--- product_id: 42551242 title: "Hard Times (Charles Dickens) [DVD]" brand: "various" price: "NZ$52" currency: NZD in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.nz/products/42551242-hard-times-charles-dickens-dvd store_origin: NZ region: New Zealand --- # Hard Times (Charles Dickens) [DVD] **Brand:** various **Price:** NZ$52 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Hard Times (Charles Dickens) [DVD] by various - **How much does it cost?** NZ$52 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.nz](https://www.desertcart.nz/products/42551242-hard-times-charles-dickens-dvd) ## Best For - various enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted various brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Hard Times (Charles Dickens) [DVD] ## Images ![Hard Times (Charles Dickens) [DVD] - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81JI6nW9xSL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars Another success at adapting Dickens to film, IMHO as a casual (& mostly unread) Dickens fan. *by B***A on Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2019* I'm a bit saddened--but not surprised--to learn from more well-read Dickens fans that this film passes over a lot, and doesn't get into certain characters and situations as much as the original novel does. That being said, I found this movie perfect for someone like myself, who's very interested in the classics of literature, and in great authors, but finds he (to be completely honest and humble about it) lacks the attention-span and endurance to read the original works, which were often very lengthy and detailed, and (again, to be honest) quite dry, compared to the luscious, arguably overstimulating, fast-paced worlds of modern entertainment.Every now and then a classic or other novel will grip me and addict me. I recall Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" (a relatively short book, more like a novella), having done this to me. But honestly I've ALWAYS struggled with retaining my interest in a book over 200 pages. And Dickens' longer novels have failed to addict me. I much prefer reading poetry, or biographies, or nonfiction, if anything, and WATCHING "the classics" in filmed adaptations.By watching good filmed adaptations of the classics, I fulfill both my need and curiosity to acquaint myself with classic literature, and get a good film in at the same time.This present film of Dickens' HARD TIMES, I consider to belong to this latter category: A way for one to acquaint oneself with a classic piece of literature, and get a good film in at the same time.I've also been watching a lot of BBC's Shakespeare films lately, via Amazon Prime Video, and I think it's a credit to Charles Dickens that his HARD TIMES seemed Shakespearean to me in its depth and richness of understanding of its variety of compelling characters (good, bad, and, perhaps more surprisingly than Shakespeare ever pulled off, the good-turning-bad and the bad-turning-good), and in the ideas and emotions it summons forth. It reminds me of when I saw good film versions of DAVID COPPERFIELD, OLIVER TWIST, and especially NICHOLAS NICKLEBY and GREAT EXPECTATIONS, over the years. This present films belongs with the best film version of those Dickens classics, in my opinion, however imperfect this or those other films might be, when compared to the original novels in all of their monumental detail and length.This particular Dickens classic deals fundamentally with issues of the rich vs. the poor, and the injustice and oppression too often involved with the former against the latter, and also it's about "the wisdom of the head", associated here with wealth and conservatism, and "the wisdom of the heart", associated with the poor and not-so-conservative. (I don't say "liberal", because this isn't propaganda for liberalism--in fact it has quite a unsympathetic view of Unions, in one key scene--although it does provide some sound criticism of certain Conservative tendencies. In fact, though apolitical, I myself lean towards conservative principles, economically and most especially morally, and yet I find this work presents many compelling criticisms against conservative and even capitalist dogmas.)The actors all did well, and the production was good, too, although I found the intro and outro music a bit unsuitable somehow... But that's such a small detail, and one doesn't have to bear it long at all. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.0 out of 5 stars Hard Times *by E***N on Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2012* I read the book, then got the DVD. Well done, condensation didn't tear it up too much. fun to see Alan Bates in a bad-guy role. ### ⭐⭐⭐ 3.0 out of 5 stars Boring Charles Dickens ... A Rare Thing Indeed *by T***A on Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2014* This is a 1994 BBC adaptation of a Charles Dickens novel “Hard Times.” While the film’s story (which I will not summarize here because I think you already know it) is faithful to that of the original book, the entire film has only about 100 minutes. This means that everything goes on too quickly, to the point of being incoherent. Old Stephen/Rachel story arc suffers most terribly, being badly truncated.Set in a fictitious city called “Coketown,” the story of “Hard Times” follows the life of the Gradgrinds and other characters living in this drab industrial town. Unfortunately, being a low-budget made-for-TV mini-series, “Hard Times” does not show us this dreary and monotonous Coketown very much, which is one of the original novel’s important features.So this adaptation of “Hard Times” goes a little bit like a stage production, with characters talking to each other in a dimly lit, confined space. With stars like Alan Bates (as Bounderby), Bob Peck (as Gradgrind) and Richard E. Grant (as Harthouse), acting is perfect. Unfortunately, writing leaves much to be desired. Where was Andrew Davies when we needed him?“Hard Times” is not exactly the most popular one among the Dickens works. This adaptation is not likely to change that. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.nz/products/42551242-hard-times-charles-dickens-dvd](https://www.desertcart.nz/products/42551242-hard-times-charles-dickens-dvd) --- *Product available on Desertcart New Zealand* *Store origin: NZ* *Last updated: 2026-05-01*