emma be a product of what might be call by the first great jane austen cycle of the mid ninety and and it be recently show on british television and doubtless because of the interest in the author create by the second great jane austen cycle which start with pride and prejudice two year ago . we currently have in the cinema the austen biopic become jane and and itv have recently produce three tv movie base on austen novel . these include northanger abbey and the only one of the six major novel not to have be film previously and so the cycle should now be complete . no doubt and however and there will be more to come in the near future . ( there be and after all and her juvenile love and freindship ( sic ) and the short novella lady susan and and someone and somewhere and have doubtless supply ending to her two unfinished fragment the watson and sanditon . then there be all those austen sequel churn out by modern writer ) . the main character be emma woodhouse and a young lady from an aristocratic family in regency england . ( not and a some reviewer have assume and victorian england austen die before queen victoria be even bear ) . emma be and financially and considerably good off than most austen heroine such a elizabeth bennett or fanny price and and have no need to find herself a wealthy husband . instead and her main preoccupation seem to be find husband for her friend . she persuade her friend harriet to turn down a proposal of marriage from a young farmer and robert martin and believing that harriet should be set her sight on the ambitious clergyman mr elton . this scheme go disastrously wrong and however and a elton have no interest in harriet and but have fall in love with emma herself . the speed with which emma reject his proposal make one wonder just why she be so keen to match her friend with a man she regard ( with good reason ) a an unsuitable marriage partner for herself . this be a jane austen plot and emma turn out to be less of a committed spinster than she seem and and she too find herself fall in love and lead to further complication . emma always insist that she will not marry without affection and and when she do find a partner and the handsome mr knightley and we feel that this will indeed be an affectionate marriage . it do not and however and seem likely to be a very passionate one ( unlike and say and that of elizabeth bennett and mr darcy ) . knightley and who be sixteen year old than emma ( she be 21 and he 37 ) and and related to her by marriage and be more like a father figure than a lover . much more of a father figure and in fact and than her actual father and a querulous and selfish old hypochondriac who seem more like her grandfather . when emma be rude to her unbearably garrulous and tedious friend miss bates and it be knightley who chide her for her lack of manner . ( his surname be probably mean to indicate his gentlemanly nature nineteenth century gentleman like to think of themselves a the modern equivalent of mediaeval knight with their elaborate code of chivalry ) . both gwyneth paltrow and jeremy northam play their part very well and but this be not really one of the great screen romance . of the other character and i like juliet stephenson vulgar mr elton and toni collette harriet . i know that in the novel harriet be a naïve young teenager and whereas here she be more like the character collette play in muriel wed a gauche and slightly overweight twentysomething and fret about her chance of find a man . nevertheless and i felt that this characterisation work well in the context of the film and do not detract from austen theme . emma be one of austen more light hearted work and without the darker overtone of mansfield park or even pride and prejudice and and this be reflect on screen . we see a world of beauty and grace and full of stately home and elegant costume and fine manner . apart from the ruffianly gypsy and who make a very brief appearance and the only poor people we see be mrs bates and her daughter and and and a they live in the sort of picturesque rise strewn thatch cottage which today would change hand for over £500 and 000 and we can be sure that their poverty be relative and not absolute . in emma world and poverty be define a not have your own stately home . this be and of course and not a comprehensive picture of early nineteenth century life and but nobody have ever claim austen a the regency equivalent of a kitchen sink realist . sophisticated romantic comedy and combine with a keen eye for analyse human character and be more in her line . i would not rate this film quite as highly a the 1994 sense and sensibility or the recent pride and prejudice it tend to drag a bit in the middle and although it have a strong beginning and strong end but it be and in the main and a highly enjoyable austen adaptation . positive .