muscle to the proceedings: Barbara Stanwyck (who won an Emmy for her work as Meggie's tough aunt), Jean Simmons, Richard Kiley, Christopher Plummer, Bryan Brown, and Mare Winningham. Chamberlain, who was something of the king of the miniseries form at the time, is very good in the lead, as is the often-underrated Ward. Their affair is indeed irresistible to watch, which proves to be true, too, of the story's thick weave of church politics, forbidden desire, social change over decades, and family secrets.
There is really only one glaring flaw in this production, and it is that at the end of each section (there are 4 in all) there are snippets of foreshadowing taken from what will happen in the next section that are shown in montage form as a teaser to get the viewers to come back and watch. It made sense when showing it on television to try and sustain the viewers' interest in this way, but on DVD it was a little annoying to see major plot elements revealed before I saw them unfold in due time. I wish that someone would have edited these snippets out for the DVD release. However, that is my only gripe. The story, acting, immense production value, and the romance all combine to create a fine show. The sheer size of this production is impressive, but it is the characters that are eventually the most memorable aspect of the story. It wasn't until the end of the show that I realized I had formed an emotional connection to the characters that transcended the time in which this show was made. I was transported into their world, if only for a short while. It is certainly a journey worth taking. The price for this DVD package is excellent, as well. If you love epic romance stories then "The Thorn Birds" should be in your DVD collection..
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