The Crimson Petal And The White DVD Review

 Sugar (Romola Garai, Atonement) is a notorious prostitute who longs for a better life. Sexually adept and clever, she casts a spell on William Rackham (Chris O’Dowd, Bridesmaids), heir to a perfume business. Based on the sensational novel by Michel Faber, made for the BBC, this psychological thriller boasts a stellar cast (Gillian Anderson, Richard E. Grant) and a boldly original look and feel, portraying 19th-century London as a place of violence and madness. Seen on Encore. 4 episodes, 4 hrs, 2 DVDs, SDH. Mature audiences.

Disc 1

Episode 1

William Rackham is a failure as a writer, deeply in debt, and husband to an increasingly unstable wife. When his father cuts off his allowance, William seeks solace with a prostitute, Sugar, and discovers that she’s as skilled at conversation as she is at sex. For her own part, Sugar sees William as a way out of Mrs. Castaway’s brothel.

Episode 2

William wants Sugar all to himself and moves her into an apartment. Now involved in his father’s business, he regularly gives her money. A chance meeting at the opera convinces William’s disturbed wife, Agnes, that Sugar is her guardian angel.

Disc 2

Episode 3

Now too busy to visit Sugar’s flat, William moves her into his home as live-in mistress and governess to Sophie. Sugar quickly bonds with the lonely child and learns more about Agnes. Meanwhile, the malevolent Dr. Curlew convinces William to have his wife committed to an asylum.

Episode 4

Sugar denies helping Agnes. Now pregnant, Sugar hopes in vain that William will accept their child, but he has other, more socially respectable plans that don’t include her. Desperate and enraged, Sugar takes matters into her own hands.
Our Thoughts

The Crimson Petal and the White is period drama at its best. Set in Victorian England, this mini series introduces you to a side of the time that was darker that what you tend to read in the history books. The story follows the many adventures of Sugar, a clever prostitute and the perfume businessmen who finds himself smitten with her, despite the fact that he is married to a women who is slowly losing her mind.  What happens as their lives start to intermingle will leave you with your mouth hanging open, but there isn't much more I can say without giving away the  best parts. Everything from the costumes to the acting makes this a stellar performance and a must see British drama. The series is based off a best selling novel of the same title, and I know that I am going to have to read the book as well!


If you want to get the advantage a mini series that will leave you on the breathless from the drama and suspense of the old world, than this is the box set for you. You can order The Crimson Petal and The White for only $39.99 at Acorn Media.


***Please note that I received no form of monetary compensation for this post. I did receive a sample of the product to try in order to write a fair and honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and were not influenced in any way. ***