Comments | misssylviadrake: Young Victoria: ritual humiliation? films from 18th v 19thc sources (3) (& JASNA too)

misssylviadrake

Young Victoria: ritual humiliation? films from 18th v 19thc sources (3) (& JASNA too)

May 24, 2010 07:58

Dear friends and readers,

Another in this series of ongoing musings on film adaptations (costume dramas) made from 18th versus 19th century sources (see One Duchess and One Cornwall Landowner and Two Tesses and One Jude): this one on Young Victoria, an unexpected (probably) box office hit, not credited to any book, just listed as directed by Jean- ( Read more... )

jasna, costume drama, female archetypes, 19th century, women's memoirs, film adaptation

Comments 6

JASNA and Ruth Brandon misssylviadrake May 24 2010, 22:16:59 UTC

Dear Ellen, just a tiny late-night note to say I'm glad you had a good time at the JASNA picnic. I heard a talk by Hughes on Beeton and thought she came across very well - I haven't read her on George Eliot though.

Anyway, I will hope to read her book on governesses and maybe Ruth
Brandon's too. Judy"

JASNA, AGM misssylviadrake May 24 2010, 22:18:12 UTC

"I am glad you both had a good time at the box hill picnic. I think in NY, they go to the Bronx and that never inspires me. Maybe Izzy can go to another AGM. Penny"

Ritual humiliation anonymous May 26 2010, 05:40:47 UTC

The ritual humiliation derives from the C18th didactic novel. It's not in Radcliffe's Gothic, but when Austen plays with the Gothic in NORTHANGER ABBEY, she brings the two traditions together. Thus Catherine is sent away from General Tilney's in disgrace, when she has in fact perfectly intuited his character. There are instances of this humiliation all over Vict. lit. I argue in my forthcoming book on WOMEN WRITERS AND DETECTIVES IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY: THE MOTHERS OF THE MYSTERY GENRE, that it presents a major hurdle to depicting a successful female detective for most of the century. Think of Marion Halcombe in THE WOMAN IN WHITE, for instance. She may be strong and intelligent, but she still has to suffer the typical plot motif of a humiliating breakdown. Lucy Sussex

women's detective fiction misssylviadrake May 26 2010, 11:46:04 UTC

Thank you so much, Lucy. I've alerted the people on my WWTTA list about your coming book. I'll also do that for Trollope19thCStudies ( ... )

felaries65 July 6 2010, 18:19:11 UTC

With that as background, I was saddened to see The Young Victoria follow the same pattern of ritual humiliation. There were indicators that it might happen -- Albert is portrayed as a saint, truly a saint, more or less Jesus Christ incarnate, whereas Victoria is (gently) flawed, and we are constantly reminded of her "inexperience" and naivete. The film somewhat undermines this theme by largely putting criticism into the mouths of the "bad guys" and by portraying Victoria as a strong person, but it's still there. But despite these hints, I chose to keep an open mind. And then it happened: Victoria, rightfully, I thought, becomes angry at Albert for talking over her head to the designated next prime minister (Pitt possibly) about how Victoria will support him--without talking this over with Victoria ahead of time ( ... )