Madame Bovary

1991 version of Flaubert's masterpiece, Claude Chabrol
Chabrol indulges in classicism here, clearly trying to tone down the more pronounced stylistic tics. We thus have more classicial framings, waist-shots, longer takes. We also have two-shots, which aren't a major feature of Chabrol's style. These can even be two heads, or two profiles. On the more emphasised points, Chabrol does 'go in for the kill', on the close-ups. He also can't help himself adding some sex, which fits, and a bit of dirt and disgust, pretty stupid and drawn out in the final scene.
The story needs to be told extremely quickly, and it positively races along. This is frankly a pretty novel-to-screen adaption, as in it simply recounts what the words of the novel are. Their is something even a little apologetic about the voiceover. What the point in this is, as the depth of Flaubert's work obviously can't be gone into, and it would be tough to say anything is really added beyond the words. Much of the time the action could quite easily be described.
This adaption tells obviously one of the great novels of the nineteenth century. This is obviously not the place to discuss that, but we notice the play of commerce here, and how Chabrol does speed us on the occassions when it is necessary to enter Emma's point, of view, sympathise more with her. This is, however, a pretty pointless adaption. We are rather more curious about Renoir's 1933 Bovary.