Scarlet & Black (1993)

The televised UK mini-series Scarlet & Black (1993) launched the career of Ewan McGregor, starring here as the classic French literary figure Julien Sorel. He’s supposed to be making a start in the new Church of the post-Napoleon era. Instead, the sap keeps complicating his life by chasing after the ladies. (For some reason, the two pursuits weren’t considered compatible back then.) It’s an elegant telling with some elegant tails, including torrid turns by Alice Krige and future Mummy maid Rachel Weisz.