Historical Fiction on the Big Screen
More historical fiction-related birthdays to celebrate! Today is Hugh Grant's 50th birthday, and tomorrow is Colin Firth's 50th birthday. If seeing those two names in the same sentence don't make you think of Jane Austen, I'm shocked (and dismayed!), but if they do...then today's topic will come as no surprise to you.
If there is one thing almost as
satisfying as reading a good historical fiction book, it is watching
a historical fiction, or “period,” movie. In truth, it may be
more satisfying in certain ways—I love seeing the world recreated
by costume and set designers; I love the accents (okay, so many of my
favorite movies are English...); I love the fact that I can knit and
enjoy the story at the same time.
Here are some of my “very favoritest”
period films...all historical, some more fictionalized than others:
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
The Robe
Sense & Sensibility (the one with
Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman...speaking of gorgeous
accents...)
Pride & Prejudice (I like all of
them in different ways, but there is a certain something about Colin
Firth's rendition of Darcy...)
The Ransom of Red Chief (this one's a
rather obscure dramatization of O. Henry's story of the same name.
Super cute and funny.)
Girl with a Pearl Earring
Bright Star (about John Keats' life)
Miss Potter (about Beatrix Potter's
life)
The Young Victoria
The King's Speech
The Patriot
The Count of Monte Cristo
The Importance of Being Earnest
What period movies do you love? I'm
always looking for new favorites!
(By the way, thanks to Amy Sonnichsen for recommending "Lady Jane" in the comments for my last post--I'm having a movie night with my little sisters tonight and we're watching it....because, for your edification: period films are best enjoyed with at least three girls swooning over the dresses and bolstering themselves up through the sad parts with inordinate amounts of chocolate. Which we will have. :)
I tend to like ones that are more action based than romance based, like The Last of the Mohicans, Braveheart, Glory, stuff like that.
ReplyDeleteHappy 50th, gentlemen!
Oooh, I love the period movies ... and you've listed many of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteI'll add to your list;
A Passage to India
The Red Lantern (I have loved these movies with Gong Li in them. She's done several)
My Brilliant Career
Dances with Wolves
Salaam Bombay (this will make you cry)
And we've been watching many lives of the saints -- these are all made by Ignatius Press.
Enjoy your movie-fest with your sisters. Oh, near our temp. housing there is a wine, cheese and chocolate bar and my husband and I think we should definitely sample them one night after putting the kids to bed.
Hooray! Did you watch Lady Jane? Did you fast-forward the naked scene? Oh, I hope you like it otherwise I'll feel terrible that you wasted a movie night on it! Okay, now I'm all nervous. ;)
ReplyDeleteI love period pieces! Pride and Prejudice by BBC is an all-time favorite, as are Wives and Daughters, and North and South (both by Elizabeth Gaskell). I think there's another North and South about the Civil War, but the BBC's North and South is so, so, so amazing. It's like Pride and Prejudice but with a social justice undercurrent.
And Vijaya, Raise the Red Lantern is one of my all-time favorite movies, too!!
Amy
You guys are bringing up so many films I've never seen--I'm so excited to expand my list! Thank you!
ReplyDelete(And for the record, I'm only halfway through Lady Jane--certain other little ladies of mine needed to get to bed--but I'm loving it so far. Some of the best, most sophisticated acting I have ever seen...)
ReplyDelete