Picspam: Romance in Period Films
I love the past. I love the clothes, the settings, the men and everything about it. I totally understand my grandparents when they get all nostalgic for for the olden days. Back when you couldn't just do whatever you wanted. There were rules and social mores that couldn't be broken. What is it about setting a movie in the past that just makes everything more romantic? Well, you couldn't just get a divorce whenever you felt like it. Breaking an engagement was a scandalous act. and forget about marrying outside your social class. Even the idea of marrying for love was scoffed at for quite some time. All these factors are perfect breeding ground for epic, sweeping and most of the time, horribly inconvenient romance. Of course, it's all made even more romantic if there's some huge war or other historical disaster going on and the situation becomes life and death. Anybody else notice that in period films, people seem to really love lying around in the grass? LOL.
So here are some period films in which, I felt, the romantic plot line felt very indicative of the era. I tried to spread them out across history as much as possible but obviously, Hollywood tends to be more fond of certain eras than others. In order of chronology...
Ever After
The Era: Renaissance (early 1500s), France
This was kind of the modern, post-feminist adaptation of the classic Cinderellla tale, which of course, makes Danielle (played by Drew Barrymore) very much a woman ahead of her time. She's nothing like the Disney cartoon-- she's outspoken, independent, educated and doesn't need the Prince to save her from anything but her social class. Of course, what remains the same in most fairy tales is the need for the Prince or any Royal to find a wife for convenience's sake. Royals need to procreate and produce heirs after all. The romance here between Prince Henry and Danielle is one of many across-class love stories that are popular in period films, but of course, their ending is probably on the optimistic side. It is a fairy tale...
Shakespeare in Love
The Era: Elizabethan (late 1500s), England
Revisionist history alert! This is one of the few period romances that actually categorizes itself as a 'romantic comedy'. Young Shakespeare falls madly in love with aspiring actress, Viola de Lesseps, whose family is setting her up for marriage with the poor but aristocratic Lord Wessex. Viola and Lord Wessex's arrangement is very much an exchange of resources (her money for his name). Will Shakespeare is merely a starving playwright and we all know that it won't end well. A woman's place in society was so strict that she could not even legally act on stage, ironic considering the ruler of the time was Queen Elizabeth I.
Pride and Prejudice
The Era: Regency (early 1800s), England
Pretty much all of Jane Austen's novels are social critiques of the era. None does it so beautifully as Pride and Prejudice, as illustrated by the dire situation of the five Bennett sisters. See, back in those days, a woman could hardly inherit her family's land or wealth. Even a second born male would barely get anything since the goal was to keep the family's wealth as concentrated as possible instead of losing power with scattered fortunes. What's a girl to do? Find yourself a rich husband of course, which brings us to the iconic Mr. Darcy. In my opinion, he's like the ideal man. Stoic, cold and awkward at first sight, he in fact has a kind heart and a true and honest character. And Elizabeth Bennett is the perfect girl to bring him out of his shell. Their class difference is an obstacle no doubt but not as much as their own stubborness. It all ends well though (Jane Austen after all) with our protagonists happily married in true love.
Cold Mountain
The Era: Civil War (1860s), The American South
I actually don't love this movie-- it has its share of problems but I really love the novel so much that I'm willing to cut it some slack. The American Civil War is one of my favorite historical period and interestingly, a lot of the most sweeping stories are told from the Southern perspective. Why? Well, there's just so much heartache and drama to be explored on the losing side, which makes it so much more interesting to me (and my family's totally Yankee). Ada is the demure, polished daughter of a Reverend. Inman is a withdrawn blue-collar worker. You would think that'd be their biggest problem, but of course, once the war comes, none of that matters anymore cause no one has any money. Ada is more Melanie Wilkes than Scarlett O'Hara though, a true representation of what the 'proper' Southern woman should be while Inman is more of an oddball, awkward romantic lead.
The Age of Innocence
The Era: The Gilded Age (1870-1900), New York
As typical of Edith Wharton, The Age of Innocence represents the world she herself was a part of. I personally connected more with The Buccaneers, Wharton's unfinished novel, but that has yet to get a decent screen adaptation. With the post-Civil War industrialization of America, people became rich. Some people were very rich and their New York Knickerbocker society was rigid and unforgiving. Newland Archer is a man who very much wants to abide by social convention and happily engaged to a typical socialite, until he meets Ellen Olenska, a woman who has defied convention and been outcast for it. Will he follow his heart or his class rules? People have said that Wharton's novels are all about people who want to have sex, but can't so they pine for years on end. Well, that's Victorian society for you.
Maurice
The Era: Edwardian (early 1900s), England
This Merchant-Ivory adaptation of E.M. Forster's posthumusly published novel of the same name was one of the first films to portray homosexuality in a postive or at least not negative light. This 1987 film was probably one of the major precursors to Brokeback Mountain, which didn't come along until 2005. Starring James Wilby and a young Hugh Grant, the story depicts two college friends who realize they have more than platonic feelings for each other but obviously, can't do anything about it cause homosexuality was a punishable crime in England. Not only that, it was considered a disease that needed to be cured. Clive (Grant) goes on to marry a woman and lead a socially conventional life while Maurice (Wilby) goes a less conventional route.
Titanic
The Era: 1912, On the ship of course
I'm not ashamed to admit-- I was one of those little girls who went to see this movie a million times when it came out. I still love this movie today even though its dialogue is so obviously cheesy, typical of James Cameron's screenwriting. But the charismatic performances of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet as the star-crossed lovers, Jack and Rose, overcame any script deficiences. The story is classic poor boy-rich girl, although interestingly, we find out that Rose is actually not rich. Her family has lost its fortune already and the only way for them to stay afloat is for her to marry Cal, heir to a steel empire. A classic new money-old money marriage. Factor in real life characters John Jacob Astor and Molly Brown, and you have a perfect microcosm of society in this ship. What made this romance so endearing to me still is how Rose becomes a stronger person from it. When she steps foot on land and looks up to the Statue of Liberty, she's a new woman and not necessarily a kind of woman who would have it easy in that era.
The Painted Veil
The Era: 1920s, China
This is yet another literary adaptation, of W. Somerset Maugham's novel of the same name. What's different about this story is that while all the typical social conventions are on display here (woman must find husband, divorce is too scandalous to even think about), it's actually in the opposite manner we usually see this go down. We're not rooting for a forbidden couple, but in fact a married couple whose only obstacles are their own emotions. Kitty and Walter start off in a seemingly passionless marriage but eventually grow to love each other. The film has a much more optimistic and romantic take than the novel however, taking nice advantage of Edward Norton and Naomi Watt's lovely chemistry.
Atonement
The Era: World War II (1930s-40s), England
While this was heavily marketed as a romance in the mold of Titanic, the love story is really not the main entree here. The movie's title is 'Atonement' of course, as in Briony's atonement for her childhood mistake, but the film and McEwan's novel are also interesting takes on class structure. It's not really shown in the film much, but in the novel, we learn that Cecilia and Robbie have known each other since they were 6 years old, grew up together and have gone to school together. Robbie is the son of the Tallis' household servant but Mr. Tallis and the family treat him with exceptional kindness and pays for his schooling. It's not really your typical poor boy-rich girl love story but when Briony makes her accusation, it's very clear that Robbie is still just the servant's son, regardless of how much schooling he's gotten.
Comments?
Other Previous Picspams:
Tom and Summer, (500) Days of Summer HERE
Spock and Uhura, Star Trek HERE
Victoria and Albert, The Young Victoria HERE
Carl and Ellie, Up HERE
Memorable Dress in Film HERE
The Cast of Rob Marshall's 'Nine' HERE
Grey's Anatomy: Derek-Meredith-Addison Triangle HERE
Inglourious Basterds: The Dresses of Operation Kino HERE
Inglourious Basterds: Christoph Waltz as Col. Landa HERE
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy Fashion HERE
Les Parapluies de Cherbourg HERE
My Personal Oscar Ballot (as of November 2009) HERE
Cruel Intentions vs. Dangerous Liaisons Comparison HERE
The 2007 Oscars in FYC Ads HERE
Cast My Life HERE
Decade Picspams:
My Top 15 Films of the Decade
The Decade: Best of the Franchises
The Guilty Pleasures
2009 In Retrospect Picspams:
My Favorite Films of 2009 HERE
My Favorite Girls of 2009 HERE
My Favorite Guys of 2009 HERE
Trailers of Anticipate Movies HERE