All Passion Spent

Lady Slane faces an uncertain future, when her husband, a politician dies. Her children discuss taking her in, but Lady Slane decides to move to Hampstead, there she strikes up a friendship with a man she once knew in India.

A quality, captivating drama series, almost perfect in every detail. The story, not particularly grand or bold, but a study of human nature, contentment, happiness, greed and much more. Visually it's terrific, nobody did costume drama like The BBC, and best of all, the acting.

I loved the family, they really are a scheming, greedy and conniving lot.

Wendy Hiller gives a terrific performance, what a talented actress, her scenes with Harry Andrews, and her grasping family unit in particular are terrific.

Wonderful performances throughout, Harry Andrews and Denholm Elliot are great, but Hilary Mason is a joy, so often she played vinegary spinsters, nice to see her playing a much sweeter part, she's delightful.

Definitely worth getting the DVD, it's one of those you can watch over and over.

8/10.

All Passion Spent... A class act!

This 30-year-old masterpiece wears well even (especially?) today (2017) and as another reviewer writes "is the most perfect thing I've ever seen on television"! The haggling over the rent at the end of episode one is a sublime piece of theatre!

WARNING! The action moves at a steady canter but the horses are old... VERY old! However, the pedigree of this harras is drawn from the very highest stock that British acting can offer. Actually, the youthful and beautiful Jane Snowden does a turn as the granddaughter (She reminds me of Koo Stark) but everyone else is a well-worn valuable antique of English social class, manners and propriety!

Set in the London area, between the two world wars, recently widowed Lady Slane frustrates her family by moving to a home on Hampstead Heath to enjoy her remaining years, to reflect on her past and finally learn to 'be herself', after a long life as a devoted and socially correct wife.

Her kids disappoint her but Lady Slane patiently wades through their dreadful behaviour as she seeks to take control of her own life. In the third act, events take over and as in all good telly, the baddies get what's coming to them and the goodies end up rewarded.

There is lots of humour here but it is all to be found in studying the reactions of players as events unfold or dialogue is spoken to them. These subtle, unspoken performance gems elevate this production beyond mere 'drama'. And Genoux (tireless working actress - Eileen Way) is a treat as Lady Slane's French maid and companion, who has served Lady Slane her entire adult life.

This BBC offering is a genuinely 'class act' in every sense of the word!

I agree with the others who say that All Passion Spent should be made available commercially, I vote for a DVD. It has stayed with me since I saw it on Masterpiece Theatre in the '80s. It is a perfect piece. The performances, the cinematography, the music, and the sometimes poetic script combine to provide a very affecting experience. I have an old tape that I made from TV, it isn't very good quality and each time I watch it I worry that it is going to disintegrate. While on a tour of Hampstead, I came across the house that was used in the film as the house that Lady Slane bought, it was quite exciting. I pray that somehow this moving, gentle, inspiring work of art will be re-issued, so that it can be enjoyed again by the many who love it and enrich the lives of those who have yet to see it.

This DVD IS available on Amazon for those saying they cannot find it. I have had it for almost two years now. We watch it often. This short series is a real gem. The chosen settings are perfect. Dame Wendy is über perfection in this role, as are Maurice Denham (Bucktrout)and Harry Andrews (Fitzgeorge). I particularly liked Maurice as Mr. Bucktrout and his friend Mr. Gosheron, so wonderfully played by David Waller. In fact, what a cast! Every now and again a cast meshes amazingly well and this is one of those times. Not a flaw anywhere. The wisdom and depth of Sackville-West's wonderful book shines through in this adaptation. It is pure joy to watch.

Seventy years after the young Wendy Hiller starred as Eliza Doolittle in "Pygmalion," it is stunning to see her act the part of an old woman in "All Passion Spent," a three-episode version of a Vita Sackville-West novel. She was still beautiful, still a splendid actress. I won't attempt to summarize the story but the TV program is filled with English actors whose faces you will recognize even if you don't know their names. Particularly effective is Harry Andrews, as a wealthy elderly eccentric who fell in love with Dame Wendy's character decades earlier, though they met only fleetingly. Also noteworthy is Jane Snowden as the great-granddaughter who is inspired to follow her own path in life by her great-grandmother's example. Although she lived to be 91, Dame Wendy was only in her mid-70's when this series was made; her character is in her mid-80's.