Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Bright Star

On Monday evening I dragged Ariel and Calvin to the movies (courtesy of free tickets). Normally, dragged and movies aren’t used in the same sentence. However, this was a period literary movie called Bright Star.

Bright Star is about John Keats. (If the name Keats isn’t familiar, how about the quote “A thing of beauty is a joy forever.” That’s the first line from Keats’s epic poem Endymion.) The movie chronicles the last few years of Keats’s life when he falls in love with Fanny Brawne, who becomes a kind of muse to Keats. Anyway, aside from the fact the movie was about mood more than plot—a type of cinematic embodiment of a Romantic poem, I loved the tragic relationship and enjoyed the movie. However, there was a character named Mr. Brown, who was the most amazing Scottish oaf. If he hadn’t been supporting Keats, I’m sure Fanny would have shot, impaled or poisoned him. I know I would have. Okay, I wouldn’t have really done it, just dreamed about it, or written a poem about it. I’d have entitled my poem “The Late Mr. Brown” a la Robert Browning, who is the most wonderful/hilarious poet I’ve ever read. To those of you who liken reading poetry to dental work without anesthesia, check out “Porphyria’s Lover” or “My Last Duchess.” I guarantee you’ll never look at poetry the same way again.

12 comments:

  1. Yeah... I do recall hearing about that happening... Speaking of which, how did you manage to get those free tickets...?

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  2. I remember that coming out. Alexie nearly had a seizure out of disgust/loathing when she heard a romantic film about Keats had been released.

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  3. The movie was alright. I didn't know anything about Keats, however, so I had no idea he was going to die in the end :( Actually, at first I didn't even realize the movie "was based on a true story."

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  4. I wish they would make a movie about Tolkien instead of some weird poet.

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  5. Tolkien had a really exciting life... I wonder if a film about him would be interesting...

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  6. Keats is my favorite Romantic poet. Which is good, because he seems to be popping up in every vaguely Humanities-related course I take. Even the ones about eras over 1000 years before he was born.

    That said, I find sentimental movies about real people kind of creepy. (I never liked reading biographies, either.) I've heard this one is pretty nice visually, though.

    Spoilers: Keats dies cold and alone in Rome.

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  7. Cmon people! You should be happy, rejoicing even. I am sure there is a Michael Jackson movie in the works....

    I would like to see a Tolkein movie too. That would be interesting.
    Or a Shelley movie..hmmm

    Grace Duke

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  8. Oooh! Ooh! I forgot.

    A *really* interesting movie would be the Connie movie. Imagine, cockroaches, exploding beer, tattoos, radio waves...I am seeing some definite possibilities here...

    Grace Duke

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  9. A Michael Jackson movie? Very creepy suggestion.

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  10. Yeah, before Bright Star, there was a trailer for the Michael Jackson movie. Needless to say, it looked uber-lame.

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  11. Michael Jackson was uber-lame.

    grace duke

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  12. Thanks for saying that you enjoy Browning! "My Last Duchess" is one of my all-time favorite poems. "Porphyria's Lover" is also good, but worrying for those of us with flowing tresses.-L

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