Review

Georgiana Spencer (Keira Knightley) is a young girl married to a much older duke (Ralph Fiennes) for the sole purpose of producing an heir. Her passion and life causes her to be loved by the people of Briton, becoming a fashion icon and having a growing influence in the political arena. But at home things aren’t well. Her husband has continuous affairs and she is unable to give him a son.

The Duchess is set at the end of the eighteenth century, a time when woman had little power while men ruled uncontested. With beautiful locations, detailed costumes and forbidden love this movie will delight history-drama fans.

Keira Knightley shines in this picture as she goes through the emotional struggles of a free spirited woman imprisoned by her husband. She has grown tremendously as an actress but she is consistently playing period characters, from Pirates of the Caribbean to Pride and Prejudice. For her to grow as an actress she needs to take the risk and branch out into roles we have never seen her in.

We’ve seen so many period films that the interesting storyline and good acting seems wasted. It feels like we’ve seen it all done before. Although it may provide for an entertaining drama it is in no way a groundbreaking film which could hurt it at the box office.

Sensitive Viewer’s Points

The movie contains nudity and sex which is in the context of the film. It contains scenes of rape and unfaithfulness, again within the context of the film. It also seems to promote the idea that if one’s marital partner is having an affair it is fine for you to do the same. The rating is rightly set at sixteen.

Synopsis

Set at the end of the eighteenth century, The Duchess is the story of the beautiful and glamorous Georgiana Spencer, the most fascinating woman of the age. While her beauty and charisma made her name, her extravagant tastes and appetite for gambling and love made her infamous. Married young to the older, distant Duke of Devonshire, intimate of ministers and princes, Georgiana became a fashion icon, a doting mother, a shrewd political operator and darling of the common people. But at the core of her story is a desperate search for love. The Duchess is a very contemporary tale of fame, notoriety and the search for love.

Release Date

Fri 30 Jan 2009 (SA); September 12, 2008 (USA)

Cast

Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Charlotte Rampling, Dominic Cooper, Hayley Atwell

Age Restriction

16S

Director

Saul Dibb

Trailer

Tags: actress, age restriction, costumes, Drama, duke, feminist, genre, Georgiana Spencer, history, images, Keira Knightley, locations, men, movie, Pirates of the Caribbean, Pride and Prejudice, Ralph Fiennes, release date, review, sensitive viewers, South Africa, synopsis, The Duchess