Donald McWhinnie (1920–1987)

It's a little weird to be deliberately pulling up this old one I read in college, but it stuck with me! And it's absolutely hilarious! There are so many sly and dirty jokes woven into the story, and combined with the plot (trashy though it is), I learned a lot about the culture at the time. I also laughed a ton, though you have to be ready with historical context and modern-day translations of some of the references. Hint: a woman selling oranges is selling a lot more than oranges.

General plot: a man convinces the town that he's a eunuch so he can be alone with other men's wives without the men being suspicious, and he makes a lot of intimate friends with the ladies around town. Enter the naive girl from the country side (pun?), who has a lot to learn about her new social group.… (meer)

This 1981 BBC production has some good things, especially Michael Aldridge as 'Fa', and some other good performances. Judi Dench is rather wasted. At times it can be confusing as to which character is which. Some parts (eg at the refugee camp) are pretty limp. The very generous length (400 mins) is probably too long; the whole thing needs more tightening up and more 'life'. The best episode is possibly the first one. The character of Linda is very pallid compared with the recent BBC Pursuit of Love, and not just because everything is more decorous.… (meer)