The Duchess ~~~~

17th September 2008

Keira Knightly has indeed redeemed herself. Still simpering? Yes but in this case in character and grown up and responsible with it, with bells on. For such a long time, I’ve looked to Miss Knightly as one of the British new generation actresses to whom women like me look to to represent, entertain and carry voice with. Until now, it just hasn’t happened. But ‘The Duchess’, although not the most contemporaneous of stories, gives platform to women who throughout the ages have endured and fought against a society who believe them to be nothing but breeders of children and pretty ornaments. Whilst I have little or no sympathy for those who have everything in life whilst others suffer with nothing, it is interesting to recognise that from whatever standing one emanates from, life can be unfair and rotten.

Many have drawn similarities between this story, the life of Georgiana the Duchess of Devonshire, and that of Princess Diana’s in that they both married for convenience on behalf of the husbands’ want of male heirs and that both women suffered terribly at their husbands’ hands with regard to marital affairs, I do not hold that one is the tale of the other.

Chosen for her beauty, probable fertility and potential pliability Georgiana is married off to the incredibly distant and single minded Duke, played astonishingly coldly by Ralph Fiennes. His only goal is to produce a male heir. Nothing more and nothing less. Georgiana is thrown into a lonely world of mansions and servants with only her worldly-wise but harsh mother played by the wonderful Charlotte Rampling to keep her on the straight and narrow.

It was wonderful to see the English countryside and beautiful period architecture used to its fullest potential and a refreshing change to having parts of Eastern Europe and Ireland used as stand-ins as so often happens in modern ‘British’ films. Full marks should go to the location scouts for utilising our rich heritage of architecture and beautiful countryside so well in the film. A delight to behold. As were the unbelievably magnificent costumes – surely an award should go to those who worked on the majestic array of clothing of which I have not seen such a standard since the second ‘Elizabeth’ film. Bravo! The music and score too, should be complimented as they themselves complimented the visuals and emotions of the film to a tee.

It must be said that it is a sad story. Unable to produce a male child, Georgiana slides slowly into a lonely depression. Her husband is distant and evidentially having affairs with staff and any other ladies who take his fancy. When Georgiana discovers a little girl who has been brought into the house is in fact his illegitimate child, we see her already fragile world view shatter. How can life be so unbalanced and unfair? None the less, she eventually embraces the girl as her own daughter and defies contemporary society to go on to become the ‘It Girl’ of the generation. She throws herself into politics and becomes a fashion icon. Whilst on her travels she meets the handsome Charles Gray, one time childhood friend and now potential politician. They fall in love and working under the misapprehension that what’s good for the goose is good for the gander, and that the Duke will happily accept her lover, Georgiana confesses her affair. But oh dear, her beliefs couldn’t be farther from the truth. General unhappiness and pains ensues. The Duchesses best friend turns out to be the Dukes’ true love whilst the real turmoil really only has just begun.

The plot gets so dark at one point that one is forgiven for believing total doom will ensue. One must not forget, however, that human beings are amazingly resilient especially when faced with loss of status, money and all the other trappings of wealth and rank. It is not until a male heir is produced that the Duke feels Georgina’s reason for being is satiated. The scene in which the couple meet for the first time after their son is born is quite, quite startling and amazingly emotional. I have to admit, my feminist streak came out crying after which, I became quite angry in a ‘I knew it all along’ way knowing full well that many women live their lives like this all over the world today. I’d rather acknowledge those still living under these conditions and against these attitudes today than simper away for a rich woman long dead. Still, it does bear thinking about how far some of us have been ‘allowed’ to come even though I believe women have fought hard for the rights they have today and the rights we’ll have in the future. In a way I hadn’t imagined, this is quite the feminist film. I hope those of us wise enough to see through the attributed ‘there were three of us in the marriage’ tagline caught a glimpse of a more important and politically and socially interesting film.

To a certain degree, the Duchess’s story the film sparked an interest in me to read the book upon which it is based but then, in a very lazy way, I think I’d prefer to see the film again. The camera work on this production was stunning. There are several scenes in the film in which the main characters sit eating dinner at the most awe inspiring table one can imagine – talk about metaphorical – but where the characters sit yards apart. The camera for the most part sits near to the Duchess but when another character is introduced, and where the Duke holds all the cards, near to the end of the film, the camera angle changes and gives us a different perspective. Subtle but effective. The camera work also makes the most of the splendid costumes and the lighting is brilliant. If there is a more unpleasant rape scene in a film where absolutely no-one makes a sound, I would like to be directed to it (although, not really if you know what I mean.) The glamour of the public world is so very honestly contrasted with the bloodiness and loneliness of the characters private lives that I should imagine no-one would wish these scenarios on their worst enemies.

So, for the benefit of those who stayed away from this film because of the parallels drawn with Diana’s life, please go and see it. Cast all thoughts of the modern monarchy from your mind and allow yourself to be taken into another world which isn’t so very far away from our own. (Please do however note that the rich still generally have a better time of it than most.) My only real criticism was that the contemporary political situation wasn’t really explored within the film. So much was happening at that time all around the world. A small nod to the revolutions or issues of slavery would not have gone amiss.

So, I stand corrected. Miss Knightly can act. Mr Fiennes continues to act and British film is still some of the best in the word.