The Duchess
by Eric Sloss
Period pieces invoke different responses from different people. Some people enjoy the dress, customs and the speech of a day long ago. Others are bored by the spectacle and want more action in their movie going experience. That is the problem filmmakers face when making such a film. They want to please their core audience, while also making it interesting enough to hold the attention of the most fickle watcher.
“The Duchess” succeeds because it tackles issues that people in the present day can relate to. Issues like fidelity, trust and woman’s place in the house are put on display and examined in a fascinating way. Keira Knightley plays the title character Georgiana Spencer, the Duchess of Devonshire. We first see Georgiana frolicking with her friends and flirting with the local boys. Meanwhile her mother (Charlotte Rampling in a strong performance) is arranging a marriage for her with the Duke of Devonshire (Ralph Fiennes). She promises that the women from the Spencer family do not have problems delivering male heirs. This is especially important back in the 1770s and 1780s in Great Britain when this took place.
Knightley seems right at home in a corset. She has had a lot of practice with the “Pirates” movies and with “Pride & Prejudice”. It is with this experience that Knightley attacks this role with such fire and glee. There is a whole range of emotions that Georgiana goes through that Knightley performs with such aplomb.
Georgiana went into the marriage with such high hopes. She really wanted to converse daily with the Duke and be able to share in his life. This dream was quickly dashed. The Duke told her early on that he only wanted two things from her: loyalty and a male heir. Fiennes does a good job conveying the coldness and the steely resolve of the Duke. He wants everything prim and proper. The Duke was definitely a man of his times.
“The Duchess” effectively explores the dynamics of marriage in 18th century England and with the nobility. Women were supposed to give their husbands male heirs and not cause any commotion with their opinions on issues. Georgiana though was no shrinking flower. She loved to gamble and drink. She was not shy about giving her opinion on politics and giving her support to politicians she agreed with. She also loved to dress up and her fashions always set a trend with the masses. In many ways she was very similar to Princess Diana. They both were in loveless marriages. They both liked their fashions and they were not afraid to speak their mind on issues of the day. The press had a field day covering both women.
One of Georgiana’s good friends was Bess Foster (Hayley Atwell). She lived with Georgiana and kept her company. Since the Duke didn’t talk much with Georgiana, Bess was Georgiana’s only outlet to talk with. This all changed when Bess started having an affair with the Duke. Georgiana wanted her out of the palace, but the Duke kept her there. Bess explained to Georgiana that she only started the affair, so she could see her children. The Duke had some pull in this regard. The audience may not like Bess’s decisions, but they will grow to understand them.
The hypocrisy of the Duke was that he could have various affairs, while expecting Georgiana to be totally faithful. This all changes when Georgiana falls in love with Charles Grey. Bess helps out in the marital deceit and they become good friends again. Eventually the Duke does find out about the affair. He gives her two options. On the surface, it seems that one option is clearly the one that she needs to choose. The movie handles the anguish of the decision well.
“The Duchess” is a fascinating movie about an extraordinary woman who bucked the system in her day. Keira Knightley shines once again in a period piece. Maybe her next feature can be set in the future to mix it up a little.