2008 Woodie Awards
Duchess enthralls with peculiar romance
Issue date: 10/9/08
Many filmgoers tend to group these period piece films together under the naptime genre (drama/romance), and for good reason. Oh no! Although we're sort of high society, this handsome and mysterious man on a white horse far outranks us! What mischievous plans shall we devise to trick him into marriage? Inevitably, the protagonist attends several lavish balls, a tormented lover runs through the rain and all the women in the audience realize how far their standards have fallen (with regards to men and probably films as well).
Recent films of the genre, Pride and Prejudice and Marie Antoinette, unapologetically blend a current vernacular and perspective with those of the time period in an attempt to revamp the traditions of the many Jane Austen- and Emily Brontë-based films of yore. Unfortunately these films almost unavoidably betray themselves in that life during these time periods was probably just as boring as this genre makes it seem (relative to the double-shot latte fueled epileptic media seizure paramount to today's culture and society).
Based on a historically accurate book, The Duchess embraces the slower pace of 18th-century Britain by means of dramatic (and at times comical) sharp cuts from one scene to the next. Well-crafted cinematography expertly frames the decadence of high society as well as lush English landscapes.
Mesmerized by opulent visuals yet fully aware of each time lapse, the viewer remains enticed throughout the majority of the film. At one point, a chase scene, albeit on foot and at a power-walker's pace, brings the viewer to a state of borderline suspense. Of course, Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes, both seasoned veterans to period piece films, thrive under these conditions; Knightly as the wry, witty, yet poignant Duchess of Devonshire and Fiennes in the stirring role of her distant and benign Duke. The screen radiates with one dress after another as Georgina the Duchess (Knightley) gracefully dances circles around her somber Duke. Break for back story: the Duchess of Devonshire was the epitome of fashion in late 18th-century England (massive hats, furs, ornate umbrellas and of course outlandish and, in terms of the film's budget, incredibly expensive dresses). Her pastimes include political activism, working, among other things, toward the abolition of slavery, serious gambling (she set up a fully functional casino in her house) and the birthing and rearing of children. Unfortunately our Duchess suffered several miscarriages.
Recent films of the genre, Pride and Prejudice and Marie Antoinette, unapologetically blend a current vernacular and perspective with those of the time period in an attempt to revamp the traditions of the many Jane Austen- and Emily Brontë-based films of yore. Unfortunately these films almost unavoidably betray themselves in that life during these time periods was probably just as boring as this genre makes it seem (relative to the double-shot latte fueled epileptic media seizure paramount to today's culture and society).
Based on a historically accurate book, The Duchess embraces the slower pace of 18th-century Britain by means of dramatic (and at times comical) sharp cuts from one scene to the next. Well-crafted cinematography expertly frames the decadence of high society as well as lush English landscapes.
Mesmerized by opulent visuals yet fully aware of each time lapse, the viewer remains enticed throughout the majority of the film. At one point, a chase scene, albeit on foot and at a power-walker's pace, brings the viewer to a state of borderline suspense. Of course, Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes, both seasoned veterans to period piece films, thrive under these conditions; Knightly as the wry, witty, yet poignant Duchess of Devonshire and Fiennes in the stirring role of her distant and benign Duke. The screen radiates with one dress after another as Georgina the Duchess (Knightley) gracefully dances circles around her somber Duke. Break for back story: the Duchess of Devonshire was the epitome of fashion in late 18th-century England (massive hats, furs, ornate umbrellas and of course outlandish and, in terms of the film's budget, incredibly expensive dresses). Her pastimes include political activism, working, among other things, toward the abolition of slavery, serious gambling (she set up a fully functional casino in her house) and the birthing and rearing of children. Unfortunately our Duchess suffered several miscarriages.
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