Bright Star

admin — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:24:00 +0000

When John Keats wrote "Bright Star, Would I Were Stedfast" for his beloved Fanny Brawne, he was a penniless wordsmith with a knack—but not a hankering—for stirring up controversy. Though history now regards him as one of the finest poets, Keats wasn’t popularly praised during his twenty-five year lifetime. In the era of Jane Austen and Washington Irving, Keats’ ethereal verses and passionate prose didn’t provide the right flavor of the week—or in his case, decade—to win over audiences. But what Keats lacked in literary respect was more than made up for in the ardor of his torrid relationship with Fanny Brawne, one of the most dazzling love stories to ever exist.

Bright Star, Jane Campion’s newest film, chronicles the Romance (with a capital "R") between Keats and Brawne from its budding first impressions until its final consumptive breath. Playing the doomed young lovers, Australian Abbie Cornish (Candy, Stop-Loss) and period-piece laden Ben Whishaw (I’m Not There, Perfume: Story of a Murderer) embody the very essence of cinematic enchantment, and their performances will leave you breathless. Like Bogart and Bacall, Cornish and Whishaw display a voracious onscreen fervor for each other. Throughout the film, their delicate moments together, though entirely chaste, are breathtakingly sensual, harmonious, and truly aching. Unlike contemporary romances where the two leads engage in a mandatory sex scene that shows all and absolutely nothing at the same time, Cornish and Whishaw’s light petting, caresses, and whispered sweet nothings envelop the senses. There is a burning desire felt between them that is sincere and bewildering.

The Academy Award winning Campion has created some of the best female driven films of the last twenty-five years: An Angel at my Table, The Piano, and In the Cut. She is no stranger to the portrayal of doomed romance, and though usually a bit more carnal, Bright Star fits snugly in with the rest of her feminist-minded filmography. Her lady leads are often introverted, intelligent women with a quiet dignity and passion for artistic expression. Told strictly from Fanny’s perspective, Bright Star differs in that Fanny is more flamboyant than any other Campion creation by possessing an outspoken, flashy nature that she’s incredibly proud of. In a sea of endless, bland corsets and cotillions, Fanny expresses herself through fashion. She designs and sews all of her own garments, and as her love grows for Keats, Fanny’s wardrobe becomes more beautiful and glamorous. To show their mutual respect for one another, Campion composes many shots in which Keats and Fanny work on their own artistic mediums side by side.

Set in the English countryside, Bright Star is Campion’s most gorgeous film to date. Often juxtaposing femininity with nature, Campion shoots everything on location with an astute sense of how the surroundings relate to her central character. In Bright Star, countless flowers and butterflies, as well as vivid foliage set the stage for this tragic love affair. The happiest occasions take place outdoors with compositions intended to sweep the viewers' emotions with a series of cinematic ellipses.

Indoors, however, is a different story. After Fanny and Keats begin their infatuation, Fanny's circumstances dictate that she and her poor family move into one half of the house Keats is charitably living in. The house is owned by his good friend Charles Armitage Brown (the terrific Paul Schneider), a sarcastic curmudgeon who disapproves of Keats’ relationship with Fanny. He believes it takes away from Keats' poetry, not realizing Fanny is its inspiration. Brown abuses his ownership of the lodging by trying to force the young lovers apart.

Though the premise of Bright Star is familiar, its flawless execution is a breath of fresh air. It doesn’t take pride in being a period piece, like Pride and Prejudice or Atonement; instead, Bright Star simply and organically exists in that time. As a Campion fan (in case you hadn’t guessed), I had been looking forward to this film for six long years, and none of her other creations shook me as heartily as this. As I left the theatre, I could hardly breathe from the overwhelming emotion that invaded my soul in a way I've scarcely felt before. I can’t stop thinking about it and feeling the tremors it bestowed. Don’t forget the Kleenex.

Written by: Sara Freeman, October 1st 2009

Starstruck

admin — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:23:00 +0000

Interview with Jane Campion

Over the past twenty years, director Jane Campion has created some of the most thrilling depictions of femininity on screen. From the Academy Award-winning The Piano to the dirty yet pretty _In the Cut_, Campion's sensually earthy films depict worlds seen through the eyes of women. The typical stargazing Campion femme is strong and deeply confident about the power of her creative mind.

When I was nine years old, Holly Hunter’s Ada McGrath was different from any other female character I’d seen. Though mute, Ada uses her passion for music to communicate her inner most feelings and desires. That performance profoundly effected my views of womanhood and since then I’ve followed Campion’s career closely. After seeing Bright Star, which is based on the love affair between the poet John Keats and his neighbor Fanny Brawne, I jumped for joy when the opportunity to talk with Campion about the film, her career, and a special feminist moment she experienced recently.

What attracted you to the relationship between John Keats and Fanny Brawne enough to make a film about it?

The love letters that existed and the impact their story had on me emotionally. It’s very moving, especially considering the restriction for young women during Brawne's time.

How do you feel about Fanny and the other heroines in your films?

I love them all. I see the world through women’s eyes. I wasn’t trying to make Fanny into a heroine. I just think she’s a young woman who was unusually strong.

You go to great lengths to make the relationship feel loving on both sides, though some people think Fanny was just with him for the fame. Why do you think Fanny kept Keats’ letters?

That’s the most foolish thing I’ve ever heard! Keats died completely unknown. The idea that she kept the letters because he might be famous is absurd. He had on his headstone: "Here lies one whose name was writ in water." Fanny totally loved the man. She never talked about their relationship. She felt that their love affair was misunderstood. She thought he was misunderstood, and that was painful for him. She kept the letters because she loved him. Her children selling the letters was not her doing.

And probably not very fair to her.

Well, I don’t know. I don’t believe identities hold once we’re gone. What they did on this earth belongs to all of us. We’re just human beings and it would be very sad to me if letters and other belongings didn’t exist. If they didn’t, we would never have known about this story. They were terribly private together, but that’s what makes it so interesting.

I saw the film about three weeks ago, and I just can’t stop thinking about it. It’s in my stomach, and I can’t get it over the feeling it left in me.

It’s a very visceral, tender experience. It’s just what Keats would have loved!

What are your thoughts about female filmmakers today?

One of the most beautiful moments for me on this tour was in New York. When at the premiere Sofia Coppola, Zoe Cassavetes, Mira Nair, and Julie Taymor all came up to me together, and I just went “Ooh, girls!”

That’s quite a crew!

Yes, it’s a fantastic crew! People often say that women don’t support each other and here was an example and feeling of extreme support.

What do you want audiences to walk away with after seeing Bright Star?

The right point of view! (Laughs.) I love the story. I’m very pleased I could do it some justice and that people are enjoying it too.

Written by: Sara Freeman, October 1st 2009