DAPHNE
UK, 2007, 90 minutes, Colour.
Geraldine Somerville, Elizabeth Mc Govern, Janet Mc Teer.
Directed by Clare Beavan.
Daphne is a portrait of novelist Daphne du Maurier, a film produced to celebrate the centenary of her birth. It is based on a biography by Margaret Forster as well as letters of Daphne du Maurier herself. It was made for BBC Television.
The film may reveal more about the private life of Daphne du Maurier than many audiences would want to know. The film is set between the end of World War Two and the death of Gertrude Lawrence in 1952. By this stage, Daphne du Maurier had achieved a considerable reputation, especially writing in her twenties the novels Frenchman’s Creek, Jamaica Inn and Rebecca. Alfred Hitchcock made film versions of both Jamaica Inn and Rebecca. Frenchman’s Creek was made in the 1940s. Everybody wanted to talk about Rebecca – and there was a plagiarism case in New York in the late 40s which was won by du Maurier.
The war ends and du Maurier’s husband returns, somewhat shell-shocked, finding it difficult to settle in, erupting at his children. In the meantime, Daphne, who had always been self-conscious about her sexuality, wanting to be a boy and knowing that her father, the celebrated stage manager George du Maurier, wanted a boy becomes more aware of her drives. She had infatuations when she was young. This all came to a head with the tension in her marriage and her encountering Ellen Doubleday, the wife of her publisher, in the United States. She was very attached to Ellen who reciprocated the friendship but could not reciprocate the sexual attraction. On her return to England, Daphne du Maurier wrote a play disguising her affection for Ellen Doubleday by making a young man be infatuated with his mother-in-law. The star of the play was Gertrude Lawrence who had been introduced to Daphne du Maurier by Noel Coward (played unexpectedly by Malcolm Sinclair). Gertrude Lawrence is portrayed as a very extroverted woman (who had only a few years to live because of cancer). She engages in an affair with du Maurier who is transformed by it. The film ends with news of Gertrude Lawrence’s death.
Daphne du Maurier did not die until 1989 and wrote a number of other books and short stories. The film ends with her sublimating her experiences in writing My Cousin Rachel. She then went on to write The Birds and Don’t Look Now.
1.A portrait of Daphne du Maurier? An interesting portrait, her public life, her private life? Audiences invading privacy?
2.The setting from 1946 to 1952? A key period in her life? The flashbacks?
3.The south-west England settings, her home, the sea and its recurring waves, the cliffs and the countryside? The contrast with New York and Long Island? The mansions, the courts, the socials and parties? The musical score?
4.Daphne du Maurier’s reputation, her early novels, everybody referring to Rebecca, asking her questions about Rebecca and Mrs de Winter? About Maxim de Winter? Her replies? The plagiarism case, the attacks on her, her answers in the court, saying what Rebecca was about, the victory?
5.Daphne’s marriage, her husband, the children? The use of the newsreel technique to introduce information about her, her achievement, her family? The British newsreel style of the times? – and the use of this newsreel style at the end of the film?
6.Daphne’s husband, his achievement in the war, reputation? Her inability to relate well to him, his not being able to settle back? His love for the children, his outburst against his son? The boy going to his mother? His gradually settling down – and the later scenes of him playing with his children? His not dying till the mid-1960s?
7.America, Ellen Doubleday, her alcoholic husband? Society life, her personality, charm? Everybody flocking around her? The friendship with Daphne, her perceptions of Daphne, friendship, support, especially with her husband’s illness, his death? Going on holidays with Daphne – but finding it too pressurised, her return to the United States? The later visit, her understanding about Gertrude Lawrence?
8.Noel Coward, his friendship with Daphne, social life, England and New York? Introducing Gertrude Lawrence and Daphne’s being repelled by her outgoing style?
9.The return, the writing of the play, the rehearsals, her anger at Gertrude Lawrence, Gertrude Lawrence understanding her well? Saying she needed a good time? Taking her out, the social whirl, the change with Daphne? Going to the United States, the impact of the affair? Gertrude and her marriage, the reason for allowing herself to have the affair with Daphne? The effect on Daphne, the transformation?
10.Daphne’s return to England, with her husband, her children? Her grief at Gertrude Lawrence’s death, her husband looking at the pictures?
11.The aftermath of this episode in her life, her going back to writing, My Cousin Rachel and its success, the newsreel information? How interesting and valuable this kind of portrait of a celebrated author?
