Catherine Cookson - The Cinder Path (DVD)

...150-minute film was written by Catherine Cookson and produced by Tyne Tees Television and published by Corgi books (1994), licensed & distributed by Granada Ventures (www.granadaventures.tv). Screenplay by Alan Seymour, music by Barrington Pheloung, producer Ray Marshall, Director Simon Langton.

CAST:

Lloyd Owen - Charlie MacFell.
Catherine Zeta Jones - Victoria Chapman.
Tom Bell - Edward MacFell.
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This is a tale of a farmer's son who gets involved with 2 sisters, then goes to fight in WW1. The film starts in 1913, Charlie returns from University to Northumberland and the prosperous farm owned by his father Edward a man with a sadistic bent. He routinely humiliates family and farm workers alike. Edward becomes the victim of a murder made to look like an accident. Charlie is witness (and so is another - Ginger Slater) to it and blackmail ... more

My copy of this made for television film came free with the Daily Mail as part of their romance collection. Its format DVD video. The censors rate this film PG parental guidance for general viewing - some scenes maybe unsuitable for young children. The 150-minute film was written by Catherine Cookson and produced by Tyne Tees Television and published by Corgi books (1994), licensed & distributed by Granada Ventures (www.granadaventures.tv). Screenplay by Alan Seymour, music by Barrington Pheloung, producer Ray Marshall, Director Simon Langton.

Lloyd Owen - Charlie MacFell.
Catherine Zeta Jones - Victoria Chapman.
Tom Bell - Edward MacFell.
Marie Miles - Nellie Chapman.

This is a tale of a farmer's son who gets involved with 2 sisters, then goes to fight in WW1. The film starts in 1913, Charlie returns from University to Northumberland and the prosperous farm owned by his father Edward a man with a sadistic bent. He routinely humiliates family and farm workers alike. Edward becomes the victim of a murder made to look like an accident. Charlie is witness (and so is another - Ginger Slater) to it and blackmail follows. He also marries the beautiful but adulterous Victoria unaware that her younger sister Nellie is in love with him. The marriage is a disastrous. War comes and Charlie tires of his marriage and family and signs up as an enlisted man only to find Sgt Ginger Slater in charge. He decides to make Charlie's life hell before they get sent to the trenches. Towards the end of the war Charlie's relationship with his sister in law Nellie blossoms. His real sister tries to outsmart him concerning the ownership of the farm and Charlie has a near death experience from shrapnel wound.

A typical British made for TV period drama rather like Sharp. Costumes, furniture, transport (horses and steam trains) and the lifestyle all help to make part of our history and culture entertaining. The story is well crafted and builds to a dramatic finale, a romantic tale as well. The incident after which the film was named the cinder path occurs early in the film. The verbal fluency as usual with these period English pieces quite often puts our US counterparts to shame. The northern accents are a bit over the top but add a little something to the authenticity of Northumberland. From the farm to the army camps and finally the trenches everything looks a little too clean and therefore somewhat lacking realism. They could easily make museum pieces.

Zeta Jones is outstanding even at 150 minutes the film is not at all boring. The film breaks into distinct sections that help to keep it more interesting; I have not read the book so I can't tell how close it is to the original. The scenes as I have stated are a little sanitised in their portrayal of reality, this may help it appeal to youngsters watching the movie. Defiantly one for the afternoon. The only thing that might be upsetting for the very young is the occasional overt sadism.

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