This is a rendition of Catherine Cookson's novel by the same name, which this reviewer has not read. It has been compared to Charlotte Bronte's novel Jane Eyre. Both are about class and Status in the mid 19th century. The comparison is not so much Bronte's Jane with Cookson's Riah but more with Jane and Riah's daughter Biddy. In both cases a lower class girl who has somehow been educated is able rise in status by marrying a man in her employer's status. These are both considered feminist novels with strong women characters and this film certainly takes this viewpoint, especially in the last scene.
Review of The Black Velvet Gown
