Bright Star

Love. The four letter word has always been on the cusp of our emotional conscience, but what does it ultimately mean? Coming off of a bad relationship, I had a hard time identifying with most love stories. My emotions were drained from the idea of romanticism. Therefore, I initially wanted to stay away from them because it was too unbearable. And then I saw a review for the movie Bright Star. I have a kind heart for Victorian English love stories because they don’t have the same type of snideness that American romantic comedies bring these days.

Bright Star is based on the true story of the ill fated lover John Keats and his attempt to quell the system of the sanctity of marriage. Jane Campion, the director of the Piano (one hell of a movie!) creates the eclectic backdrop of the two very young lovers.  Keats is a very poor and starved poet, living with a tutor and friend in rural England. Keats lover Fanny, played by Abbie Cornish, is a woman whose undeniable passion for something different makes her more desirable.

After meeting the eccentric woman that lives next to him, Keats begins to fall in love because of her undying interest in the arts. In fact, it’s a treat because we see the world through her eyes and not Keats, which makes the story much more mysterious and engaging.

As the story progresses, we begin to see the predicament that the two lovers are in; John Keats is a poor poet, who is embarrassed and ashamed that he cannot support himself to be able to marry Fanny (Abby Cornish); His friend and confidant, Charles Dilke (played by Gerard Monaco) goes through his own self discovery which separates the lovers from each other.

The true testament to this story is Keats poetry. When Fanny reads his letters allowed, we begin to see the passion that Keats has for his lover and the passion and intrigue that Fanny exudes in Keats conscience. The poetry is glorious and renowned even to today, which I believe helped the director (Campion) basic storyline and because of this she was able to create an emotional feeling that identifies with the audience.

Now because this is a Victorian era love story, most people would compare this movie to Jane Austin’s books, but I believe it has more of a presence. Pride and prejudice, and Sense and sensibility are great stories nonetheless, but they don’t have the same emotional sensibility that this movie has. A must see for people who love serious romantic stories. If you are more into romantic comedies… Meh. This movie is about passion for the arts and passion for undying love. I totally recommend this movie, and I was happy to see it bring back my excitement for romanticism.