The Duchess: Review By Rama's SCREEN

Keira Knightly does period piece films like a master of her own domain, she does this genre with the utmost respect for accuracy, and with grace and strength that other actresses may never be able to pull. THE DUCHESS has… a heavy tone that if you’re not ready for what’s coming, you will experience emotional roller coaster ride as you try to bear every single minute, but you’d realize at the end that you’ve just watched some of the best acting cinema has to offer. At times, the movie feels like a bully testing your patience, pushing every button to see which one that would make you explode in anger.

THE DUCHESS will easily fall as one of those movies recognized for its great costume design, and convincing art decoration, you can tell that every detail is put into place to take us back into time and make us understand why the culture is so different back then and how the environment plays a big role that motivates the story. It’s about the old mindset vs. the new change. Even if they come across as looking somewhat alike, you can see the contrast (by the dress, by the manners) between the people with the thinking and attitude of having a son is the only good choice for an heir and that freedom comes in moderation against the thinking and attitude that either gender can still be influential and that the concept of freedom is absolute.

A big part of this movie’s marketing is comparing Keira Knightley’s character, Georgiana to the late great Princess Diana. How monarchy can often suppress a female’s desire to be more than just an obedient housewife. And how she’s into fashion statement and politics. Those two women seem to have a lot in common. Georgiana doesn’t end up having the same sense of freedom as Princess Diana, since the Duke has his strong hands around everything and everyone who comes in contact with him, but in a way, not being able to see her children, to her, is the biggest feel of imprisonment anybody could put on her.. her children becomes her freedom.

Once again, this movie will make some audiences mad and upset, they would come out saying it’s a great movie but they just wanna punch some of the characters they dislike in the face and it will make you wanna scream in disbelief of how stupid the mentality was at the time,…and that goes to show how talented these actors are.

I would’ve never thought when I saw Bend it like Beckham years ago that Keira Knightley could become such a well respected, young powerful force to be reckon with. Nobody ever doubted the cunning skills of Ralph Fiennes (Schindler’s List), he plays a bad guy like it’s nobody’s business, he’s got this cold, heartless look about him that his presence will suck the life out of you. THE DUCHESS is not Pride and Prejudice, it’s not necessarily going to give you the happy ending you’re looking for, but it will captivate every attention, “all eyes will turn toward her, she is the subject of universal conversation”