CRIME & PUNISHMENT (1979, BBC, starring John Hurt)

This great three-part miniseries of Dostoevsky’s great novel of psychology and redemption is truly powerful. It is available now on video from the Time Life label. I got mine through Critics Choice video.

John Hurt burst into our living rooms in the mid-seventies with his stunning portrayal of Caligula in the sublime serial I, CLAUDIUS. The writer of that series, Jack Pulman, wrote his adaptation of CRIME & PUNISHMENT specifically for Hurt.

There are many versions of this great story and rightfully so. The miniseries format is such a wonderful way to capture great literature which would normally be radically abridged in a two or even three hour theatrical film.

The acting in this version is superb throughout. Hurt immediately draws us into the mind of his barely stable Raskolnikov. What keeps us with him is the way he teeters between the extremes of his experiences. Will he crack? Will he get away with it? Of course the very title suggests that he will be caught, but watching Hurt suffer torments of guilt and psychological illness causes us to wonder if this isn’t his real punishment. Indeed it appears that is precisely Dostoevsky’s point. While societal law exists to punish those who commit crimes, the average person (even with above average intelligence, which is one of the reasons Raskolnikov attempts the crime—he thinks he can outwit every one) has also to deal with their own law of conscience.

CRIME & PUNISHMENT is a profoundly spiritual work. We are satisfied that even if Raskolnikov ‘gets away with murder’ he will have sufficiently suffered in his accountability to God. It is his accountability (debt) to society that is actually secondary to the story (although Dostoevsky makes it clear that the debt is paid). What is totally unexpected (if you do not know the source material) is how Raskolnikov is redeemed. Yes, he must suffer greatly and pay his debt to God and society, but redemption does come.

When we continue to be bombarded with revenge stories in contemporary films it is truly refreshing to see the consequences of crime portrayed, as well as the possibility of redemption.

Most of this series is shot on video, which has always been the norm for BBC productions. (Exteriors are shot on film). While this can at first be a little off-putting, the power of the acting immediately draws you in. The wonderful Timothy West plays the wily police inspector who hopes Raskolnikov will voluntarily give himself up. I met Timothy West in London in 1980 after a performance he gave as the conductor Sir Thomas Beecham. His dressing room walls were positively lined with congratulatory telegrams. He was very humble and a true gentleman, very considerate to a young drama student!

The equally superb Welsh actress Sian Phillips, (then the wife of Peter O’Toole and also from I, CLAUDIUS) brings dignity to a difficult role. Played by a lesser actress, her character might come off as a shrill shrew who makes you shudder every time she comes on screen. Her brilliance is in total contrast to her low-key (but stunning) performance as Livia in I, CLAUDIUS.

If you are in the mood for great drama with depth, substance and profound insight into human nature, watch this version of CRIME & PUNISHMENT.

Jon Ted Wynne