P.D. James - Death in Holy Orders

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A powerful mystery that sometimes feels like a clash of titanic forces offset by a detective hero's quiet, emotional reawakening, Death in Holy Orders is a cut above most Brit-TV sleuthing. P.D. James's renowned poet and Scotland Yard Commander Adam Dalgliesh (Martin Shaw) looks into the suffocation death of a student at the theological College of St. Anselm, a place where he spent peaceful time in boyhood. Upon his arrival, Dalgliesh finds a perfect political storm converging. The Church of England is planning to close the school after selling off its art assets, and the eager agent for this mission is an archdeacon (Clive Wood) who might have murdered his wife but definitely destroyed an Anselm priest's reputation by branding him a pedophile. Meanwhile, Dalgliesh, a reclusive widower whose wife died during childbirth, is encouraged toward a fuller life by an old mentor and an interesting woman. This is a crackling whodunit with strong psychological underpinnings. Fans of Roy Marsden's self-contained, sometimes inscrutable Dalgliesh in 10 miniseries during the 1980s and '90s may be startled by Shaw's raw soulfulness in the role. But the latter's interpretation grows on one very quickly. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

death in holy orders.......2007-09-16

The dvd was exactly what I wanted and expected. The price was reasonable to me and the shipping charges were also reasonable. The delivery was in a reasonable time. The movie was nothing new as I had seen the movie before and I am a big fan of Jesse Spencer who is in the movie but is not listed on its credits. I like this movie because I like many English films. I am a big fan of Agatha Christie books made into movies as well as P. D. James.

very good James.......2007-09-13

Frankly, I never cared much for Roy Marsden's Dalgliesh. Martin Shaw seems to better capture Dalgliesh as I constructed him from James' stories. His soulful distracted manner conceals a keen mind and he does often seem like a poet trapped in the wrong profession. This story is a good one that seems to wrap you up in the mood of the place and take you away to that isolated foggy coast for a while.

Only one Adam Dalgliesh.......2007-07-20

If you seen all of the P.D. James series, there's only one Adam Dalgliesh and that's Roy Marsden. I couldn't get used to Martin Shaw in the role. In addition it was a pretty complex story, but then all of PD James' stories are pretty complex with the guilty party barely noticed. I got to the point, where I could usually figure out the guilty party from the very first few scenes. It was always the one you least suspected, and s/he generally came on at the beginning of the story.

I generally enjoy all of the TV James mysteries except the fast spoken language is very hard for an American to catch on to, especially those with a dialect. Cockney, etc. Unfortunately there is no option for sub-titles. That sort of thing doesn't bother a lot of people, but it does bother me.

Pure Mystery.......2007-07-12

This film is an excellent adaptation of the book. It will keep you guessing and will interest even those who have read the book from which the film was adapted. Well worth the purchase. Good casting. Good use of location.

A Change for the Better.......2005-08-07

As a Martin Shaw fan, I was pleased to see this new vehicle for his expression. Mr. Shaw takes the role of Adam Dalgliesh to a new, and deeper, level -- adding to the character with a more cerebral approach.

While he does not get the pensiveness exactly correct in this first outing as the Commander, this is almost entirely rectified during the second adaptation (The Murder Room) which will be released on DVD this coming Autumn.

The major drawback to Death In Holy Orders is the failure to capture the background needed to establish the scene as it takes place. As in many P. D. James works, there are many characters, and filming successfully under such circumstances is difficult at best. One wonders if this particular adaptation might not have been better had it been twice the length.

As a result of this, it will appeal most to James fans who are familiar with her works -- and in this case, having read it will definitely improve comprehension of the filmed adaptation.

The side-bar of the romantic relationship between Dalgliesh and Emma Lavenham is not distracting, but it is also not entirely part of the story (this too, is evident in the novel), and one wonders if it is necessary. However, as the character of Dalgliesh continues to develop (and for this, one must also take Murder Room into account) the need for these interludes will become more obvious. The clumsiness as it stands stems more from the lack of written material to adapt, than from any poor portrayals of the situation. Given what there is to work with, Mr. Shaw has managed admirably.

As for the recasting of Shaw in the role previously played by Roy Marsden -- it is an excellent choice, and fails in only one point. Mr. Shaw is not nearly as tall as the character is suppose to be. This, however, is quickly forgotten once the depth of his portrayal starts to sink in. With luck, Mr. Shaw will play this role several more times, before another actor is cast in his place. The fact that P. D. James has stated her approval of this casting, indeed goes a long way toward indicating that the portrayal is accurate.

P.D. James: Death in Holy Orders/The Murder Room

Average customer rating:

P.D. James: Death in Holy Orders/The Murder Room
Starring: P.D. James-Death in Holy Orders , and Murder Room
Manufacturer: BBC Warner
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

ASIN: B000AOEMV4
Release Date: 2005-10-25

DVD:

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