The Duchess (2008)

Having read the book, I thought I would share a few thoughts about the film, which we watched over the holidays. I heartily concur with Catherine Delors in her review of The Duchess. To quote Madame Delors:

It has everything one expects from a period piece: the lavish costumes, the beautiful English country estates, the carriages, the obligatory shots of Bath. It is not visually stunning, but it looks good.

The cast is uneven. Ralph Fiennes (the Duke of Devonshire) again proves himself one of the most accomplished actors around these days. He makes the difficult character of the Duke more human, more interesting , more sympathetic than anyone else in the film.

Keira Knightley (the Duchess) doesn't quite perform at the same level. She has developed the annoying trick of using her jaw, the most prominent feature in her face, to signal her character's emotions. Jaw jutting forward means that we are dealing with one tough cookie. Jaw moving side to side indicates that some sharp repartee is coming our way. But this is not enough. She may cry, yell, whimper, but the emotion is missing.

I agree. Keira was an abysmal choice for Georgiana. She slouches, is too thin, of course, and altogether too prim. Georgiana was a person of enormous warmth and charm. Being a lady does not necessarily imply a stiff and unnatural manner but some filmmakers seem to think it does. Georgiana had the common touch and could exchange jests with working people in the crowd, which is why she was such an effective political tool for the Whig party. Certainly there are other English actresses who could have played Georgiana with the right mix of grace, playful audacity and mild insanity. Someone like Sarah Miles, who played Georgiana's terrible niece in the 70's melodrama Lady Caroline Lamb, perhaps would have been better.

The only part of the film in which I was genuinely moved was when Georgiana had to give up her baby. Keira was able to come across as someone who has been psychologically trampled into the mud. The rest of the film, however, including the scenes with lover Charles Grey, lacked in passion. Since there is little or no moral compass, other than what is demonstrated by Georgiana's love for her children, the insufficient emotional impact leaves the viewer with nothing but the depravity.

Furthermore, Marie-Antoinette, who was one of Georgiana's most famous and interesting friends, was not in the film at all. Seeing Georgiana interact at Versailles would have been a worthy addition to the film, but it was not to be. And where was the Prince of Wales, who played such a pivotal role in Georgiana's political and social life? He may have been standing around at a party telling crude jokes, but not identified, at least not in any meaningful way. What a pity, he was such a colorful character, and would have livened things up a bit.

Another odd aspect was the absence of humor. There are other period films about the British aristocracy, such as Gosford Park, The Remains of the Day, Sense and Sensibility, that combine humor with pathos and tragedy. The Duchess did not have a single funny moment. Anyone can see from reading Georgiana's letters that she had a deep sense of comedy; her wit sparkles from the page. It is sad that none of this came across in the movie. It is sad, since there was potential there to bring a fascinating historical character to life. What a shame. Share