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Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9780764004544
Format: Color, NTSC
ISBN: 0764004549
Label: Starz / Anchor Bay
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
Number Of Items: 2
Publisher: Starz / Anchor Bay
Release Date: December 15, 1998
Running Time: 240 minutes
Sales Rank: 15180
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
Theatrical Release Date: October 25, 1998
Editorial Review:
Amazon.com:
In 18th-century England, the slave trade was a popular get-rich-quick scheme, and it is the heart of darkness that pulses through the Mobil Masterpiece Theatre production of A Respectable Trade. Philippa Gregory wrote the screenplay based on her novel, in which a well-bred but penniless young woman named Frances (Emma Fielding) marries a Bristol shipping merchant (Warren Clarke). Josiah Cole is boorish and unsophisticated, but Frances sees a simple honesty in him that convinces her to leave her uncle's manor for a leaky warehouse on the wharf and wifely duties she did not anticipate. Her husband's 'respectable trade' turns out to be human cargo, and he expects Frances to train the slaves for service in upper-class households. But Frances must learn hard lessons as she develops an affection for Mehuru (Ariyon Bakare), an educated, compassionate man who is one of the slaves in her care. Thankfully, the plot is far more complex than the historical romance this quick summary might suggest. A Respectable Trade is as much the story of a greedy man reaching too high as it is the tale of a forbidden passion. The dramatic tension between all of the major characters makes for compelling viewing--it's quite easy to watch all four hours in one sitting. Gregory's screenplay and the performances elicit sympathy for each character's plight as the video approaches its memorable conclusion. --Larisa Lomacky Moore
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating: - An underappreciated performance
After coming across this film quite accidentally on PBS, I found it thoroughly gripping, and agree completely with the other reviewers' high praise. I am adding my own words merely to encourage viewers not to overlook the extraordinary performance by Anna Massey as Sarah Cole. It is tempting to dismiss Sarah as a simple villain in this tale. However, I found Massey's stark performance deeply moving and expressive of Sarah's profound experience of displacement and loss. She is clearly the brains ... Read More
Rating:  - Britain, the Slave Trade and Impoverished Ladies
Quite a combination, right? I had mixed feelings about watching this video because I knew the combinations were deadly. There was a white impoverished woman, who is also a poor relation to the aristocracy, who is married off by them to the merchant class and who then then falls in love with one of the slaves her husband has her teaching. Hardly a Jane Austen piece! It was going to be difficult to resolve this drama on an "up" note but it did its best in that direction. It is an engrossing drama ... Read More
Rating: - Outstanding script, superb acting, and Emma Fielding...
This is not the typical 18th century romance. The central themes are beautifully woven into a single strand, and the characters show a range and depth rarely seen in American cinema. Warren Clarke (remember him as "Dim", the slow-witted droog from "A Clockwork Orange"?) delivers an outstanding performance as Josiah Cole, a slavetrader and simple man who turns into a social climber. Aariyon Bakare puts the viewer squarely into the emotion of the story with his evocative, understated elegance. And ... Read More
Rating: - Sweet, sour, brutal, raw, unforgettable viewing.
A Respectable Trade was a fabulous book (go read it now!) and it was made into a fabulous film. All of the actors are superb - and Philippa Gregory herself wrote the screenplay, which gives the production the same magic the book had. The story begins in 1787, when ambitious trader Josiah Cole tries to cilmb the social ladder by asking the well blooded but dirt poor Frances Scott to marry him. Frances, thirty four and desperate, agrees to marry him. If only she'd known what she was getting herself ... Read More
Rating: - A Colorful and Dark Romantic Drama
I absolutely LOVED this movie!!!! The screenplay and direction were phenomenal. The costumes, sets, and actors were so authentic, at times I felt I was actually in 18th century England watching this story unfold. I am always interested in movies with slavery themes because I believe it is a crucial part of the history of people of African decent. This movie did not glamorize or down play the slavery element. It showed it in its true, brutal, sadistic form. If you are a sensitive viewer, I would ... Read More
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