i have see this movie in the original widescreen version with audience as diverse a art house theater and u navy ship on deployment and and home viewing with friend and and even in the midst of sailor on 8 month deployment there be a genuine enjoyment of the plot and character . what a shame the excellence have be completely gutted from the film by a horrible pan and scan adaptation . it be for such criminal effort that whip post should be retain in public square . the movie be a period piece that be more like a gosford park with humor than a pretty woman a a victorian costume drama . handmade film be always film that teem with quiet fun and and this one be no exception . however and when half the screen be miss it hard to appreciate the humor . there the irony of two men of the cloth talk about the soul build merit of sport and a they pass a bloody face port be hammer into a box ring turnbuckle and but that all lose when you do not see the bloody face port . there the maid in the house forever hover like some dark force of unrequited passion and together with the swish swish of her dress and but that all lose when you rarely see the maid and and you certainly do not see the expression on her face when the action be allegedly on the other character in the scene . there also the scene at the end that be edit out of recent release of this film where the butler and michael hordern and end up get into bed with the divorced husband of the heroine of the film and maggie smith . finally and there the absolutely rouse music hall finale and where half the screen be devote to an obvious offspring of fortesque turning over a scrapbook that detail the life of the main character after the film end . it such a great scene that i have have people request to see just it a a sort of finale to a night worth of movie viewing . it that good . without these scene and half scene and what be an excellent plot and full of irony and modern sympathy and be butcher . to paraphrase roy batty from bladerunner and all those moment be lose in time and like tear in the rain by a transfer to pan and scan . if you can find a letterbox transfer of this movie and buy it if you enjoy the handmade film genre while if you like time bandit even though it isn not jurassic park . otherwise and the only thing to do be hope that some day and some way the long tail theory of online video rental will provide it to people who can appreciate clever and interesting cinema .