Under Milk Wood BBC 4

Posted by: Bruce Woodhouse on 03 June 2014

I have just watched my second TV prog of the year! As it is so rare I want it to be worthwhile.

I love UMW and have both the Richard Burton and Anthony Hopkins versions on CD so I aproached this with some enthusiasm...but... oh dear.

I loved the production values, the modern twist in the setting and some of the actors but overall it really dissapointed me. Pretentious, reverential, deeply lovey and lacking the zest, wit and bawdy joy of the text (and other versions). They edited out big chunks and made it sad and slow. Some parts worked OK in that style but for me much of the joy was lost.

UMW is a lovely thing done well. Affectionate, lusty, warm and faintly tatty around the edges but for me this just was not it. Burton's version is sharp, dry and with a rather rude twinkle in its eye and his central voice is utterly beguiling. Hopkins et al is sprightly, musical and fresh.

Anyone else a UMW obsessive (as I appear to be) who saw the prog.?

Posted on: 03 June 2014 by Kevin-W

I saw it Bruce and was a tad disappointed as well - it did seem a bit pretentious. I actually think it works best as a radio play or a recording - the visuals just detract from the language.

Posted on: 03 June 2014 by Huwge

Didn't see this, but the text is in my genes somewhat - it does work very well as a stage play. Both TV and film require a certain fluidity and the text is prefaced as "a play for voices" - the suddenly wind-shaken wood springs awake for the second dark time this one Spring day.

Posted on: 04 June 2014 by Loki

Missed it. Is it worth a gander on i-Player?