 An experienced theatre and serial director , Roger Michell was chosen to direct Persuasion , in what was to be his first feature film . As a young child , Michell had been an admirer of Austen 's , which set him apart from his male classmates . " I was the only boy in my class who took Austen as a special paper " , he said . His attraction to Persuasion was based on his belief that it was Austen 's most emotional and poignant novel , as well as her most autobiographical . He described the work as an " erotic love story which is full of sexual yearning " . While directing , Michell sought to emphasise contrasts in Austen 's story , seen for instance between " the chilly formality of Kellynch Hall and the warm , wet feel of Uppercross " . The Royal Navy was another point of interest , as officers like Wentworth would often have returned to society wealthy and full of stories . The director wished to depict the integration of cultures , as naval officers came back with " an informality of behaviour and language which was in marked contrast to what was there before " . 
