Bright Star. The Most Poetic Film of Its Decade?

I first saw Bright Star in cinemas when it came out in late-2009, it was when I came home from University for the first time, so I was probably unable to appreciate the deep undercurrents, and meditative, poetic tone. Furthermore, I hadn't then studied Keats! But this all changed by the time I rewatched it last night, and I must exclaim, that I feel it's one of the most romantic, passionate, lyrical films of our times.

Jane Campion's film (the lady behind The Piano) charts the relationship between fashion designer Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish) and the poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw), and their whirlwind romance which was slow to bloom and suddenly died, complete with full on attempted cockblocking from John Schneider's fine portrait of Keats's best friend Mr. Brown (John Schneider).

What Campion does so brilliantly is to marry the spirit of Keats's poetry to the aesthetic of the film. The obvious examples would be when the characters blend into nature itself, connecting the human and the natural in an obvious, simple, effective way. There's a scene in which Keats lies on the top of a tree, or when Fanny reads a letter in a field of violets. In each case, the scene marries the intimate, nature of their romance with nature itself, marrying the artist of Keats and the personal romance plot. Furthermore, the costumes are always luminous, informing us  of character's deeper concerns. It isn't just Keats's poetry which is a focus, but Brawne's distinctive fashion designs. People who feel that period costume designs are all ostentatious, and a little pretentious, they should take note of how effective they are used throughout this film.

It is also a really sensual film, it begins with a close-up of Fanny stitching, and we somehow intuitively feel before we know the fact that it is a pair of hands stitching, just as Campion did at the beginning of The Piano. This sets the intimate tone which is sustained throughout the film, and the intimate moments between Fanny and Keats thus become a bit more personal, something understandable. Keats and Fanny share rooms nextdoor occasionally in the film, and there's one sequence in which they both place their hands on the wall, as we feel how anxious they are for each other's touch. It's truly heartbreaking, and we feel as anxious as they do for each other's touch.

I could talk about Campion's sublime filmmaking all day (which I've never been a fan of, I will try and revisit some after this), but the performances are particularly astonishing. On first viewing, I wasn't a fan of Schneider, but here I found him fully believable, a man we detest, but in the end I somehow felt for him.Whishaw gives a dedicated performance as Keats, but it is Cornish who steals the show. She captures the longing, the heartbreak, and the passion of Fanny so convincingly. And at the end when she finally breaks down, you cannot help but cry with her.

Finally, it is the way all this combines to create a magical whole, as Bright Star is more the sum of its tremendous parts. The poetic filmmaking style perfectly suits the subject and nature of the story. The rapturous, passionate romance may be hard for some to believe, but it just rings so true. A scene such as when Fanny believes she could die when she does not receive a letter after Keats has left to travel for work may seem hyperbolic to some, or utterly passionate to others. In the end, it's possibly the most romatic, poetic film of the 2000's next to Brokeback Mountain and In the Mood For Love.