Director: Jane Campion
Starring: Ben Whishaw, Abbie Cornish & Paul Schneider
A carefully told period drama about the brief love that grew between poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne that bears many of the hallmarks of the period romance drama yet manages to engage without becoming too stuffy or melodramatic.
The latest in a line of period dramas/romances based upon the lives of famous literary figures, Bright Star has the added pedigree of being directed by Jane Campion whose The Piano in 1993 won several major awards. The resulting film is one that bears many of the trademarks of such dramas such as attention to period detail, poetic verse and long lingering looks between its lovers but instead of coming over as melodramatic or stuffy as any a Merchant Ivory production, the direction and performances are more carefully handled, giving the romance a much more natural feel.
Staying in Hamstead Heath in 1818 by the courtesy of his friend Charles Brown (Schneider) to look after his dying brother Thomas and work on his poetry, John Keats (Whishaw) becomes attracted to Fanny Brawne (Cornish), the daughter of the landlady of their property who finds herself drawn to Keats in return. Wishing to spend time with Keats and learn more about poetry, despite earning the ire of Brown who wants Keats’ time for himself, Fanny rejects the society’s standing that a woman should only be with a man who can provide for her (Keats being a struggling poet without any income) and she and Keats fall in love. Their love however is threatened by the objections of Brown, the concerns of Fanny’s mother and ultimately ended when Keats becomes stricken with an illness that will finally take his life in 1821.
Smartly keeping the focus of the relationship between Fanny Brawne and John Keats down to the last three years of his life rather than beginning at their first encounter and/or shoehorning in stereotypes like love at first sight, Jane Campion starts Bright Star with a more natural introduction to the characters involved, one that establishes that Brawne and Keats are already, somewhat, with each other already though their romantic relationship has yet to blossom. Campion’s introductions to the main characters are not the only unconventional approach she has taken in her depiction of the character’s romance. Musical score is largely absent from the film where other literary biopics might rely on music to add drama, Campion instead allows for silences for the sounds of the character’s surroundings, such as birdsong, to fill in for a score and when a score is present it is used unobtrusively. Campion’s depictions of her characters also allows for emotion to be seen whether it be light humour, flirting or upset with the grief experienced by Brawne at the film’s finale keenly felt. Bright Star might employ impeccable attention to period detail and the occasional scenes of its couple staring lovingly at each other but it generally avoids becoming overdramatic, forcing emotion or coming over as stuffy like many a Merchant Ivory film.
Bright Star is built around three main characters and fortunately all the three roles are performed very well by the cast. Ben Whishaw gives Keats a quiet, thoughtful demeanour. Rather than overplay the character’s behaviour, having over-emote as a poet could be imagined to be, he gives a very understated performance which, while generally places his character in the context of Brawne and Brown’s relationship with him, still gives a good idea of the character’s own feelings towards them. Abbie Cornish gives the most impressive performance as Fanny Brawne, the real star of the film, with her character’s early cautious, yet flirtatious, nature believably evolving into a more intelligent and confident woman as she seeks to prove her own abilities to Keats and to Brown. Finally, Paul Schneider is very enjoyable as Charles Brown, Keats friend and jealous objector to Fanny’s advances on Keats and on their own time together. Delivering a convincing Scottish accent (Schneider is American); Schneider impresses giving Brown a convincingly jealous demeanour whilst suggesting a hidden attraction to Keats that may have fuelled such jealousy.
Overall, Bright Star is a good period drama/biopic that avoids many of the stereotypes of such genre films whilst still providing enough believable romance and drama to keep fans of such films very happy. A carefully made and enjoyable romance.
Rating: 4/5
