Review of The Duchess (2008) by Halfwelshman — 30 Jan 2012

The Duchess isn't just another twee, good-looking period drama. The film hinges on a very strong central performance from Keira Knightley as the titular Duchess of Devonshire, Georgiana. Ralph Fiennes also impresses as the rather despicable Duke of Devonshire, as does Hayley Attwell as Lady Elizabeth Foster, the Duke's mistress, and Charlotte Rampling as the dutiful mother of Georgiana.

The only real weak link in the casting is Dominic Cooper, whose up-and-coming politician Charles Grey comes across as a little wooden and whiny (a pity considering the importance of his character to the story).

The film wisely doesn't try to put a modern spin on late 18th century views - it acknowledges and explores the difficulty of being a high-ranking noble woman during this period, and you really feel for Georgiana and the various struggles she went through.

The script is well-polished and provides some meaty themes and well-written dialogue for the cast to get their teeth into. The whole film looks great, with the cinematography making the very most of the elaborate period costumes, stately homes and the English countryside, but of particular note are the scenes where Georgiana and Duke William sit at opposite ends of a long table in a plain, lifeless dining room - a great visual metaphor for the distance between them in their relationship.

The Duchess is far better than the average period drama. It's surprisingly dark, emotionally complex, beautifully filmed and well-performed (particularly by Knightley and Fiennes). You're utterly absorbed by the historical setting, and able to really feel for what late-18th century women had to go through, particularly those in the public eye, who were obliged to provide their powerful husbands with an heir to remain in favour.

It was a cruel and unfulfilling life, and The Duchess presents it to us as it was, and makes no attempt to sugar-coat what we witness to make it any more palatable. This makes the film an extremely refreshing change to the vast majority of cheery, emotionally shallow historical dramas (that more closely resemble elaborate soap opera), and aside from an underwhelming performance from Dominic Cooper and a slightly too gruelling run-time, a hugely rewarding viewing experience.