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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 383278" data-attributes="member: 23">The Body In The Library Part One <img src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2Foriginals%2F0e%2F43%2Fd4%2F0e43d4516a7ddf4d3dd74ce1d14426ea.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=ead7d27d5feef5b5526adbfc4ce94e545a44d37dc824ff4262483da20b730498&ipo=images" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 816px" />Surprise number one for me: the gentle, quirky humour. Scenes of the Bantrys waking up and their dismissively incredulous reactions to hearing about the titular body are genuinely funny. It’s all terribly British: phlegmatic with the stiffest of upper lips on display. Colonel Bantry’s visible irritation with this inconvenience is a joy.This has been interwoven through the episode. There was the reaction of the hotel manager who was assured - somewhat unsympathetically - that he needn’t be quite so upset because the death didn’t take place on the property. Then we had the “mistaken identity” platinum blonde showing up just as a suspect was being questioned, only to continue her row with the suspect, slap him and leave.The underscore does feel a little overdone for some of these scenes, driving home their quirky nature just a little too vigorously (most notably in the scenes of PC Palk getting ready to leave his home). Still, in a series of this quality, it feels entirely forgivable.The lines thoughout are great. Mrs Bantry is at the heart of many of them. She puts me very much in mind of Audrey Fforbes-Hamilton to her which is no bad thing, and much of the organic humour she delivers feels from the “comedy of manners” school.  From her deadpan “it ought to be a practical joke, except that she’s dead” to her circuitous (but very logical) explanation for why she knows her husband is upset and hiding it, to she and Miss Marple making snarky, snobby comments about the corpse’s poor quality dress (“Edie was fond of cheap finery too”). It makes perfect sense for the character since without being judgemental how could she hope to solve a crime.The humour is perfectly balanced with the darkness beneath it all. It is ultimately about a murder, after all. There’s an element of suspense introduced when a second body is discovered by a man who appears to have significant learning difficulties. He knows he’s found a body, and we know he’s found a body, but nobody else does at this point. Part I’s final shot of the grey-blue arm protruding from the car wreck is very grim indeed.Adding still further balance is the cosiness of St Mary Mead, the prettily pastoral wrapping that disguises a world of sin and darkness. The choice of locations has been spot-on so far.Then there’s Miss Marple herself. Joan Hickson is everything one could wish for from a screen Marple. From the moment she appears on screen, she simply is Jane Marple and convinces utterly.We first meet her as she wraps up educating a maid on how to correctly pile wood in a fireplace:As she speaks, she wags her finger to emphasise the importance of her words, but it’s spoken so softly, with eye contact and an almost-smile that makes the matter of fact tone feel palatable and kind.She rounds off by by a flattering observation that “the brass looks quite smart” and an encouraging pat on the shoulder to reward Esther’s efforts. She’s like that firm but fair teacher who wouldn’t stand for any nonsense or messing about, but who you still liked enough to want to do your best.The small scene tells us so much about the character: her keen eye for detail; her ability to transmit what she’s learnt to others in a way they will understand; her almost forceful opinion (there’s no doubting that she is correct in what she’s saying because of the way in which she says it); and her capacity to display empathy. Above all, there is simply her presence: that bird-like quality that gets across that she watches everything, misses nothing and is sharp as a tack.As displayed by the already-mentioned “cheap finery” remark, there’s also an element of borderline snobbery and social superiority. Jane appears to be upper middle class, and everything about her suggests this is by birth. She’s old money, knows her etiquette and can hold her own in any social setting. I’m sure this will prove as important as it is entertaining.With my memory, I’m not sure how much of the dialogue is taken directly from the books. I do remember this series being applauded for being the most accurate and faithful translations in terms of story, so I’m trusting that any changes are made judiciously and hopefully necessary for the medium.I’m only a third of the way into this story, and will no doubt be better placed to comment on this angle after watching the other two. So far, though, it’s a delight.</blockquote>

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