COTTON MARY
UK, 1999, 124 minutes, Colour
Greta Scacchi, Madhur Jaffrey, James Wilby, Sakina Jaffre, Gemma Jones.
Directed by Ismael Merchant.
Cotton Mary is one of seven films directed by Ismael Merchant, best known as the producer for James Ivory’s films from the early 1960s to 2005, the year of Ismael Merchant’s death. Merchant Ivory became a byword for classical films, elegantly mounted, generally British stories but venturing into versions of Henry James as well as stories made in India in their early years.
This film is set in 1954 on the Malabar coast. Madhur Jaffre (best known for her cooking books and programs as well as acting) is a woman of mixed race, Anglo-Indian?, pining for the times of the Raj, having to accept the differences – but not fitting in well, this having effect on her emotional and mental stability. Greta Scacchi (who appeared for Merchant Ivory in Heat and Dust) is the mother of a young girl, married to a businessman (James Wilby) and pregnant. There are difficulties with the pregnancy, especially in producing milk for the child. Mary works at the hospital, takes possession of the child, finds someone that she can lavish her attentions on, takes the child to her wheelchair-bound sister for milk. The mother and the father don’t know what is going on.
Mary is invited to join the household, becomes jealous of the servant who has spent his life in the house, engineers his dismissal by Iago-like insinuations. She, however, becomes more erratic, wanting to become more English, relating that her father was an English military man. Ultimately, there is a confrontation, especially after the mother is informed by her daughter of some of the things that have been going on. In the meantime, her husband is often absent, taking Mary’s niece with him and beginning an affair with her. In the background are three very British and very snobbish ladies.
The film recreates the atmosphere as well as capturing the beauty of this part of India. By setting the film half a century earlier, six years after independence, the film is able to show what happened in India during the 20th century as well as reflect on it.
1. An Anglo-Indian? story? The situation pre-partition and independence? In the immediate aftermath? A 20th century film looking at India in the 20th century, the perspective of post-independence?
2. The Merchant Ivory tradition filming in India, Indian stories, the cast?
3. The title, the focus on Mary, her nickname, its significance?
4. The family, Lily, Teresa, her relationship with John? Life in the house? Pampered? Her background as growing up in India, becoming an adult in India? Abraham as the lifelong servant? Lifestyle and wealth? Her pregnancy, its effect on her, psychologically? The hospital, the difficult birth? The response of the staff? Mary, her concern and her care, encouraging Lily? The birth, the child, Lily having no milk, the dependence on Mary, her absent husband? His arrival and concern? The distance between the two?
5. Mary and her age, her experience, her life story, Anglo-Indian?, her relying on the background of her father? In Malabar? Her culture, manners, treatment of the staff, interactions with the doctor, taking the child, reassuring Lily? Beginning to possess the child, the child giving meaning to her life, her purpose in feeding it? Lily’s response, taking Mary home? Mary willingly going?
6. Lily at home, her social life, the English women and their visits, discussions, the discussions about Mary? Her reaction? Mary’s asserting herself? Later and having her hair done, taking Lily’s dress? Insulting the women?
7. John, his life as a businessman, the distance between himself and his wife, his love for his daughter? His response to the baby, the doctors, his demands, concern? His meeting Rosie, taking her away as his assistant? The travel, the affair? A callow man? Finally exposed?
8. Mary and her own family, her sister and her being wheelchair-bound? Supplying the milk? The extended family, their concern, discussions with Mary, interest in her life at the house? Mary and her discussions with Rosie, Rosie at the hospital, asserting? Urging Rosie to better things? Mary beginning to flaunt herself in front of the family? The visit for the preparation of Lily, – her not coming, the reactions, the judgments made?
9. Abraham, his work in the house, life service, the house as his home? Mary and her jealousy, the accusations, criticising him for being dirty, the health scares about the baby, criticising him being alone with Teresa? The insinuations, the plausibility? Her forcing Lily to let Abraham go? His character, a good man, in the kitchen, serving his being hurt, leaving? Lily’s later regrets?
10. Mary and her mental state, in the house, showing off, the new man, his inefficiencies, the poor work, in the garden, not knowing the flowers, food, being drunk, careless? Lily’s puzzle?
11. The family, her disowning them? Yet having to go back to them? Rosie and her spurning Mary? Mary’s rebukes about her life? Lily and the decision to leave India?
12. Lily and her daughter, Teresa telling her the truth about Mary, the insinuations about John? Her going back to England?
13. The picture of a colonial period, the alleged post-colonialism? Stories of possibilities for India? The changes in the aftermath of independence?
