New Zealand’s Oscar winning film director, Jane Campion who directed ‘The Piano’-one I particularly liked- has returned after a few years absence with the critically acclaimed film BRIGHT STAR. This bitter sweet screen epic combines John Keats’s letters with his romantic entanglement to the 18 year old impetuous seamstress Fanny Brawne stylishly played by Abbie Cornish. Fanny first meets Keats as her neighbour but soon opens wide the romantic doorway to his heart and subsequent betrothal in flagrant disrespect to a Victorian era evident in the practical words but not actions of Fanny’s compassionate mother.
The film is a moving feast for the eyes, heart and mind set in idyllic eastern England, but laced with humour and pathos for the penniless young Keats whose agonizing life compromises are in deference to the reality he relies on the generosity of others but particularly that of his close friend Brown whose antipathy toward Fanny adds yet another dimension of unanswered questions.
BRIGHT STAR leaves you aware that the words of one of the greatest romanticised poets were only recognised for their eloquence, exquisite beauty and romanticism after his tragic early death. His words continue to be spoken today just as they were spoken out aloud in the woods for many years afterwards by a grieving but no less inspired Fanny Brawne.
Click here for NY Times review
6 comments:
I had totally forgotten about this movie! So glad you mentioned it. Sounds like it's worth seeing, too!
Okay, I've promised a couple of people I will see Avatar (but not traveling 30 miles to an Imax theatre) but after that I'll make sure to need some palate cleansing and this may be just the film for that.
The poetry of earth is never dead:
When all the birds are faint with the hot sun,
And hide in cooling trees, a voice will run
From hedge to hedge about the new-mown mead.
ah, the life of a romantic:
poetry, trees, love and the moon
no longer objects of desire
but lungs resupplying
the heart with sweet, sweet air.
Hi Laura, Susan & Sera
Laura- well worth seeing
Susan - I saw Avatar and it was better than I expected despite being a veritable Pandora’s box of symbolisms with vine swinging acrobatics that would put Tarzan to shame, with scenes reminiscent of the plunder of the wild west, the shock and awe of the war machine, science fiction and the idea that ultimately both the real goodies and their surrogate avators will get their just revenge. Shot in LA and NZ some of the scenery both real and created is stunning to make up partly for a rather weak story line and plot.
Interested to hear your views eventually.
Very nice words Sera & Susan
Here are a few more _
I love your hills and I love your dales,
And I love your flocks a-bleating;
but oh, on the heather to lie together,
With both our hearts a-beating!
~John Keats
best wishes
It's on our list - can't wait. Anna enjoyed Young Victoria while I saw The Road, while in Vancouver after our trip. Probably couldn't be different from one another, but both are very good films.
We finally got around to seeing Avatar in 3D today. As you said and we agreed, it was better than we expected it to be. The graphics were amazing but strangely too, the story was very like one of our all time favorite video games - Final Fantasy IX. Most older people have never experienced the thrill and spectacle of the best of these games.
Thanks for the Keats.
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