COLETTE

UK, 2018, 111 minutes, Colour.
Keira Knightley, Dominic West, Fiona Shaw, Al Weaver, Denise Gough, Robert Pugh, Julian Wadham.
Directed by Wash Westmoreland.

Older audiences who have a fondness for the 1958 Oscar-winner, the musical, Gigi, are probably aware that it is based on a story by the French novelist, Colette. The viewing of this film may make them realise that apart from the Gigi story, they really didn’t know much about the author at all.

This film will supply her background and her story during the 1890s and 1900s, to 1906. There is some supplementary information given during the final credits as well as some relevant photos of Colette.

When Keira Knightley is at her best, she is often at her very best. And this is the case here. At the opening of the film, she seems an innocent young French country girl, aged 20, living at home with her parents, a strong mother (Fiona Shaw) and a war-invalided father (Robert Pugh). However, almost immediately, we find that she is not as innocent as she looks. The family have had a visit from a publisher from Paris (referred to by the screenplay simply as Willy, Dominic West, although his name was Henri Gauthier- Villars). The young girl goes out into the barn, involved in a passionate affair with Willy.

The country background is important for Colette (who is full name was Sidonie-Gabrielle? Colette abbreviated by her for authorship to the simple Colette). In moments of distress she will return to her mother and for her father’s funeral. Willy, at one stage, buys her a home in the countryside. And she draws on her experiences when she eventually comes to write stories, creating a character Claudine who resembles Colette in many ways.

The reason for her writing stories is that Willy is an entrepreneur, with a stable of authors who write books on commission which he publishes under his own name. But he lives a high expense of life, is something of a libertine (with a repetition of his rationale that this is what a man does). Generally in debt, he finds ways of tiding over and one of these is a brainwave that Colette write down her memories and stories. He is somewhat critical at first even though he always expresses his love and devotion to her. Potential necessity means publication but he is amazed at the instant popularity of the Claudine stories, the range of readers, especially young women, the instant commercialisation of Claudine and products bearing her name, speculating on theatre performances and auditioning women to take the role. He even persuades Colette to cut her hair in the fashion of Claudine and to wear her dress, something like a school uniform.

Gradually, Colette becomes her own woman. She begins to see through her husband’s flamboyance, not taken in by his brazen manipulations, unpersuaded by his bombastic enthusiasm.

There is a further complication, emotionally, when Colette realises that she is attracted to women, at first an American heiress married to an older Frenchman, then an encounter with a strong-minded woman, Missy (Denise Gough), moving into live with her, training to be a dancer and performer,even Willy promoting her at the Moulin Rouge which ends in something of a disaster after an onstage kiss with the audience booing and condemning.

And this is where the film leaves her, and author, a performer, a rebel personality – all of which she continued until death in 1954, even receiving a Nobel Literature nomination in 1948. (While the credits indicate that she spent some years with Missy, they do not mention that she had two subsequent marriages and had a son.)

The 1890s and 1900s were called La Belle Epoque and this film immerses the audience in that era (which did change from Penn and ink to typewriters, gaslight to electric light, carts and horses to bicycles and cars).

1. A story of France at the end of the 19 century? Beginning of the 20th? La Belle Epoque?

2. Audience knowledge of Colette, as a person, as a writer, her reputation?

3. Colette, her reputation, author, the performer, her personal life, relationships, with both men and women? Awards, nominated for a Nobel Prize?

4. The re-creation of the period, the 1890s, the 1900s? The change during the decade, from pens to typewriters, from gaslight to electric light, from carriages and carts to bicycles and cars…? Costumes, decor, art styles? The musical score?

5. The introduction to Colette, Keira Knightley’s performance, persuasive? In her room, the cat, with her parents, her father wounded in the war, her strong mother? Her age, seeming innocent, yet the liaison with Willy, and the barn?

6. The screenplay providing dates and indications of progress? The move to Paris, Colette marrying Willy? At home, his introducing her to society, the party, her being bored, watching the tortoise with the jewels? Seeing Willy with other women? An incipient jealousy?

7. Dominic West as Willy, his age, reputation, libertine, his father in the war, the friendship with Colette and her family? His male chauvinist attitudes, permissiveness because that is what a man does? His enthusiasm, bombastic? His name in publishing, his range of authors, the writing and his assuming their reputation? Spendthrift, lack of finance, luxurious lifestyle? With Flaubert and the other writers, discussions, commissioning them, the urgency?

8. Life with Colette in Paris, the idea that she should write down her stories, his listening to them, the first story, writing by pen, her being pleased, Willy and his critique? The changes, his later using the changes he wrote on the manuscripts to secure his authorship? The character of Claudine, echoing stories of Colette, the further writing, reflecting her style, her age, her experiences? Success, the readership, especially young women, a voice for younger women? The hairdos, the styles in fashion, the commercialisation and goods attributed to Claudine? Willy and his being pleased? Colette and her accepting? Dressing and haircut like Claudine?

9. The ups and downs of the marriage, of the publishing industry, money, Colette continuing to write?

10. The meeting with the couple, Willy’s comment about the man, Colette saying the attraction was to the woman? The encounter with the American woman who was married to the Frenchman, the meeting, the visits, the sexual relationship? Willy and his pursuing the woman, Colette catching him? The social implications, the buying up of all the novels indicating the relationship, the book burning? The social, Willy and his enthusiasm, reading, standing on the table, Missy amongst the guests? The attraction for Colette?

11. The dancer, performing as the countertenor, socials? Coaching? Colette and her being trained to dance? The performance with Missy? The Egyptian setting? Willy and his delight in the bookings? Promoting it? The dance, the reaction, Moulin Rouge? The kiss, the reaction, boos and the audience throwing things at the stage?

12. Colette and her relationship with her mother, the mother’s comments, Colette visiting, the father’s death? Her being from the country, not having the dowry, essentially repaid because of the royalties from her stories? Willy and his taking her to the country, buying the country house, for her to write, locking her in her room?

13. Claudine and the theatre, creative, the auditions for actresses to play Claudine? Clothes, fashion, the popularity? Performances, popularity and applause?

14. Willy and his financial difficulties, selling all the rights to the publisher, Colette shocked? Willy and Meg coming for the autograph, the affair? Yet his continued declarations of love? His dismissing the sale as business, their proceeding to divorce?

15. Willy commissioning Paul to burn the manuscripts? Is Not doing this, giving them to Colette?

16. The film ending but giving information about Colette, her continuing in the theatre, her success, her writing, the relationship with Missy? (Not giving information about subsequent marriages, long-term, a son)?

17. The information about her reputation, awards, French icon?