Bright Star (2009)

Director:

Jane Campion

Writer:

Jane Campion (screenplay)

Release Date:

15 October 2009 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

First Love Burns Brightest

Plot:

The drama based on the three-year romance between 19th century poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne, which was cut short by Keats' untimely death at age 25. |

Plot Keywords:

Poet | 19th Century | 1810s | Bluebells | Rome Italy

Awards:

1 win & 10 nominations

Cast

Ben Whishaw	...	John Keats
Abbie Cornish	...	Frances 'Fanny' Brawne
Kerry Fox	...	Mrs. Brawne
Paul Schneider	...	Charles Armitage Brown
Edie Martin	...	Margaret 'Toots' Brawne
Thomas Sangster	...	Samuel Brawne
Gerard Monaco	...	Charles Dilke
Antonia Campbell-Hughes	...	Abigail O'Donaghue Brown
Samuel Roukin	...	John Reynolds
Amanda Hale	...	Reynolds' Sister I
Lucinda Raikes	...	Reynolds' Sister II
Samuel Barnett	...	Joseph Severn
Jonathan Aris	...	Leigh Hunt
Olly Alexander	...	Tom Keats
Theresa Watson	...	Charlotte

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic elements, some sensuality, brief language and incidental smoking.

Runtime:

Canada:119 min

Country:

UK | Australia | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Ireland:PG | USA:PG (certificate #45535) | Canada:G (British Columbia) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Jan Chapman Pictures

Trivia:

Jane Campion was a member of the jury at the 2007 Venice Film Festival and was especially impressed with The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007), including Paul Schneider's performance in the film, so she offered him the role of Charles Armitage Brown in Bright Star (2009).

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: A boom mic is visible above Keats' head in the scene where he bids a final and constrained farewell to Fanny inside the foyer of the house on the morning he departs for Rome.

Quotes:

John Keats: [about writing poetry] It ought to come like leaves to a tree, or it better not come at all.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: (2009-09-19)" (2009)

A brighter word than Bright

I saw this film tonight, and in my eyes, it is a perfect film. Beautifully acted by all involved, (several times during the film I found myself thinking 'Abby Cornish is amazing!", despite not being a huge fan before), and stunningly shot, it contains some of the most beautifully cinematic scenes i have ever seen committed to film. Campion does a wonderful job of communicating Fanny' emotional state through the composition, particularly in one scene where the wind is blowing the curtain in her bedroom. The light and colour are fresh and gorgeous and the costumes and design add to the overall piece without being distracting, which is just what you want from a period piece.

But in the end, it is above all a wonderful story, well told. A deeply romantic tale, the story of Fanny and Keats could easily have become a mawkish, overly sentimental piece. But through her wonderfully naturalistic dialogue, her use of humour and light touch, and her restrained story telling (she never lets a scene go on one line too long) Jane Campion has created a heart wrenching film which I cannot fault. The characters are real and fully rounded, you feel the joys and the pain with them, and where I think she really succeeds is by making their love affair extraordinary and yet at the same time deeply ordinary. It stirred up my own personal experiences of love and loss and you would have to have a heart of stone not to shed a tear at the end. Lovely lovely film, and what cinema should be all about.