再談小杜麗的廢物老爸William Dorrit(鑑於各種礙事、礙眼而刷出強大存在感的他,或許才是此故事主角)。可以推測,此角應是狄更斯本人對親父的「溫柔」描摹了:這位父親(not “father” but “papa”)一心持守「紳士」的作態,長女與長子(not “Tip” but “Edward”)都被他養成一個樣,勢利而虛華;唯獨出生於債務人監獄的么女小杜麗,窮也不改其色地甘之如飴,為謀家計而私下偷跑去Clennam夫人、Flora Finching那從事家政(縫紉手帕)。整部戲真要找一枚令人由衷厭氣的人物,一定是小杜麗的爹,家道中落如此,仍心念自詡上流人士,愛錢卻不動身手,倒是很敢伸手——這種人,總是家人。
玖、《雙城記》(A Tale of Two Cities)—— 1859年4月30日至1859年11月26日(週更於《一年四季》)
Sydney Carton(Paul Shelley所飾)登斷頭台前向陌生村婦mansplain天堂並沒有時間。
1980年影集【雙城記】(A Tale of Two Cities):此劇頗舊,但上世紀90年代以降就並沒有更新版本了。此版頗具電影規格,敘事完整,角色彼此銜接順暢——每一位演員的表現都相得益彰。硬說一個致命傷則是法國場景部份竟然全程英語對話,即使是藝伎(白粉上超多的臉)一般招展的貴族們也都英腔十足。
Out of my thoughts! You are part of my existence, part of myself. You have been in every line I have ever read, since I first came here, the rough common boy whose poor heart you wounded even then. You have been in every prospect I have ever seen since - on the river, on the sails of the ships, on the marshes, in the clouds, in the light, in the darkness, in the wind, in the woods, in the sea, in the streets. You have been the embodiment of every graceful fancy that my mind has ever become acquainted with. The stones of which the strongest London buildings are made, are not more real, or more impossible to be displaced by your hands, than your presence and influence have been to me, there and everywhere, and will be. Estella, to the last hour of my life, you can’t choose but remain part of my character, part of the little good in me, part of the evil. But, in this separation I associate you only with the good, and I will faithfully hold you to that always, for you must have done me far more good than harm, let me feel now what sharp distress I may. O God bless you, God forgive you! (Chapter XLIV, Visionary Boy-Or Man?)
In short,本片兩條線。其一,由Paul McGann出演飽食終日而無所事事的小鬍子公子哥尤金(Eugene Wrayburn),其律師閨蜜莫提莫(Mortimer Lightwood)則是Dominic Mafham所飾(身為有錢人家小孩的他們住在一起,並call me by your name那樣殷切呼喚彼此,非常之腐)。(【哈利波特】(Harry Potter)系列中的校園工友「飛七」David Bradley在本片依然是猥瑣的下人,泰唔士河畔的壞人Rogue Riderhood。)其二,由史蒂芬.麥金塔(Steven Mackintosh)出演病態追蹤/監視狂aka本劇小王子約翰(John Harmon),交換身份之後差點溺死(?)必有後福,靠著忠僕Boffin夫婦的成全幫襯下,隱姓埋名地就近「觀察」(甚至測試?)父親生前指婚對象貝拉(Bella Wilfer)。