Joseph Andrews (1977)

Joseph Andrews (1977) is the kind of ribald, brainy period comedy that feels alive in every scene—part road movie, part social satire, and always in on the joke. Tony Richardson turns Fielding’s world into a bustling parade of hypocrisy and desire, where virtue is tested not with solemn sermons but with temptations that are as funny as they are revealing. Ann-Margret is a marvel as Lady Booby, playing her predatory charm with fearless comic energy, while Peter Firth’s steady, decent Joseph and Michael Hordern’s wonderfully human Parson Adams give the film its warm, wise center. It’s earthy and occasionally rough around the edges (with sexual content and some violence), so it won’t be for everyone—but if you like your romance and comedy spiked with wit, misadventure, and sharp observations about class and manners, this is a delightfully unruly treat.

Joseph Andrews is clearly aiming for a cheeky, ribald spin on a classic 18th-century picaresque, poking at hypocrisy and lust across class lines while sending its hero through a string of misadventures. The problem is the film often feels like it’s trying to be both polite period drama and dirty-minded farce, so the satire lands inconsistently and the bawdiness can start to feel more wearying than sharp. If you’re expecting a warm romance or a tightly constructed comedy, the episodic “and then this happens” structure and sporadic vulgarity may test your patience. Still, there’s some lively performance energy (especially from Ann-Margret) and a certain old-school British production charm—just don’t go in hoping it’s as clever as it thinks it is.