A literary travelogue of Victorian England

Rating: 3 out of 5

The influence of Charles Dickens was undoubtedly great for two vastly different reasons; of course one was for his writing but the second was possibly more importantly was his expose of the injustices & iniquities of Victorian England. Roy Hattersley, ex Labour Party Member of Parliament, goes so far as to claim that his contribution was seminal in the awakening of the British conscience to the appalling conditions that were inflicted upon their less fortunate fellow citizens.

His legacy was so profound in fact, that the period unlike prior periods which were anointed after the monarch – the Elizabethan, the Regency, the Edwardian – this one took the appellation of a commoner – the Dickensian.

This DVD comprises visits to 100 sites where Dickens either lived or which he used in his stories many of which were issued as part works [serial publications] rather than being published as a book at the time.

Like many youngsters of the day, Dickens was forced to support his family at a fairly young age of 12 & worked ten-hour days at Warren’s Blacking Warehouse near the present day Charing Cross railway station, where he earned six shillings a week pasting labels on pots of boot blacking. The strenuous and often harsh working conditions made a lasting impression on Dickens and later influenced his fiction and essays, becoming the foundation of his interest in the reform of socio-economic and labour conditions, the rigours of which he believed were unfairly borne by the poor.

Apart from being driven to improve his lot in life, Dickens later immortalised many of the people that he met with a few alterations and embellishments. Possessing a photographic memory for detail, it was only much later in life that these characters would form part of a book or short story.

While Jacobi’s decision to include visits to over 100 sites makes for completeness in one’s understanding of his characters & his life, not being an aficionado of Dickens’ works or life, makes it rather tedious at times.

Whether Derek Jacobi is an expert on Dickens, I would not know but certainly some of Jacobi’s responses to questions presented to experts on Dickens seem to indicate that he is not. However it might just be the inappropriate response which leads me to that conclusion.

Lastly, if Derek Jacobi was not an expert on Dickens why was he selected to present this documentary? With a slightly detached demeanour as if this was a soliloquy to himself, he did not engage me. In fact, not to be churlish, his non-photogenic hang dog look was unappealing & a distraction. Instead I found that I was focusing of Jacobi’s inappropriate facial expression rather than the story that he was telling.

Overall this is a landmark in the annuals of Dickens life & times but has the fatal flaw of a very uninspiring presentation. More’s the pity as the ingredients were perfect only to be spoilt in the baking & the ultimate presentation.