VANITY FAIR
UK, 2004, 140 minutes, Colour.
Reese Witherspoon, Eileen Atkins, Jim Broadbent, Gabrielle Byrne, Romola Garai, Bob Hoskins, Rhys Ifans, Geraldine Mc Ewen, James Purefoy, Jonathan Rhys Myers.
Directed by Mira Nair.
Perhaps many people think that this film has connections with the popular magazine of the same name. Rather, the magazine takes us back to one of the great classic novels of 19th century English literature, William Thackeray’s Vanity Fair. Thackeray, like Charles Dickens, was an expert purveyor of the three-volume novel, serialized in magazines and, so, having a double life as a best-seller. How well can such sizable novels be transferred to the screen? And why should we see such films?
First, a religious note: Thackeray took his title from the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes, ‘Vanity of vanities, all is vanity…’ His novel offers an illustration of the futility and destructiveness of greed and ambition – the same message as that in the Gospels, ‘what does it profit to gain the whole world and lose one’s soul?’
Second, a social note: Thackeray took his readers back into the first decades of the 19th century, the years of the Napoleonic Wars, culminating in his defeat at Waterloo. These were the years of Regency England, a time of great public elegance, a beginning of a sense of empire, a time of belief that, despite poverty and oppression, anything was possible.
How can film-makers put all of this into a film which lasts two hours and twenty minutes, especially when a version of Vanity Fair of seventy years ago, ‘Becky Sharp’, ran for less than ninety minutes?
The task was entrusted to several writers, amongst whom Julian Fellowes, the Oscar-winning writer of another vanity fair kind of story, Gosford Park. The director is the Indian, Mira Nair, probably best-known for her exuberant Monsoon Wedding. The Indian connection is not accidental as Thackeray himself was born in Calcutta.
And the film itself? It is one of those wonderful re-creations of a period that the British do so well. It is quite lavish in sets and costume design, a delight for the eye. It also has a particularly strong cast. American Reese Witherspoon is cast as one of literature’s most lively and memorable characters, Becky Sharp. She comes across as a nicer person than in the novel but is quite convincingly English. James Purefoy is her gambler husband, Rawdon, and Rhys Ifans (playing against type) is the faithful Captain Dobbin. Audiences will delight in so many of the supporting characters: Eileen Atkins as Miss Crawley, Bob Hoskins as Pitt Crawley and Jim Broadbent as Mr Osborne.
And, yes, the film contains the whole book. It may be only a sketch and outline sometimes, but it gets the spirit of the novel. Not only does the audience feel it has lived through these times, but it understands this portrait of a society in transition, of the strengths and failings of human nature. It is well worth a visit into this past.
1.Thackeray’s reputation, 19th century vision and scope, interest, social, psychological?
2.An adaptation for the 21st century, the same broad canvas, the range of characters, a blend of action and motivation? Their interplay? The role of coincidences, resolution? The Indian background of Thackeray, Mira Nair’s Indian background and her work in Indian themes and motifs, echoing the first quarter of the 19th century and the establishment of the colonies and their influence?
3.The décor, the costumes, stately homes, locations in England, the countryside, Brussels, Waterloo, Baden Baden – a recreation of the early 19th century?
4.Manners and style of the time, the Regency and its external elegance, the importance of society and places in society, hereditary class, the traders and the newly-rich, the class distinctions, the snobbery? Language, education, wit and intelligence – and their lack?
5.The prologue, Sharp, his paintings, poverty, Becky and the portrait of her mother, doing the deal with the Marquis of Steynes? Her love for her mother, her shrewdness with money, her father’s death, going to the orphanage?
6.The passing over the years in the orphanage, young woman, her friendship with Amelia Sedley, going to visit the Sedleys, flirting with Jos, the possibility of a marriage, Mrs Sedley and her dislike of Becky? The farewell to Miss Pinkerton, throwing the dictionary out of the coach window? A sense of freedom? The possibility of marriage, a place in society, going to India? Mrs Sedley later calling her a climber but really a mountaineer? George Osborne, the picnic, the joy of the outing, watching George and Jos in the boat, knowing that George was persuading Jos not to marry her?
7.Becky Sharp, her experience, age, poverty, French Opera chorus mother, lack of money and class, well educated, speaking French, knowledge of art, her singing? Her ambitions to transcend her origins? Reese Witherspoon’s performance, accent perfect?
8.Her going to the Crawleys’, Sir Pitt and his answering the door, his wig, dirt, the filthy room? His son and his quoting the Scriptures, unimaginative? The meals, the children, playing jokes, Becky succeeding in teaching them, especially in speaking French? Lady Southdown’s arrival, Jane and the possibility of marriage to Pitt Junior? Becky’s hopes? Rawdon and his arrival, style, suave, the soldier, the gambler, charm? His relationship with the rest of his family?
9.Miss Crawley and the preparations for her arrival, her wealth, her disdainful servant? Her insulting people, liking Becky, her mimicking Lady Southdown, her attitude on heredity and intelligence and the Crawleys lacking intelligence, the eating of the lobster, feeling ill, the doctor, her attitude towards the family trying to get her money? Her comments about liking elopements? Her pushing Becky? Her shock and getting out of the bath when Becky would not marry Pitt and announced her marriage to Rawdon, her collapse, disowning them completely? Rawdon saying that she liked romance in novels, not in real life? That she spoke like Cromwell but thought like Charles I? Ousting Becky?
10.The Osbornes, the nouveau riche, deals, the destruction of the Sedley family? The auction – and Dobbin’s buying the piano for Amelia (and her thinking that it was a gift from George)? The attitude towards the Sedleys? Osborne pampering his son, urging him to limitless ambitions? The interview with the heiress from the Caribbean, her shrewd assessing of the situation and what she needed in terms of society, buying a peerage? George and the anger with his father, leaving, marrying Amelia out of stubbornness, his being disowned? Dobbin’s going to ask Osborne to go to the wedding? The marriage, the dinner? The relationship with Amelia, her pregnancy? Her going to Waterloo, his letter to Becky and the dancing with her, going to battle, his death? Amelia and her poverty, trying to bring up her son, with her mother? The proposal made by Osborne that the son come and live with him, his spoiling him – and his manner in Baden twelve years later, Becky’s comment that he was just like his father?
11.Rawdon, his character, gambling, his marrying Becky, in love with her, delighted with his son, listening to her singing? His going to war, wanting to provide well for her on the eve of Waterloo? Surviving, their going into poverty?
12.The group going to Brussels, the call-up? The ball on the eve of Waterloo? George and his dancing with Becky, the note? Amelia sick? Becky’s farewell to Rawdon and his provisions for her?
13.The British trying to escape, the snobs wanting to buy horses, Becky’s snubbing them? Her not going and giving up her place in the coach, supporting Amelia? George’s death, the visuals of the battlefield of Waterloo, the looters, the burials, the identifying of the bodies?
14.The aftermath, Amelia in London, bringing up her child, sacrificing him to the Osbornes?
15.Rawdon loving his child, the creditors, the extravagant living, his complaint about the meals, the creditors’ threats? The Marquis of Steynes watching? Their being ousted, their goods being auctioned, especially the painting by her father and Steynes buying it? Rawdon in prison, his sending the message, Becky not coming, Jane coming? His going to the family home, his catching Becky with Steynes, the fight, throwing him down the stairs? Entrusting his son to Jane? Going to the Caribbean, governor, the news of his death of tropical fever?
16.The character of Steynes, the opening, the ten guineas for the portrait? His watching Becky, discovering who she was? His brittle attitude towards his wife, referring to her as Lady Macbeth, his daughters like King Lear’s daughters? His commanding them to receive Becky? The promise to Becky that she would enter society? Her dressing for her reception, the wife asking her to sing after saying that there was too much hurt in the house? Steynes saying that she was through the door? His holding her in debt, the sexual advances?
17.The portrait of the marquis’s family, the tension at the table, the change of heart of the wife? The reception and his organising the Indian dance? The exotic nature of such an Indian dance in 19th century London?
18.Dobbin, his continued fidelity towards Amelia, buying her the piano, her assuming that it was George who bought it? His surviving the war, protecting Amelia and her son? Offering to stay but her not asking? India, his life, dress, hair, martial arts? The news of his engagement? His return? Her still not accepting him for husband?
19.The twelve years passing, life at the casinos at Baden Baden, Becky as a woman of the world? Her clients? Meeting Amelia’s son, Amelia and the interview, her telling her the truth, their clash, producing George’s letter? Her urging her to see Dobbins and telling her about the piano? The meeting with Jos?
20.Jos, a Sedley, his manner, pompous, his believing George and not proposing to Becky? His returns from India and their encounters? A new life, inviting Becky to India – her exhilaration in riding the elephant and seeing the beauty of India?
21.An overview of English society at the beginning of the 19th century, manners and morals?
