Keira Knightly first appeared in a big way in Bend it Like Beckham. As a the young teen who loved soccer, she acted up a storm and left the viewer wondering, "Who is this talented new star?" Then came the pirate films with Johnny Depp, where she almost out-shined the all-too-talented Depp. Well, Keira has come a long ways. Just watch her excel as the lead in The Duchess!
This is not an easy film to watch. If you have the slightest angst, or should I say, revulsion, about the treatment of women in early times, you may feel yourself nauseated...or simply furious. We're not talking mild enslavement of women by men, as we often see in Jane Austen or Charles Dickens tales. Way back when, if a woman were poor she had to find a suitable mate.
No, fellow feminists, this story goes further: The Duke of Devonshire figuratively imprisons not one, but two women, one his wife, the other his mistress, on his sprawling estate. How does he do so? By blackmail! The deal: Want to see your kids? Then join me please, will you?
OK, no spoiler here. There so much to this film. But it takes a strong stomach to watch. For example, the Duke expects a male heir. When the poor Duchess cannot deliver, the Duke simply dismisses his daughters as useless human beings. Ah, if only we could introduce the backward fellow to Gloria Steinem!
Ralph Fiennes plays the caddish, nasty brute of a duke with delightful perfection. Keira is Oscar-worthy for her role as the subjugated duchess.
The set designs are sumptuous. The costumes dazzle. To counter the discomfort of the story, the film offers a complete and believable return to England in the late 1700's. The portrait is of the upper class. Wealth abounds. So does immorality.
Grade of A. Absolutely worth seeing. A film wonder.
I am not a big fan of KK. I don't find her performances consistent, but I am beginning to think it is more about the quality of the writing and/or directing behind her. I looovved this movie. Not only did I find it visually delectable (set, costume, background acting), but the complexity of the characters was outstanding. I didn't hate the Duke as much as I thought I would, because even though I saw through his "distaste" as a line to feed G, I did find him human in his desire to conform to societal expectations. The same thing goes for Bess: as much as I wanted to hate her and found her relatable, I totally believed the character.
ReplyDeleteI just adore movies like this that are more of a trip through a time-machine. (Case in point: one of my favorite movies is Elizabeth.) This has definitely entered my top 30.
Just caught up with this film. Very solid film. Agree with everything you both said. So let me stretch the parameters a bit. We can take this stifling male-female dynamic to broader themes of Freedom and Power. The Duke has power of these two women. They seek some sense of freedom elsewhere. Yet does he have freedom himself? I had two favorite lines: early on when G. explains that fashion is one of the few ways women can express themselves (freedom AND power). G. seems powerless and without freedom in being "forced" to stay with the Duke, and yet, is anyone completely without choice? She exercises her power to choose to stay with her children.
ReplyDeleteTruly favorite moment came at very end when William looks out at children playing and remarks,+/- "It must be wonderful to feel such freedom," turns to G. and actually smiles for first time in film. Wow. He is the fascinating character in this film for me. His passive-aggression chills me to the bone. He has power, but does he have freedom? He is in his own prison of royal expectations. But again, does he not choose to accept these demands? Oh, I could go on and on. But this film is intriguing as a look at the realities of life and relationships and how many people choose to "settle." This film could have been titled A Rock and a Hard Place.
Fiennes is brilliant here. Every muscle conveys his "emotional constipation," as Fiennes himself put it in an interview. I actually can't take my eyes of him in his every scene, even over the beautiful Knightly.
I actually got more out of the dvd's special features, learning much more about the Duchess than I gleaned in film. She was bulimic and a gambling addict. She and Bess lived on as close friends. Fascinating.
The more I think about this film, the more there is to say, but I am tired of typing, so just one small last note: I loved the occasional application of the "patches," pseudo pox scars made popular because one leader (forget who) had a prominent one. They'd be rotated around the face at whim, or as code for one's availability (e.g. FSM). I used to teach a satiric essay about a young, aristocratic lass who has so much time on her hands that she'd take up to 15 minutes in the morning just deciding where to place her patch.
Over and out!