The Duchess is a 2008 British drama film based on Amanda Foreman's best-selling biography of the 18th-century English aristocrat Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire. It was released in September 2008 in the UK. Originally to be directed by Susanne Bier, The Duchess was directed by Saul Dibb. Plot Summary
Set in the late eighteenth century, The Duchess is based on the life of Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire. While her beauty and fashion made her famous, extravagance and gambling made her infamous. She is married to the cold and much older William Cavendish, the 5th Duke of Devonshire. Despite the Duke's blatant infidelities, Georgiana becomes a fashion icon, a doting mother, a shrewd political operator, and darling of the common people. Reeling from her husband's affair with her best friend, Lady Bess Foster, Georgiana takes on her own lover, the future prime minister Earl Grey.
Production
The Duchess is financed by BBC Films and Pathé. The Duchess was filmed at Twickenham Film Studios and on-location at Chatsworth, Bath, Holkham Hall, Clandon Park, Kedleston Hall, Somerset House and the Old Royal Naval College. Regarding lead actress Keira Knightley, director Saul Dibb said The Duchess was "a chance to take a character from late childhood — she's married at 17—into full adulthood, 10 years later." It was also a chance to work with Ralph Fiennes, whom she regarded as one of her most accomplished co-stars to date; Dibb said, "When I said, 'We've got Ralph interested in playing the Duke,' we both took a gulp and went, 'F---.' [sic] ... But I didn't for one second feel that she wasn't up to the task.
Cast
- Keira Knightley as Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire
- Ralph Fiennes as William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire
- Hayley Atwell as Lady Elizabeth 'Bess' Foster
- Charlotte Rampling as Countess Spencer, wife to Earl Spencer
- Dominic Cooper as Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey
- Aidan McArdle as Richard Brinsley Sheridan
- Simon McBurney as Charles James Fox
- Sebastian Applewhite as Agustas And
- Calvin Dean as Devonshire House Servant;
- Emily Jewell as Nanny;
- Hannah Stokely as Maid;
- Richard Syms as Dr Neville;
- Richard McCabe as Sir James Hare;
- Andy Armour as Burleigh the Butler;
- Emily Cohen as Harryo;
- Poppy Wigglesworth as Charlotte (aged 10);
- Mercy Fiennes Tiffin as Little Georgiana;
- Sebastian Applewhite as Augustus;
- Eva Hrela as Charlotte (aged 3);
- Bruce Mackinnon as Sir Peter Teazle actor;
- Alistair Petrie as Heaton;
- Georgia King as Lady Teazle actress;
- Kate Burdette as Lady Harriet;
- Paul Daley as George Augustus Henry Cavendish, created 1st Earl of Burlington of the 2nd order or creation (a.k.a. Duke's brother);
- Hannah Stretton as Lady Mary;
- Hollie Standish-Leigh as Lady Patricia;
- and Anon. plays Georgiana's daughter by Lord Grey, Eliza Courtney.
Release - Marketing
Studio executives wanted to use digitally altered images of Keira Knightley in promotional materials. The alterations were specifically aimed at enlarging her breasts. However, Knightley objected to the alterations and they were not used. The marketing campaign also drew criticism for its use of Diana, Princess of Wales, who was a descendent of Georgiana's. The ad used slogans such as "two women related by ancestry and united by destiny" and even used "There were three people in her marriage", the latter being an almost identical copy of a famous quote that Diana, Princess of Wales uttered during her infamousPanorama interview. Michael Hellicar of the Daily Mail stated that "the Diana link is being so heavily, and it has to be said, so cynically and crudely promoted." Amanda Foreman, author of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, criticised the marketing strategy too, saying "They probably thought the only way to get the young popcorn-eating brigade to see the film was if they thought it was about Diana, but it wasn't necessary and they should never have done that. And the line 'united by destiny' is wrong. I don't think Georgiana actually died in a carriage crash."The BBFC has classified the film as a 12A, citing the scene of implied marital rape, which is "delivered through Georgiana's screams of protest, heard from outside the bedroom door." The BBFC's PG rating allows implied sex as long as it is discreet and infrequent; the board decided that the scene in The Duchess is more than "discreet" or "implied". The film had its world premiere on September 3, 2008, inLeicester Square and was released nationwide in the United Kingdom on September 5.
Critical reception
The film received mixed, though mostly positive, reviews gaining 61% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 142 reviews, with the consensus that "Keira Knightley squeezes into a corset again, and pulls off another worthy performance in this sumptuous and emotional period drama, that serves parallels to the Duchess's descendent Princess Diana." Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian wrote that "Dibb's movie looks good" [however] "exasperatingly bland and slow-moving at all times" handing out a 2 of 5 star rating. However, Paul Hurley gave the film 8/10 and called The Duchess "an excellent new film" and states that "The Duchess stands a good chance of taking home some very big prizes at the end of the year".
Most reviewers have highly praised Knightley and Fiennes' performances. Timeout London wrote: "[Saul Dibb] is also helped enormously by a mature, restrained portrayal from Knightley, a masterclass in passive aggression from Fiennes and a performance of tender seduction from Atwell." The Epoch Times writes, "Ralph Fiennes brings a human quality to [the Duke] by avoiding any intent, exaggeration or ill will" and "Keira Knightley’s performance gains new depth — she not only perfectly portrays a witty and feminine Georgiana early in the film, but also a caring mother, and an abandoned woman later on. Also remarkable in this role is Knightley’s ability to portray the strengths, weaknesses, and the internal hurdles of Georgiana, as well as her internal contemplation." Film Ireland writes "It is a slow movie but it is well acted with Knightley and Fiennes suited to their roles, especially Fiennes who gives a formidable and powerful performance."
Cameron Baily, the co-chair of The Toronto International Festival comments; “The Duchess Of Devonshire, with Keira Knightley, which is a beautiful film and she gives a really mature performance. You’re seeing her really turn into something beyond the kind of pretty face that we’ve seen her do already so well. But she’s actually a very serious actress and she’s turning into a great, great performer. The film's costume designer Michael O'Connor was nominated for, and won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, the BAFTA Award for Best Costume Design and the Satellite Award for Best Costume Design.
Awards
| Awards ceremony | Award Category | Subject | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards[16] | Best Costume Design | Michael O'Connor | Won |
| Best Art Direction | Michael Carlin | Nominated | |
| BAFTA Awards[17] | Best Costume Design | Michael O'Connor | Won |
| BIFA[18] | Best Actress | Keira Knightley | Nominated |
| Best Supporting Actor | Ralph Fiennes | Nominated | |
| Best Supporting Actress | Hayley Atwell | Nominated | |
| Best Technical Achievement | Michael O'Connor (Costume) | Nominated | |
| Golden Globes Awards[19][20] | Best Supporting Actor | Ralph Fiennes | Nominated |
| People's Choice Awards[21] | Favourite Actress | Keira Knightley | Nominated |
| Favourite Independent Movie | The Duchess | Nominated | |
| Satellite Awards[22] | Best Art Direction and Production Design | Karen Wakefield, Michael Carlin | Nominated |
| Best Cinematography | Gyula Pados | Nominated | |
| Best Costume Design | Michael O'Connor | Won | |
| London Circle Critics' Film Awards | British Actor of the Year | Ralph Fiennes | Nominated |
| British Actress in a Supporting Role | Hayley Atwell | Nominated |
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