The Duchess (2008) is a biopic directed by Saul Dibb. The movie, starring Keira Knightly, Ralph Fiennes, and Dominic Cooper, concerns the life and happenings of Georgiana Spencer who became the Duchess of Devonshire at sixteen with her marriage to William Cavendish, the Duke. Unfortunately, as the movie shows, their marriage was not one made out of any affection; ultimately, both partners take other lovers, a slew of them in the Duke’s case, and attempt to raise a gaggle of legitimate and illegitimate children. While the young Georgiana attempts to come to grips with her expected role of heir-factory, she blooms in the worlds of fashion and politics.
Before Georgiana gets down to the
business of becoming a proper feminist, the movie does a bit to confirm the
changes occurring throughout the nobility and common classes. Initially, this
is made apparent when she is whisked off to Bath after failing to conceive a
son. By the second half of the
eighteenth century, health-retreats to Bath were becoming a more common occurrence
(McKay 596). Prior to this, water was considered very suspicious and dirty, and
bathhouses were just dens for sexual impurity and disease (McKay 596). As
evidenced in The Duchess, these ideas
eventually went into vogue, and Europe embraced a more healthful, cleanly
approach to hygiene. This came to mean that places like Bath, areas of wealth
and leisure, became popular destination spots across Europe (McKay 596).
This trend towards comfort and
opulent destinations was echoed by the fashion consumerism of the time. The
film portrays the fashion-forwardness of the Duchess Georgiana boldly. During
her introduction in Bath when she meets Lady Bess, Georgiana is heralded “the
empress of fashion”, and she protects the title throughout the remainder of the
film. As we know, the fashion industry of the time was becoming dictated more
by the designer than the consumer; however, shops would still frequently choose
wealthy nobles to patronize their goods (McKay 594). While this sort of arrangement
is nowhere made clear within the biopic, it would not have been unusual for
exclusive boutiques to compete for the distinction of dressing the Duchess of
Devonshire. The emphasis on fashion and the trappings of nobility fits well
with the emerging consumer society and division of classes in eighteenth
century England.
This isn’t to say that the classes
were entirely distinct. The gambling, partying, and politicking that
characterize Georgiana’s early appearance were popular in all classes in 1700s
Europe (McKay 590). Though the behaviors may have been irregular coming from a
woman, these were still popular pastimes, however uncouth. Georgiana’s wealth
and position would’ve allowed her a unique ability to enter into these more
masculine arenas with some confidence. Though she led a frustrated life,
Georgiana’s comportment speaks to the emergence of genuine feminism.
McKay, John P.,
et al. A History of Western Societies.
12th ed., Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2017, pp. 590-596.
The Duchess. Directed by Saul Dibb,
performances by Keira Knightly, Ralph Fiennes, and Dominic Cooper, Paramount
Vantages, 2008.
This is, I believe, the same individuals as the movie The Favorite that has so much Academy buzz. I'm wondering if you could comment on the actual history of the individuals (Reel vs Real), and in particular, why you call her a feminist? Were you able to find any outside sources that let you into the real story or the historical controversy on how we can interpret her?
ReplyDeleteI found the mentions of the Bath super intriguing. We all know the Black Plague was a mixture of bad hygiene and horrible sewage, which allowed rodents to carry it and begin the start of the disease. Although, Europe changed a lot of their ways after that, it wasn't considered the cleanest place. Which must be why they saw the Bath and water as a place of filth, due to all the bodies that came and went. I wonder what changed their perspective on that? Also, what other changes came when they changed their perspective on the Bath?
ReplyDeleteLove the discussion! One thing to consider (and this comes from my Medieval Europe class) is that they actually bathed in the Middle Ages. There was far more bathing going on than in that period! We actually spend a day just on cleanliness standards in the Middle Ages. I also teach a class on the Black Death--and the thing to consider is if that were the one cause of Black Death there would be a lot more of it! The Middle Ages was relatively disease-free except for leprosy and the plague, which was a world phenomenon rather than a European, sweeping from China through Egypt and then Italy. The key take away for this class is that this changes, which Megan points out!
ReplyDeleteI find myself wondering the same thing about what changed their mindset about bathing. Was it the developments of a sewage system, a newfound way to access cleaner water, was it just a trend that stuck around? There was so much societal growth during this era and such a simple task today such as taking a bath was such a big deal back then.
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