roses and bows, lust and sex - the duchess

powerful male marries female. male wants male heir. female produces female offsprings. male cheats on female. sounds like an overly produced typical story line? that is essentially the summary of The Duchess.

in The Duchess, Keira Knightly plays Georgiana Spencer, the Duchess of Devonshire who’s raised to please others. she is a 18th century celebrity, a fashion idol for women beneath her. descriptions of what type of hats she wore made it to newsprint. she is the “Empress of Fashion.”

wthe public loves her dearly, the Duke (Ralph Fiennes) does not, for she failed to give him a male heir. he has an affair with a live-in mistress, Georgiana’s best friend. the love and friendship triangle causes bitter tension in the Devonshire household and makes for a saddened and lonesome duchess. her misery vanishes, however, when a young ambitious politician appears in her life. he adds another dimension to the triangle.

disregarding the film’s abrupt scene transitions, the film felt too typical. imagine Marie Antoinette and The Other Boleyn Girl repackaged into 1 hour and 49 minutes. if you’re looking for a movie with a revolutionary plot and you’ve already watched the aforementioned, don’t bother. also, you better think Knightly is attractive, because the camera is always focused on her face. everything else is literally a big blur.

however, you should watch this movie if you like 18th century fashion. the costumes are exquisitely designed. every knot and string, every ruffle and under-padding are considered. The “bows and roses” are the theme of the Duchess’s dresses, but she never wears an outfit for more than one day. conversely, the jewelry looked fake, which removed some of the richness of Georgiana’s image.

the duchess moved the crowd in entertainment and politics, but as long as she was a woman, what mattered most was her inability to produce a male heir. it’s a shame a better movie couldn’t be produced either.


*where you can learn more about the duchess: http://www.theduchessmovie.com/
*where you can view the article on the Ubyssey: http://www.ubyssey.ca/?p=5259

-cup of red