Kurt R.A. Giambastiani

“I didn’t see that coming.”

That’s something you’ll rarely hear me say when watching a movie or video. Truth be told, seldom does a plot-line surprise me to the point where I sit back and blink. Here’s a movie/show that not only made me say that, but also made me pause the playback to understand why I was caught so by surprise.

The movie/show is Fingersmith (2005), a BBC drama (naturally) based on the novels by Sarah Waters. Set in Victorian England, Fingersmith follows Susan and Maud, two women of disparate backgrounds who meet and interact in a story of intrigue, betrayal, and confidence. Especially confidence.

You see, a “fingersmith” is a petty thief, a pickpocket, and Susan (played by Sally Hawkins, star of my favorite version of Persuasion) is one such worker of “the craft.” Raised by Mrs. Sucksby (Imelda Staunton), she grows up selling tickets to view the hangings that can be seen from their flat on Lant Street and learning the deft trade of a street thief.

Her counterpart in this story, Maud (played by Elaine Cassidy, who I’ve only seen previously in The Others), was born in an asylum and raised there after the death of her mother. A precocious child, she is taken in by her uncle, Mr. Lilly (perfectly portrayed by Charles Dance), a collector and curator of rare books of a … special nature. Under his care, Maud becomes his secretary, helping him build a catalog of his unusual collection.

Linking the two women is “Gentleman” Rivers, a con man known well to the Lant Street crowd. “Gentleman” sets up a long confidence game in which Susan will pose as a ladies’ maid for Maud, help ingratiate Rivers to Maud’s affections and, after an elopement, will split the proceeds of Maud’s inheritance.

Beyond that I shall say no more of the plot, because believe me, this one has twists that you won’t see coming. At least I didn’t.

But why? Why, when I can often predict what a character in a TV show will say next, was I so completely surprised by the events of Fingersmith?

Because the plot of Fingersmith is laid out like a con-game of its own. We are given all the information we need to see what’s coming, but are so distracted by other events that we set aside our own knowledge. In short, we are played as much as are the characters, and this is crucial to the story, the setup, and the surprise of it all.

Seriously, I won’t say more about the plot. Just see it. Which leads me to my next point. Where to find it?

I watched parts of Fingersmith via two different venues: Amazon Video and Acorn TV (a streaming service specializing in British television). It’s not available for streaming on Netflix, but they (and Amazon, of course) have it on DVD.

From what I’ve read, Fingersmith originally aired in three episodes, each about an hour in duration. This is the version offered by Amazon Video and on DVD, but I do not believe it is best suited to a three-episode presentation. The way the story is structured, it really lends itself to a two-episode edit.

More to the point, having seen it via Acorn TV, I know that the Amazon Video version has redacted certain scenes; perhaps they were too pithy or “strong” for an American audience, but the reason is irrelevant: the movie suffers for the edit.

I recommend going to Acorn TV and watching it there.

Acorn TV provides an unredacted, two-episode version which is superior (even if it only comes in SD). Not only is it complete, the two 90-minute episodes fit the structure of the plot precisely, and I can only think that this was the original intent. As for the redactions, the bits that are edited out of the three-episode version may not be crucial to the plot, but they are important to characterization. For instance, before she leaves Lant Street to begin this big con, Susan looks at the scaffold they can see from their window. She wonders if, should she be caught, she would be hanged here. Mrs. Sucksby tells her that they tie different knots for the ladies, so that death comes quicker. This small exchange, explicating the fear and the retribution Susan faces should things go badly, provides color and context for the rest of her performance, and yet it is cut from the three-episode version I saw on Amazon.

This is a well-acted, beautifully photographed, intricately plotted, and ultimately satisfying story that is well worth the effort it takes to find the better version.

k