A Dance to the Music of Time

Disc 1
Nicholas Jenkins regales his married lover, Jean, with tales of his school days in the early 1920s, including his enduring friendships with Jean's suave older brother Peter Templer, the sad and fragile Charles Stringham, and the oft-mocked buffoon Kenneth Widmerpool. As Nicholas' affair with Jean comes to an end, he is introduced to the mysterious clairvoyant Mrs. Erdleigh by his disreputable Uncle Giles. She predicts Nicholas will soon meet his true love.

Disc 2
As Nicholas Jenkins and his friends enter their 30s, marriages begin to crumble, new love blossoms, and the youthful optimism of their younger days fades away. Nicholas, now a scriptwriter, falls for Isobel, the sister of a recent acquaintance, and travels in the circles of both the snobbish upper class and the bohemian underground. Meanwhile, Hitler's power in Germany intensifies. Widmerpool, now an officer in the Territorial Army, believes war is inevitable.

Disc 3
With World War II under way, Nicholas must leave a pregnant Isobel behind when he enlists. Widmerpool uses his connections to rise through the ranks, taking Nicholas along with him. Unfortunately, Widmerpool's kindness does not extend to others, and he has Charles transferred to a mobile laundry unit that is about to go abroad. Nicholas encounters Charles' niece, Pamela Flitton, a beautiful and aloof army driver. Pamela uses her feminine wiles as weapons and sets her sights on Major Widmerpool.

Disc 4
The war becomes a distant memory as the 1960s take off. Nicholas and Isobel have moved to the country. There they encounter Scorp Murtlock, a charismatic mystic who has taken up with their young niece. Widmerpool, fascinated by Scorp's anti-establishment beliefs, seeks a meeting. In Venice for a literary conference, Nicholas meets Russell Gwinnett, an American academic researching a book on author X Trapnel, one of Pamela's many conquests. After she and Widmerpool air their grievances in public, Pamela's bizarre sex life leads to tragedy.

• Biography of Anthony Powell
• Character guide
• Photo gallery
• Cast filmographies

Packaging: Thinpak
Run Time: 415 minutes
Format: Letterboxed
Number of discs: 4
Language: English
Subtitles: N/A
Color or B&W: Color
CC: Yes
SDH: No
Region Code: 1
Aspect Ratio: N/A
Rating: N/A

"A resounding triumph"—The Express(UK)

"Performances and cameos by virtually every classy act in British literature"—Vanity Fair

"Lavish and addictive."—Los Angeles Times

"A brilliant cast."—The Huffington Post

"Dance provides many pleasures, small, medium and large."—Wilmington on DVD

"If you love sparkling dialogue, vivid characters, epic history and the spectacle of bad behavior perpetrated by folks who really should know better, this production will keep you enthroned on the divan for several weekends this fall. - eye candy for Anglophiles."—Seattle Times

"…largely faithful adaptation of Powell’s books, and boasts one of the most prestigious casts ever assembled…A Dance to the Music of Time is one of the great works of the 20th century."—Inside Entertainment

BAFTA TV Award Winner for Best Actor (Simon Russell Beale, 1998)

BAFTA TV Award Nomination for Best Actress (Miranda Richardson, 1998)

BAFTA TV Award Nomination for Best Costume Design (1998)

BAFTA TV Award Nomination for Best Design (1998)

BAFTA TV Award Nomination for Best Make Up/Hair (1998)

Royal Television Society (UK) Award Winner for Best Actor – Male (Simon Russell Beale, 1998)

Royal Television Society (UK) Award Nomination for Best Actor – Female (Miranda Richardson, 1998)