The Secret Diaries of Anne Lister - DVD

Film: Yorkshire in the early 19th century: Single Anne Lister (Maxine Peake) is a successful landowner who must continually assert herself in a male-dominated society. Even though her aunt (Gemma Jones) and uncle (Alan David), with whom Anne has lived since the death of her parents, would like to see the young woman married, Anne categorically rejects a marriage of convenience. However, she knows how to hide the real reason: because Anne loves women, something that was simply unthinkable for the public in her time. Her love belongs to Marianne Belcombe (Anna Madeley), who shares Anne's feelings but ultimately bows to the ways of society and marries a wealthy older man. So with her anger, her grief, and her longing for a female companion, Anne is all alone. She therefore confides in her diaries, most of which she writes in a secret code of her own creation - a code that took nearly two centuries to decipher.

During the years 1806 to 1840, Anne Lister filled a whopping 26 books with over four million words. Just under a sixth of them in a code consisting of Greek letters and mathematical characters. The reason for this is obvious, considering the openness with which Lister described her sexual experiences with other women in the books - a circumstance that had initially given rise to the suspicion that the diaries were a forgery. But after the authenticity of the records was confirmed and the coding deciphered, the 26 volumes unfolded a picture of a tough businesswoman as much as one of Anne Lister yearning for love and togetherness.

The Secret Diaries of Anne Lister is so interesting precisely because it shows a somewhat different picture of social life in England from a time that many may be particularly familiar with from various Jane Austen novels and their film adaptations. How difficult it was for Lister, excellently played by Maxine Peake, to defy constraints and customs and at the same time to hide her love for women, is very well conveyed. Also, as it is shown that other women, especially Mariana, were too weak for this difficult way of life and ended up bowing to constraints rather than following their hearts.

Although some interesting aspects of Lister's life are left out, mentioned in the accompanying documentary, which would have sketched a slightly more layered picture of the woman, this BBC production is a very well acted and engagingly directed piece of British television that lovers of challenging TV dramas should not miss. Worth seeing!

Picture + Sound: The picture is clean and its colouring creates an authentic and non-romanticised image of the early 19th century. Sharpness is at a good level, although some minor weaknesses have crept in, particularly in the detail presentation. The sound is primarily dominated by the dialogue, which sounds a bit more frontal and less harmoniously mixed in the German language version than it does in the original English version. Still, there is an absolutely satisfactory for this genre: Good!

Extras: The bonus material is almost more interesting than the actual main film. In addition to a nearly 10-minute interview with lead actress Maxine Peake, a nearly hour-long documentary about the real Anne Lister is the centerpiece of the bonus offerings. The documentary paints a very interesting picture of Lister that is even more layered than the film does. It also goes into more detail about her encrypted diaries, which is highly interesting. Absolutely worth watching!

Conclusion: The Secret Diaries of Anne Lister is a superbly acted and stirringly directed BBC drama, with the true background making the story particularly engaging. With its good technical realization and the extremely interesting bonus material this DVD is absolutely recommendable for all lovers of British TV dramas of the special kind!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp