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IMDbPro

A Dance to the Music of Time

  • TV Mini Series
  • 1997– 1997–
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 6h 56m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
491
YOUR RATING
A Dance to the Music of Time (1997)
A Dance To The Music Of Time
Play trailer0:48
9 Videos
12 Photos
  • Drama
Anthony Powell's twelve volume novel sequence "A Dance to the Music of Time" has been dramatized for television.Anthony Powell's twelve volume novel sequence "A Dance to the Music of Time" has been dramatized for television.Anthony Powell's twelve volume novel sequence "A Dance to the Music of Time" has been dramatized for television.
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
491
YOUR RATING
  • Stars
    • Gillian Barge
    • Nicholas Jones
    • Simon Russell Beale
Top credits
  • Stars
    • Gillian Barge
    • Nicholas Jones
    • Simon Russell Beale
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 20User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 BAFTA Award
      • 3 wins & 5 nominations total

    Episodes4

    Browse episodes
    TopTop-rated
    1 Season
    1997

    Videos9

    A Dance To The Music Of Time: Volume 4
    Clip 0:50
    A Dance To The Music Of Time: Volume 4
    A Dance To The Music Of Time: Volume 1
    Clip 0:48
    A Dance To The Music Of Time: Volume 1
    A Dance To The Music Of Time: Volume 2
    Clip 0:49
    A Dance To The Music Of Time: Volume 2
    A Dance To The Music Of Time: Volume 3
    Clip 0:52
    A Dance To The Music Of Time: Volume 3
    A Dance To The Music Of Time
    Trailer 0:48
    A Dance To The Music Of Time
    A Dance To The Music Of Time: Post War
    Trailer 1:49
    A Dance To The Music Of Time: Post War
    A Dance To The Music Of Time: The War
    Trailer 1:48
    A Dance To The Music Of Time: The War
    A Dance To The Music Of Time: The Thirties
    Trailer 2:01
    A Dance To The Music Of Time: The Thirties
    A Dance To The Music Of Time: The Twenties
    Trailer 1:50
    A Dance To The Music Of Time: The Twenties

    Photos12

    Eileen Atkins and John Standing in A Dance to the Music of Time (1997)
    Simon Russell Beale in A Dance to the Music of Time (1997)
    James Purefoy in A Dance to the Music of Time (1997)
    Edward Fox in A Dance to the Music of Time (1997)
    A Dance to the Music of Time (1997)
    A Dance to the Music of Time (1997)
    A Dance to the Music of Time (1997)
    A Dance to the Music of Time (1997)
    A Dance to the Music of Time (1997)
    A Dance to the Music of Time (1997)
    Miranda Richardson in A Dance to the Music of Time (1997)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Gillian Barge
    Gillian Barge
    • Mrs. Erdleigh…
    4 episodes4 eps • 1997
    Nicholas Jones
    Nicholas Jones
    • Bob Duport…
    4 episodes4 eps • 1997
    Simon Russell Beale
    Simon Russell Beale
    • Widmerpool
    4 episodes4 eps • 1997
    Robin Bailey
    Robin Bailey
    • Uncle Alfred
    3 episodes3 eps • 1997
    Jonathan Cake
    Jonathan Cake
    • Peter Templer
    3 episodes3 eps • 1997
    James Fleet
    James Fleet
    • Moreland
    3 episodes3 eps • 1997
    Richard Pasco
    Richard Pasco
    • Sir Magnus Donners
    3 episodes3 eps • 1997
    James Purefoy
    James Purefoy
    • Nicholas Jenkins
    3 episodes3 eps • 1997
    Paul Rhys
    Paul Rhys
    • Charles Stringham
    3 episodes3 eps • 1997
    Claire Skinner
    Claire Skinner
    • Jean
    3 episodes3 eps • 1997
    Annabel Mullion
    Annabel Mullion
    • Mona
    3 episodes3 eps • 1997
    Adrian Scarborough
    Adrian Scarborough
    • JG Quiggin
    3 episodes3 eps • 1997
    Grant Thatcher
    • Mark Members
    3 episodes3 eps • 1997
    Sarah Badel
    Sarah Badel
    • Lady Molly
    2 episodes2 eps • 1997
    Alan Bennett
    Alan Bennett
    • Sillery
    2 episodes2 eps • 1997
    Emma Fielding
    Emma Fielding
    • Isobel
    2 episodes2 eps • 1997
    Edward Fox
    Edward Fox
    • Uncle Giles
    2 episodes2 eps • 1997
    Oliver Ford Davies
    Oliver Ford Davies
    • Le Bas
    2 episodes2 eps • 1997
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Goofs
      In the final segment, when Widmerpool is kissing the feet of the disciples, the edge of his phony hairpiece is clearly visible on the back of his head.
    • Soundtracks
      Twentieth Century Blues
      (uncredited)

      By Noël Coward

      [theme]

    User reviews20

    Review
    Top review
    3/10
    Disappointing and often annoying
    I should preface my remarks by saying that I've not read the source material (Anthony Powell's twelve semi-autobiographical novels) so I can't comment on that aspect of the story. My frustration with the protagonist Nick Jenkins passivity no doubt reflects Powell's original creation. I thought that James Purefoy did a credible job portraying Jenkins and it was a relief to see him take a break from the usual scenery chewing, sneering and smirking he so often exhibits in his period film performances. To the contrary -- he's understated and passive to the point of bewilderment which, I presume, was Powell's intention.

    Much of the rest of the cast is excellent (and any frequent viewer of British period films will recognize many fine character actors), although the characters themselves are often inexplicably unappealing. Throughout it all, Jenkins stays collegial, if not congenial, with every one of them, no matter how despicable they might be. That struck me as unbelievable, but again -- I suspect that Powell was using Jenkins as a personification of the British trait of "getting on with people". Fair enough.

    What, then, is my objection to "A Dance to the Music of Time"? They are three, two of which have to do with the structure of the story. First, the adaptation feels forced and is hugely uneven. You always know things are going badly in a film when characters employ declamation to introduce themselves. "Why hello, young Winston Churchill! You may not remember me, but I'm the Prince of Wales." (I just made that up for effect, but it reflects the tin-eared dialogue often employed in the miniseries when it needs to Tell Us Something.) Yes, it's madness to try to abridge 12 novels down to seven hours on film, but that decision largely doomed the miniseries' credibility.

    Second, the further along the film goes, the less focus it has. It wanders off into one utterly pointless subplot after another, trying to express the passage of time and zeitgeists along the way. No sale. It feels forced and perfunctory.

    Finally, due to the timeframe of the film (1920s through '60s), characters must age. And yet, for some inexplicable reason, James Purefoy is one of the very few who is replaced with a different (and older) actor, and one who looks nothing like him. This requires more awkward exposition ("Hello, Bill. You may not remember me, but I'm Nicholas Jenkins, even though I look nothing like the Nick Jenkins you knew in Episode Three.") Why was this done? Widmerpool and most of the other actors progressively age (to varying degrees of believability), but just swapping out the protagonist for a different actor torpedoes the film's credibility all the more. Inexplicably, Miranda Richardson not only portrays the same character throughout, she does not age one year. Absurd.

    Ultimately, this film left me scratching and shaking my head. Perhaps the books bring something more to the story, but the film felt like a contrived string of events both banal and pseudo-historic, with a hollow man at the center. We never care about any of the characters, nor do we see anything of substance inside of the protagonist. He's a cypher, an "everyman" and ultimately a bore to follow for seven hours.
    helpful•13
    2
    • rch427
    • Jun 16, 2012

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 9, 1997 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Una danza para la música del tiempo
    • Filming locations
      • City of London, England, UK
    • Production companies
      • Table Top Productions
      • Channel 4 Television Corporation
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      6 hours 56 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.55 : 1

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