The Making of a Lady movie

Reviewed by Gerti

You surely know author Frances Hodgson Burnett from her book “The Secret Garden”, which is a beloved children’s story and has been adapted for the screen several times now. This is one of her lesser known works, originally called “The Making of a Marchioness” which the filmmakers changed to “The Making of a Lady” since no one here in the United States would know what a Marchioness was. This is the story of educated but penniless British orphan Emily, who is trying to make her way in a world which has only caused her misfortune so far. She is played brilliantly by unknown to me Lydia Wilson, and her first employer is Joanna Lumley of “Absolutely Fabulous” fame. While not playing a man-crazy drunk here, Lumley as Lady Maria is a terrible person who is withholding her wages until she can sack Emily after she switches place cards at a dinner party.

You might think Emily is finally getting a break when Lady Maria’s widowed nephew, devilishly handsome in his army uniform Lord James Walderhurst, falls for her and offers to marry her and take her away to his family estate. But Emily has more to endure, for when James patriotically decides to rejoin his regiment in India, her husband’s good-for-nothing nephew Alec Osborn and his Indian-born wife Hester come to stay at the manor house, with a letter they say James sent them, asking the couple to look after his friendless young wife.

Things go from bad to worse for Emily, who soon discovers she is pregnant (yes, she and James have fallen in love!), but Hester’s calls her old ayah from India to the house to doctor her. That is, she comes to poison her, as Alec and his wife will inherit the estate if James is killed without an heir, and that is exactly their plan! Thankfully, Emily had her friend Jane from the big city come to work as her lady’s maid, and while Alec tries to seduce the girl, she remains (mostly) true to Emily, and eventually has to shoot Alec to keep him from killing them both. Emily has not been getting James’ letters to her, thanks to the conspiring couple, nor has he been getting her letters (same cause), and so she doesn’t know he is on his way home to save her. When he arrives, the Indian servant says Emily is already dead and Hester confirms it until she breaks, telling James the truth in enough time for him to keep the nanny from smothering Emily with a pillow.

The “saved by the bell” storyline is old-fashioned, yes, but the drama is real. This is a beautifully shot story filled with all the tension of a gothic romance, and the gorgeous costuming of a BBC period piece. Made in 2012, it boasts breathtaking sets and first-rate acting from the entire cast, and the men aren’t bad to look at either! Hero-husband Linus Roach made my heart go pitty-pat and evil wastrel James D’Arcy is also a pleasant eyeful, even if I as a viewer was not fooled by his act of friendship as was the good-natured Emily.

Written with intensity by Kate Brooke and directed by Richard Curson Smith, this movie should not be missed by mystery lovers or those who love a gothic yarn. 

Review of DVD: Charles Dickens’ Bleak House

Reviewed by Gerti

The BBC is well known for its productions of the works of famous British authors like Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. This 1985 production of Dickens’ “Bleak House” fits into that category, and is at its heart a condemnation of the legal profession and the people who make their living in it.

The story is a simple one. Two young heirs to the case of Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce come to light, and while the case goes through Chancery (the court system in Britain) the pair go to live with a distant relation, John Jarndyce. Ada and Richard, although distant cousins, fall in love there, but are eventually torn apart by Richard’s obsession with the outcome of the case, as he is hoping when it is settled (in his favor) it will make him a wealthy man. The older Jarndyce warns him that obsessing about the case will only lead to madness and ruin, but young Richard can’t listen, and when the case is finally settled, it is discovered that all the money has been used up by the lawyers. Richard falls ill and dies, leaving his young widow, Ada, pregnant.

But the love birds are not the only one’s caught in the legal trappings of the case of Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce. Also interested in its outcome are Lord and Lady Dedlock, who are already fabulously wealthy. Their lawyer is the evil attorney Tulkinghorn, who when he’s not pursuing the case, is trying to find out why Lady Dedlock fainted when reading the handwriting on a particular legal document. He eventually is able to show that she had a child out of wedlock with the writer of the document, a former army officer who has since died because of his obsession with her (and illegal substances.) He was, however, a kind man, and gave his money away to a street urchin named Jo, who is hounded to death by lawyers and police trying to find out what he knows about the dead man.

The title is ironic, because although John Jarndyce’s house isn’t bleak, the story is incredibly so. The only shining light is Esther Summerson, who much as her name indicates, brings light into the lives of those around her. She is the natural daughter of Lady Dedlock and this army officer, but only finds out her heritage right before Lady Dedlock runs away to avoid bringing shame to her husband and his noble house. The only shades of comedy in this piece come from the ridiculous names, like the landlord Mr. Krook, the Neckett family, and of course Inspector Bucket. The BBC production is also bleak and lacks color in many scenes, but it is the picture of London at this time in history that is the bleakest of all.