Bright Star (2009)

Written and directed by Jane Campion (In the Cut), Bright Star tells the story of Fanny Brawne (played by Abbie Cornish), the muse for the poet John Keats before his death. The film follows their love affair from when they first meet to Keats’ inevitable demise. Fanny is an independent young woman who designs all of her own clothes, attends parties and does other things that woman in the 1800s typically tend to do: stitching, frolicking in fields, chatting with other women, etc. She becomes fascinated with a young John Keats (Ben Whishaw), a penniless poet (of a rapidly dying brother) who had recently published a book of poems subjected to generally hostile reviews. They begin a sort of awkward friendship that develops into a heavy romance (and this is a romance of two minds and souls, as Keats and Fanny never consummate their relationship) complete with various complications. For one, Keats is broke and completely incapable of providing Fanny a life of even mild luxury. The other complication comes when he gets sick which, in the 1800s, pretty much means that he’s done for. Despite the tone of this summary, the story is actually very tragic and moving. Abbie Cornish gives a very memorable performance as Fanny, which I would argue is the main reason that this film is worth seeing. It is mainly because of Abbie Cornish that it’s easy to buy the feelings that Fanny has for Keats. Though the dialogue is well written, she adds something extra that makes the story that much more engaging. There are several scenes with little dialogue, but the emotions are clearly visible in her face or mannerisms. It’s no coincidence that she dominates nearly 90% of the total screen time and this works in the films’ favor. There are many other good performances as well: Ben Whishaw as the depressed Keats does a great job of playing the poet as reserved, conflicted, and yet easy to sympathize with while Paul Schneider as Charles Brown, a friend to Keats and fellow poet provides one of the most interesting characters of the film. He’s often a bit of a bastard, but at the same time displays some vulnerable moments such as when he is alone with Keats and you can see how much he truly admires his friend.

The film can feel a bit slow in terms of pacing, but thinking back on the story overall, nearly every scene seems valuable in establishing and maintaining the heavy and somber tone of the film. There are several beautiful sequences showing off the landscapes and these are most often during the period of the story where Fanny and Keats are at their happiest. There is a great scene after their first kiss where the music swells and Keats ends up climbing into a tree recreating a dream that he had previously described to Fanny. The entire sequence comes off very whimsical and light, serving as the highest point in the happiness of the two characters. A thoughtful and tragic love story, Bright Star is definitely a film to see.