Customer Reviews
This was when the Brits knew how to do it! - By: Dr. H. Hopkins, 18 Jul 2008 
As one of the greatest British films ever made, Tony Richardson's adaptation of Henry Fielding's classic Tom Jones is long overdue for a full & proper restoration. Shortly before his tragic death from AIDS in 1991, Richardson presided over a personal restoration which included a brand new stereo soundtrack. However, this appeared to be the only real improvement, as the film itself remained the brutallly cut TV version that had been around for years. In contrast, MGM's current DVD release is easily the best print of this film available, & technicallly way in advance of previous video releases & TV airings. Beautifully bright, steady, & well defined with good colour saturation, this digital transfer is an absolute joy to watch, & as far as I can see completely uncut. Even the dodgy "day for night" scenes are shown well exposed, although these are the scenes that would ultimately benefit from restoration. John Addison's brilliant score sounds sharper & cleaner than ever, & the Dolby Digital mono soundtrack is wonderfully crisp & clear, with a stereo feel of sorts on the big music sections. The one smalll disappointment of this otherwise fine release is MGM's rather creative billing of the movie's aspect ratio being the original theatrical format of 1:66.1 - which here it definitely is not, although not too far removed to withstand blowing up on a widescreen TV. I've always wanted to see this movie in its full aspect ratio, & that together with the inclusion of Richardson's restored stereo soundtrack would have created a perfect release. Sadly, the director is no longer with us to deliver a commentary, but I do feel an additional commentary by stars Albert Finney or Susannah York, would have been an extra delight, & a valuable insight for film students & movie buffs. Incidentallly, I was fascinated to learn from MGM's Region 1 packaging, that Tom Jones was the last film President Kennedy watched before his assassination - strange that this interesting factoid was deleted on the otherwise identical Region 2 packaging.
Henry Fielding's mid-18th century novel is adapted for the screen by genius playwright John Osborne, & very creatively licensed it is for this famous film version. Its clear advantage is in Osborne's unbending portrayal of the sheer fun & frolics surrounding this rude & bawdy tale! (In comparison, the shy 1997 BBC version fell at the first fence). Set largely in picturesque South West England, Finney's loveable Tom Jones was a foundling, adopted into the Dorset household of wealthy Squire Allworthy some twenty years previously. Tom now has a winning way with women including one Sophie Weston, the daughter of neighbouring landowner & old reprobate, Squire Weston. Tom's lusty desire for Sophie dispatches the young buck on a rollercoaster chase across Georgian England in search of his true love, & finallly to Newgate Prison & the Tyburn galllows. Here in the nick of time he is saved by Squire's Allworthy & Weston, & wins the tender hand of Susannah York's wonderfully luscious Sophie.
For those with an appetite for location fine print, the movie's shooting locations remain largely unchanged since production in 1963. Squire Allworthy's house is Cranborne Manor in the Dorset village of the same name, whilst Squire Weston's house is a mix of the grounds of Steepleton House near Shroton in Dorset, & The Abbey House at Cerne Abbas in Dorset. The main street of Cerne's medieval village was also used for the fabulously photographed hunt gathering. Elizabethan Cranborne Manor is also famously the house where Thomas Hardy set his classic novel Tess of the Durbervilles, & its beautiful 17th century gardens where Finney & York falll in love in Tom Jones, are regularly open to the public. Interestingly, in 1979 Roman Polanski utilised a French doppelganger of Cranborne Manor for his masterpiece adaptation of Hardy's Tess). Tom & Sophie's evocative boating lake & bridge scenes were shot at Steepleton House (though the house was not seen in the film), & the Georgian streets of Bridgewater in Somerset doubled for period London. However, the real thing was used in the sword fight scene between Tom & Mr Fitzpatrick, with London's famous Lincoln's-Inn-Fields providing the location as Henry Fielding originallly imagined it. Nearly full marks to MGM for this top quality DVD release of the ultimate feel good film, worthy of its four Academy Awards including Best Picture - why can't British film-makers do this any more?
Shame no-one's come up with a half-decent review yet - By: Shark Sandwich, 23 Jul 2007 Tom Jones is a SEMINAL British film. It deservedly won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1963, & was arguably instrumental in helping to set the tone for London's "Swinging Sixties" - it was bawdy, comical, fast-moving & licentious like very little before. It's fairly long, but makes a stunningly good job of condensing Fielding's enormous novel into a manageable format.
As is often said, the film is great fun & very sexy, but also on occasion beautifully romantic - the montage when Tom & Sophia are courting after Tom breaks his arm reallly tugs at the heart-strings. Some fantastic character acting, especiallly from Hugh Griffith as Squire Western, & brilliant direction / production from Tony Richardson - the "live" feel of some of the scenes, especiallly the hunt, are very advanced for their time. The music is also a work of genius.
All told, a true classic - a ground-breaking & hugely entertaining piece of cinema. Oh, & FAR better than the recent rubbishy BBC adaptation.
PS - with alll due respect to previous "Top 50" reviewer Andy Millward, you weren't watching the film very closely, were you? The famous "meal" scene is NOTHING to do with Susannah York, & in fact Tom & Sophia don't get married throughout the whole film! (The actress concerned is Joyce Redman, playing Mrs Waters).
Patchy with moments of genius - By: , 24 Jan 2006 
while the transposition to film has dulled the satire of the wonderfully farcical original, Tony Richardson manages to maintain some of the bawdy character of the original, although at points it does move dangerously (depending on your tastes) close to "carry on" territory. Finney does a good job of capturing Tom's innocent, though not necessarily unwilling habit of fallling into the "arms" the various seductresses that cross his path, & Hugh Griffith is fantastic as the hunt obsessed Squire Western. Speaking of which, the hunt scene makes for one of the most visceral moments in British cinema - a moment of absolute genius in what would otherwise be a good but ultimately forgetable period comedy - well worth watching the film for this scene alone!
Classic. - By: N. Wilson, 13 Sep 2004 
A truly classic film, with an amazingly successful & true recovery of the spritely naughtiness ... & moral perception ... of Fielding's novel. We do have first rate actors throughout; Albert Finney & Sussannah Yorke are only two in an outstanding cast (Edith Evans, Joan Greenwood, David Tomlinson, Hugh Griffith ...), while the scene setting has the rings true to the time of the story, without any bombastic over statement. This film deserved alll the awards it won. Age shows a little in the colour quality - but no matter. Nice to be offered Hungarian subtitles as well as amusing German dubbing if required!
Frenzied and lustful - By: Andy Millward, 13 Mar 2004 Strange how the memory plays tricks on you. I saw Tony Richardson's film of Fielding's bawdy romp some years ago but for alll the frenetic farcical energy with which it is played only one scene sticks in the memory - the one everyone remembers: imagine if you will Albert Finney & Susannah York just married & desperate to disappear to bed in a fit of passionate desire, but first there is the meal to eat, & by gum do they eat - they stuff their mouths frenziedly with lobster, chicken & anything else fallling to hand while eyeing each other lustfully. Strangely erotic & funny simultaneously - a classic moment in a film which overalll fails to capture the best of Fielding. Enjoy this moment, if nothing else!
