Bright Star

I missed it when it was in the theater, but I finally had a chance to see Jane Campion's "Bright Star" on DVD. It is definitely a worthy "costume drama" -- right up there with Miss Austen for my fellow Janeites. It is the story of the 19th-century poet John Keats and his romance with Miss Fanny Brawne. It is sumptuously filmed. And (spoiler alert!), it doesn't hand us the typical Hollywood modern rewrite of romance. Keats shows restraint and unselfish conduct as he cites his conscience and declines to take advantage of Miss Brawne's affections. 

The New York Times listed it among the 10 ten films of 2009, as did numerous other newspapers--and for good reason. It is a beautiful film: well-written and wonderfully detailed in its settings and costumes. Highly recommended! (And here's a tip: my blog template likes to fight the size of embedded videos. Hit the four-arrow icon at the bottom right to see it full-screen.)

Comments

[Ofladyjeanne.wordpress.com]

I too saw this on DVD for the first time, a couple of months ago. The cinematography and music were stunning. I'm still stunned. :) Personally, I didn't like Fanny, and I didn't really like Keats all that much either... ahem... but it is a gorgeously made film.

[RLynn]

Thanks for the tip on this movie--I don't know how I missed it!

[KS]

I finally saw "Bright Star" this week and absolutely loved it. I liked both of the lead characters. Fanny Brawne was only 18 when she met John Keats, who was 23, so you have to excuse a little immaturity. Anyway, it inspired me to read poetry again. : )