In this BBC Television Shakespeare production, a physician’s daughter uses her wits and unwavering devotion to win the love of an arrogant young nobleman.
Helena (Angela Down), the low-born ward of the esteemed Countess of Roussillon (Celia Johnson), is in love with the Countess’s son, Bertram (Ian Charleson). When Bertram leaves to attend the court, Helena follows, using a cure inherited from her father to heal the gravely ill King of France (Peter Jeffrey). As a reward, the King grants her the husband of her choice. She chooses the horrified Bertram, who is forced into the marriage. He immediately flees to the wars in Italy, sending Helena a letter with two seemingly impossible conditions for their reunion: she must get the ancestral ring from his finger and become pregnant with his child. Undeterred, Helena pursues him and, through a cunningly arranged “bed trick,” fulfills his challenge.
Director Elijah Moshinsky’s production is a triumph of visual interpretation, transposing Shakespeare’s “problem play” to a 17th-century Dutch setting. The aesthetic is explicitly modelled on the paintings of Johannes Vermeer; the action unfolds in interiors filled with cool, Northern European light, where every frame is a meticulous composition of texture and shadow. This visual strategy lends a sober, psychological realism to a plot that can otherwise feel like a strained fairytale. The approach is supported by a veteran cast, anchored by Celia Johnson’s performance as the Countess, which brings a quiet, melancholic authority to the role. As the difficult hero Bertram, Ian Charleson presents a compelling portrait of youthful snobbery and immature pride.
Broadcast: BBC Two, 1 Episode, 4 January 1981
Written by: William Shakespeare
Director: Elijah Moshinsky
Producer: Jonathan Miller
Main Cast: Angela Down (Helena), Ian Charleson (Bertram), Celia Johnson (Countess of Roussillon), Donald Sinden (Parolles), Michael Hordern (Lafeu), Peter Jeffrey (King of France), Pippa Guard (Diana)
