The Popularity of Heritage Films

Girl with a Pearl Earring

The film offered a combination of my other two chosen films in the way that it offers a narrative that is fictional, but based around the life of real life painter Johannes Vermeer in trying to uncover the story behind his painting of 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' as based on the novel 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' written by Tracy Chevalier. As with all of my other films, it focuses on a strong female protagonist, which follows the newly evolved perception of women in the way that they are seen by the audience. It is in the fact that the film relies heavily on the narrative of the novel to construct the screenplay, that emphsizes the importantance of literature in constructing the narrative in a lot of Heritage style films, which is also the case in my other chosen films.

The film also relies on the importance of setting and costume in constructing the time period, as well as in presenting a sense of segrgation amongst classes, where 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' acts as a direct parallel with my other chosen film 'The Duchess' by looking at the life of a servant as opposed to the affluent life of a Duchess, that is emphasized through costume once again in portaraying status and class.. A sense of class is shown in the setting, which is shown especially in the market place, with the meat carcuses, which also acts as a realistic representation of what life would have been like, which also highlights the growing realism in British Cinema.

Another of the films strengths is through its references to art and the insight into the imagination of a painter's art, in the way that light and shadows is added. This is accompanied by the fact that the film also follows Heritage film conventions by including aspects of the romantic genre in the more obvious relationship between Griet and Pieter, but also in the attraction between servant Griet and master Johannes Vermeer. It is in this relationship that the film looks at the attractions between the servant and the master, without making it obvious or uncomfortable for the spectator, where this is shown with little gestures shown with their hands and most importantly in their shared understanding of art.

The ending continues the importance of realism, by ending with an ending that is believable in the way that from the very beginning the audience is lead to an understanding that nothing will ever happen between the two protagonists. Instead the ending uses symbolism through the pearl earrings, to act as a representation of the shared love of art that they experienced and for this reason it ends with the earring s to bring the film to a close depite the informed death of Vermeer. This is in contrast to the novels ending in the fact that Griet marries Pieter, which follows the positive ending that differs in the film in presenting a realistic ending to the heritage film.

The Popularity of Heritage Films

The Duchess

Unlike the other films that I have chosen, the 2008 film, 'The Duchess' provides an autobiographical account of the 18th Century Aristocrat Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, based on Amanda Foreman's biography on her. The films main strengths are that of its setting, the extravagant costumes and the well known cast, as it follows the unfortunate story of Georgiana in the restrictions of soceity on women. This is emphasized in Keira Knightley's portrayal of the Duchess, where we see her grow from a naive 17 year old woman, who is forced to grow up upon her loveless marriage to William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire, into a woman who tries to fight soceity's rules and regulations in order to lead the life that she wants. These emotions are shown in fear, anger, the betrayal of her best friend Bess, love and loss and finally acceptance, amongst her life of notoriety and fame as she searches for love.

Throughout the film, costumes play a large part in the film in order to not only set the time period of the film but also to emphasize their wealth and status as the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, in which her fame and notoriety were bred from. This is as well as the fact that she was also known as a fashion icon through her extravagant tastes and charisma. Despite the fact that the film differs from the traditional love story of most Heritage films, it provides a realistic ending to a woman's infamous life, despite the fact that she was to remain as one of two wives to the Duke of Devonshire. A scene that supports this is when she walks across a balcony in extravagant clothing, with a feather in her hair, which is when she is referred to as a fashion icon.

The films appeal was also publicised to link to the fact that Georgiana Cavendish was an ancestor to Princess Diana. The film is also supported by a strong narrative, that is further strengthened by the fact that it is based on the eventful life of a real person, as it follows her pollitical influence, her image as a fashion icon, as well as her marriage to her unfaithful husband, that was further enforced by her ill-fated love affair with Earl Charles Grey.

The Duchess is also shown to be a complex character in the way that she follows the expectations of soceity in her quest to provide her husband with a son and heir, but differs in her love of gambling and drinking that provide the audience with an exciting character that defies all expectations that are attached to the title of 'Duchess' as well as the way that she shows varied emotions as she experiences both strengths and weaknesses in her life.

Despite, the films unconventional ending, the film does follow conventions in the way that it deals with similar issues that most period/ Heritage films deal with, such as the relationships between two or more people in most commonly in the need for woman to marry, which also further reflects the 18th century time period of the films setting. The importance of setting is shown in the large grounds that they are seen playing in with the children at the end of film, and the scenes of the house, with their large empty corridors and rooms, as well as the dinning table that Georgiana, Bess and the Duke sit at which is long and empty, which in turn emphasises excessive wealth as well as empty conversation amongst the awarkward situation and topics regarding the Dukes's affairs, that they are all thinking but cannot be said. All of which provide a Heritage film that both defies and follows the structures of period drama conventions.

The Popularity of Heritage Films

Pride and Prejudice

Having begun as a popular piece of literary work, where it was published on the 28th January 1813, the novel by Jane Austen has since evolved to modern audiences, where in 2003 the novel was named 2nd in the poll of the 'UK's Best-Loved Book'. This has therefore lead to the novel being adapted continuously either in the accurate events of the novel or even in other films that play on the same themes that arise in the novel including:

• 1998- You've got Mail


• 2001- Bridget Jones's Diary


• 2003- Pride and Prejudice: A Latter Day Comedy


• 2004- Bride and Prejudice (A Bollywood version)

Throughout every adaptation or version of Pride and Prejudice, they each follow the same theme of romance, where a problem arises between the two characters, until happiness can be found at the end. This could perhaps be why the film is usually seen to be targeted towards a female audience, as well as the fact that the narrative centralises around a female protagonist. Despite the time period that the novel was written in and its setting, the novel remains to be popular, perhaps due to the fact that many of the issues raised, they still remain to be relevent to the current generation, which is why the film has been adapted again and again.

However, despite the films modernisation, it remains to be portrayed in the same 1800 setting, as shown in the 2005 adaption starring Keira Knightley. This shows the fact that the films narrative is not only in the narrative, but also in the time period, which includes the setting and the costumes. However this could also be due to the stars that appear in the films such as Colin Firth and Keira Knightley.

In the 2005 adaptation, Elizabeth is first shown to the audience reading a novel, which automatically, through the use of symbolism, presents the idea of cleverness that in turn is used to appeal of the character by making her appear to have beauty as well as brains. The film also uses specific scenes such as the dance scene in order to show signs of the films historical significance in the fact that dancing was an important factor in the people of that time periods life, due to the fact that it was the only time that people were allowed to interact with other people in soceity. This scene in the film, also reflects the costumes of the characters, which are also used to suggest the supposed time period. However, unlike the BBC adaption, the 2005 changes the setting of certain scenes in order to provide a slightly different presentation of the film, such as with the proposal scene, where it is presented in the rain rather than inside, in order to use pathetic fallacy and make the situation appear more romantic. It is in the film that it offers a fictionalised fairy-tale ending, in comparison to the autobiographical 'The Duchess' and that of the fictionalised, but based on the famous painter Johannes Vermeer in 'Girl with a Pearl Earring, where the ending is more realistic.

The Popularity of Heritage Films

The Popularity of Heritage Films- Focusing on the aspects of literature and its affect on the narrative, box office successes (awards won), technology, DVD sales, intended audience, re-makes (repeatedly) and whether there is an affect on the increase in book sales in the raising awareness of classic novels - both fictional and biographical. I will also be looking into the feminist point of view in the way that woman are now portrayed in films in a more positive light to their predecessors, as now films focus on a female protagonist who is strong and clever as opposed to being categorised as a damsel in distress typecast.
Using the following films: Pride and Prejudice (2005), The Duchess (2008) and Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003).

Possible Blog Ideas

• The Popularity of Period Dramas - Focusing on the aspects of literature and its affect on the narrative, box office successes (awards won), technology, DVD sales, intended audience, re-makes (repeatedly) and whether there is an effect on the increase in book sales in the raising awareness of classic novels. - Using all or some of the following titles of 'Pride and Prejudice'(2005), 'The Duchess'(2008) and "Girl with a Pearl Earring'' (2004).

• The Popularity of Fantasy Films with a Literature Narrative - Focusing on the aspects of literature and its affect on the narrative, box office successes (awards won), technology (the advance in technology- making the fantasy genre more common), DVD-special effects sales, intended audience, franchises and whether there is an effect on the increase in book sales in the raising awareness of other novels of the same genre. - Using all or some of the following titles of 'Harry Potter series' (2001), 'The Twilight Saga' (2008), 'The Chronicles of Narnia' (2005) and 'The Lord of the Rings trilogy'(2001).