These Are the Best Period Piece Films
Take me away to a quaint countryside estate!
I grow weary of modern life! I no longer wish to hear dour news of that sour-faced ruffian Ron DeSantis and his many lawsuits, nor do I wish to hear tales of the various indictments of one Donald J. Trump. I wish to be taken into the country, where I may retire to the comfort of my family’s estate. And I shall have a beautiful fountain pen, a large desk filled with stationary, and a quiet room where I shall compose letters and novels until the gentleman callers come, upon whom I will promptly set the hounds.
When I cannot escape the tyranny of contemporary times, to these films I turn. May they offer you respite in the grim days of cryptocurrencies and climate crises ahead!
Pride and Prejudice (2005)
Joe Wright’s Pride and Prejudice takes viewers into a perfectly romantic 19th century British society. Keira Knightley’s spirited Elizabeth Bennet and Matthew Macfadyen’s brooding Mr. Darcy are forced to navigate class and family expectations, all the while attempting to step lightly into each other’s hearts. Oh, how I love this film, ardently. Nary shall I complete it with a dry eye!
The Favourite (2018)
Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite is like the old tree I imagine to be sitting on the hill outside my estate on the Scottish moors: dark, dry, and twisted. It is a scandalizing tale of court life in 18th century England. It concerns rivalries both political and personal between two cousins, played by Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone, who vie for the favor of Queen Anne (Olivia Colman). My favorite scene is where they race ducks! Oh, how I do enjoy a good racing of ducks!
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)
Céline Sciamma’s French historical drama Portrait of a Lady on Fire is gay! And I do not mean in the joyous sense! I mean the sapphic sense! Or rather, the joyously sapphic sense! The film is a vivid and intimate portrayal of forbidden love between two ladies. A scandal for the time period. Set in 18th century Brittany, the story concerns a female painter Marianne, played by Noémie Merlant, who is commissioned to paint a wedding portrait of a young woman named Héloïse, portrayed by Adèle Haenel. And so the painter observes the subject, and the subject observes the painter … and their love grows.
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Directed by Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel is a visually stunning comedy that follows the exuberant escapades of a concierge and his friend in a fictional Eastern European country in the early 1930s. A star-studded cast comes together to tell the story of the theft and recovery of a priceless Renaissance painting, a raging battle for a lavish family fortune, and the dramatic changes that transformed the geopolitical landscape of Europe in the early 20th Century.
Amadeus (1984)
Miloš Forman’s Amadeus is based on a play of the same name by Peter Shaffer. Oh, how I adore the theatre! The story concerns the largely fictionalized one-sided rivalry between the brilliant Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce) and the envious Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham) in 18th century Vienna. The film features lavish sets, delicious drama, and music—glorious chamber music!
Atonement (2007)
Joe Wright’s Atonement is a sweeping and tragic romance that details how a single falsehood can change the course of multiple lives. Set against the grand backdrop of World War II, Atonement tells the tale of the wealthy Tallis family, particularly the young and imaginative Briony (Saoirse Ronan/Romola Garai), her older sister Cecilia (Keira Knightley), and Robbie (James McAvoy), the son of a family servant. After witnessing a series of misunderstood (and deliciously steamy) interactions between Cecilia and Robbie, Briony falsely accuses Robbie of a crime he did not commit, resulting in devastating consequences for the trio.
Little Women (2019)
Greta Gerwig’s Little Women is a positively vivacious retelling of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel. It showcases the lives, loves, and losses of a quartet of sisters in post-Civil War America. The free-thinking Jo, the maternal Meg, the gentle Beth, and the ambitious Amy must each navigate the privilege and prejudice of women at the culmination of the 19th century. Oh, how I wish I had sisters like these! How we would wile the day away, throwing eggs at the men who dare attempt to tell us … anything at all!
12 Years a Slave (2013)
Steve McQueen’s adaptation of Solomon Northup’s memoir 12 Years A Slave is a brutal portrayal of the realities of American slavery. Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Northup, a violinist who was kidnapped and sold into slavery after being tricked by a false job opportunity. The story serves as a glimpse into the cruelest parts of the human heart, and the tenacity of the human spirit.
Carol (2015)
Directed by Todd Haynes and based on Patricia Highsmith’s novel, Carol is a stunning, steamy drama set in the 1950s. Rooney Mara stars as a young and aspiring photographer working in a department store, who soon attracts the attention of a sophisticated and wealthy housewife played by Cate Blanchett. A witheringly romantic film, Carol serves as a vivid portrayal of forbidden love within an intolerant society.
(featured image: The Weinstein Company)
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