Virgos are one of the more challenging signs in the zodiac. While they are known for their creativity and their patience, they are also known to be more than a little critical, and they can be very stubborn when it comes to changing their mind about something once they’ve made it up.
In some ways, the period drama–with its emphasis on feelings and on appearances–might be an odd fit for this sign. However, there are several period dramas that Virgo will love…as well as some that they will hate.
Love: Moulin Rouge! (2001)
To be fair, it’s hard to imagine that anyone might hate this film, considering the fact that it has both Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman, both of whom do their own singing. It is, however, the wrenching pathos of their doomed romance that makes this film utterly compelling.
While Virgos might not be as drawn into the film’s emotional maelstrom, their creative side will definitely respect and appreciate the film’s unique visual and musical style as well as the amazing performances.
Hate: Lorna Doone (1990)
The novel upon which this film is based has, like several other works of 19th-century British fiction, been adapted several times in both film and television. This adaptation from the 1990s, unfortunately, will most likely not satisfy the canny Virgo.
For one thing, it is very much a product of its time, and it doesn’t have the timeless quality that one frequently associates with the genre of the period drama. The pickier Virgo might even note that while the novel takes place in England, it was filmed in Scotland.
Love: Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries (2012)
While most people associate the period drama with time periods preceding the 20th century more recent offerings from various production studios have taken a more liberal view, as with this series, which is set in the 1920s.
Virgos will appreciate not only the high production values–which evoke the atmosphere and appearance of that bygone era–but will also like the mysteries that motivate the series. Everyone knows that a Virgo is always up for a challenge!
Hate: Jonathan Strange (2015)
The novel upon which this series was based was an interesting mix of historical fiction and fantasy and, as a result, was very popular. It was also an extremely long novel, so adapting it into even a television series was always going to be a challenge. Unfortunately, the Victorian series somehow managed to take out all of the things that made the novel so compelling, and the detail-oriented and critical Virgo is likely to dislike the film for the many liberties that it takes with the source material.
Love: Mr. Selfridge (2013)
At first glance, it might not seem likely that a period historical drama about a man who tries to make a go of it by founding his own department store would be compelling viewing, either to Virgos or to anyone else. However, the peculiar magic of this series is that it somehow manages to capture both the ethos of the early 20th century and to convey to viewers the work that goes into making retail work. The attention to detail will also appeal to Virgo’s exacting nature.
Hate: Poldark (2015)
Poldark, like many other British period dramas, definitely pays ample attention to both the costumes and the feelings of the main characters. Unfortunately, this means that, at times, it can be a bit self-indulgent, and some of the characters and their foibles become a little intolerable at times. For the Virgo, who can be a bit critical at times, the actions of the characters can be a bit much to either handle or to take seriously, and so it is doubtful whether they will enjoy this series at all.
Love: 1917 (2019)
This film received quite a lot of critical acclaim, and rightly so. It somehow manages to capture the brutal beauty and savage glory of the World War I battlefield, while never quite losing sight of the human stories that made this war one of the most tragic and bloody in the modern world. While obviously the human stories are what make this film tick, the Virgo will be far more likely to be impressed by the visual and technical accomplishments.
Hate: Wuthering Heights (1939)
This novel by Emily Bronte is another of those pieces of classic literature that has been adapted numerous times, perhaps most famously in 1939. While Virgo will no doubt appreciate the creative talent on offer–particularly among the cast, of whom Merle Oberon and Laurence Olivier–as well as the production values, even this version can’t offset the rather indulgent nature of the narrative.
Virgo will no doubt find themselves being far too critical of the characters to really enjoy the film.
Love: The Libertine (2004)
Though it wasn’t well-received at the time, this film, about a nobleman at the court of the hedonistic King Charles II of England, is a good bet for the Virgo. For one thing, the production values are top-notch, immersing the viewer in the world of the king known to subsequent generations as the “Merry Monarch.” For another, it’s a fascinating exploration of one man’s descent into sadness and despair, a rumination on the limits of pleasure.
Hate: Great Expectations (2012)
Though the novel by Charles Dickens is one of the hallmarks of British literature, and it has known its fair share of screen adaptations. Unfortunately, this version is sure to be one of those that Virgo hates. It somehow manages to be both too long and too short, and it struggles to justify why it is that we needed another adaptation of the novel so soon after the television version that appeared in 2011.
