“Persuasion” is the last novel written by Jane Austen and was published posthumously in 1817. This year, Netflix will release its first adaptation of the novel, on the 15th of July.
The plot
“Persuasion” is considered to be one of the most mature and sophisticated Jane Austen novels, together with the author’s more famous works, “Emma” and “Pride and Prejudice”. The story of the novel revolves around Anne Elliot, a 27-year-old spinster, according to the norms of the 19th century, and the fact that she cannot get over the relationship with Frederick Wentworth, a naval officer, eight years after their separation. After all that time, Anne still regrets breaking up with the love of her life at the pressure of her family, which did not agree with their marriage because he didn’t own a fortune or a title.
However, the tide turns, and the story now shows Anne’s family in financial difficulty, while Wentworth shows up again, only much richer and with a title. While his sister and her husband rent the home of the Elliot family, Anne and Frederick are reunited again. From then on, the two characters go through various situations and challenges, in an attempt to revive their past relationship.
The cast
In this Netflix adaptation, Dakota Johnson will star as the main character of the story, Anne Elliot, while Cosmo Jarvis will play her love interest, Captain Frederick Wentworth. The international press claims that this adaptation of the famous novel is an unconventional one and we do actually get hints of that after watching the trailer.
Even if the movie closely follows the narrative of the original story, it also presents a more fresh and playful approach to Austen’s work. In the trailer, you can notice how Dakota Johnson directly engages the audience by talking to the camera and that the scenes seem to be interpreted in a more easy-going and funny manner.
While the success of this adaptation is yet to be decided, we are looking forward to its release, on July 15th.