Persuaded? The impact of changing production contexts on three adaptations of 'Persuasion'

This chapter considers the presentation and manipulation of space within three adaptations of Persuasion (1971, 1995, 2007), and argues that the striking differences in their aesthetic qualities arise as much from the vicissitudes of changing production and broadcast technologies as they do from varying attitudes to the process of adaptation. It contrasts the 1971 Persuasion’s understated visual aesthetic and theatrical presentation, with the 1995 version’s liveliness and innovation, and the rather disorientating and rootless interpretation offered in the 2007 production. It also raises a neglected topic - aspect ratio - which I develop further in a conference paper (Reading University, Sept 2013), and again in a paper dedicated to the subject (CST, forthcoming 2015).