Letters To Films

Dear The Dutchess,

While you might be good for those who “like the dresses”, or who have a melancholy disposition, the sheer, messed up, unjust misery of the situation forced on the main character is enormously depressing.  I suppose that you provide a useful educational function- It’s easy to forget just how oppressed women have been in the past, but it’s certainly hard work being reminded by you.

I suppose part of the problem is that your ending is basically “she realised she loved big brother”.  I *know* that women in that kind of situation throughout history have had very little choice but to eventually come to terms with it, but that’s not the kind of woman I want to watch a film about.  I’d rather see the romantic who gives up everything rather than be tamed, or the driven to fiendishness murderess.   How much better if she’d murdered the Duke after realising that it was the only way she could be free, and a film about the morality of the new life she’d chosen.

Ralph Fiennes as the Duke is brilliant.  Somehow he manages to convey so much of the character - that he feels inadequate and threatened by his wifes intelligence, despite saying very little directly.  His behaviour, from our point of view inexcusably evil, is from his point of view clearly the result of a man who considers himself completely honest, doing only what he considers to be his right, and with a certain amount of sympathy for the life he wrecks along the way.

But women don’t get away unstained either, the mothers complicity with the system entraps the naive girl, the friend can’t give up her chance to bring her children up in privilege.

The film itself has problems as well though - it’s also painfully clear that many of the situations call for witty banter, and the script tries to provide it, but falls short.  Wit consists of more than saying that a feathery bird is running for office in the tory party.  Dominic Cooper as Charles Grey also seems an oddly weak and out of place character considering where he fits into the story.

So, you were emotional, draining, and the ending was no resolution.  In fact, I find myself wondering what your message is except maybe “this was a bad way of doing things”.  I accept certain parallels with modern cultures that don’t value girls as much as boys but shouldn’t there be more to a film than “look at how miserable this is”?

I suppose I feel myself to have been preached at.  Perhaps educated a little, but there should have been more.

Yours,

Someone who now needs to watch an action film to get rid of this melancholy.

P.S.  Rape in a 12 certificate?