Brideshead Revisited (DVD, 2006, 25th Anniversary 4-Disc Edition)

I saw the original version when it first came out back in the 80's. After that I bought the whole series on VHS for about $300.00 It is refreshing to see how prices have come down to an affordable state. Love the anniversary version, with the commentaries and behind the scene's footage that was not previously available. A must have for every Brideshead fan!

The reviewers had it right in 1981 - the best TV series ever.

It remains a beautiful story of love and innocence lost in our increasingly violent world before and after World War I leading to World War II.

Some of the violence is religious oriented as staunch Lady Marchmain destroys many lives around her in the name of her Catholic religion.

Many big stars are in it (Lawrence Olivier, John Gielgood, Claire Bloom), some are created (Anthony Andrews, Jeremy Irons).

This Anniversary Edition is digitally remastered, and appears excellent on a High Def LCD TV.

If you know it, you likely love it. This set should be in your library. It's as beautiful today as it was back then.

I have been searching for this boxed set for some time. The starting bid price drew me. I am so happy with this purchase. Item arrived in perfect condition and in a timely manner.

I bought this version because I only had the England version of it. I also saw pieces of the outtakes and interviews beforehand. I visited Castle Howeard where it was filmed. This version of this story is very true to Evelyn Waugh's novel and captured a generation by being the first Merchant Ivory before there was that genre. Nothing that succeeded it even compares. This stellar group of pure talent portray the elegant and dysfunctional English Catholic family the Marchmains at Brideshead and the people who love/hate them. The story centers around Sebastian (Athony Andrews) and Charles (Jeremy Irons)who find friendship and love. Andrews portrays the stunning and suave Sebastian, whose eventual alcholism provides a strangely redemptive descent from lordship to vagrancy. Claire Bloom plays Lady Marchmain, his manipulative and holy mother. Charles is the observer who gets caught in the Flyte's web, The story represents a dying British aristocracy in between the World Wars. The opulent Castle seems to decay with Sebastian over time. Icons Sir Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud play Sebastian and Charles' fathers respectively. They provide plenty of depth and commentary on the young men's relationships at Oxford and afterward. Charles falls in love with a copy of Sebastian in Julia (Diana Quick, Sebastian's sister. This writer will not be a spoiler....