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A Quiet Passion
A Quiet Passion is a 2016 British biographical film written and directed by Terence Davies about the life of American poet Emily Dickinson. The film stars Cynthia Nixon as the reclusive poet. It co-stars Emma Bell as young Dickinson, Jennifer Ehle, Duncan Duff, and Keith Carradine. The film premiered at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2016 and was released in the United Kingdom on 7 April 2017. It won the Grand Prix at Film Fest Gent in 2016, and was voted the best film of 2017 by the Museum of the Moving Image publication Reverse Shot.
The film follows American poet Emily Dickinson from her early years as a student to her later years. Emily's upbringing in Massachusetts' Puritan/Congregational world is evident from the start, when she stands up to a Mount Holyoke Female Seminary school mistress (Miss Mary Lyon). Her family (Father, brother Austin, sister Vinnie) take her home to Amherst. Subsequently, while she is enraptured at the opera, her father and aunt express displeasure at a woman singing anything other than hymns – a pious Aunt Elizabeth comes to regard Emily as insolent.
Emily convinces her father to ask his friend Dr Holland, editor of the Springfield Republican, to publish her poems. The editor deigns to publish one, noting that the rest are childish and that women cannot add much to literature.
Many years pass and we see the Dickinson family as older adults. Family friend Vryling Buffam strikes up a friendship with a retiring Emily, who admires Vryling's acerbic commentary. Emily begins to assert her independence by not attending church, angering Father. Austin brings home his new bride, Susan, and the Dickinson sisters welcome her warmly, as does an evidently unwell Mrs Dickinson who makes a rare appearance downstairs. (Susan will later confide in Emily that she had strong reservations about marriage, not feeling the usual attraction.)
When the Civil War starts, Father decides that he will pay for Austin to avoid the draft, Austin's heartfelt views on honor and conscience notwithstanding. There is a montage of civil war battles. Austin is offended by Emily's observation that gender issues ought to be considered in a similar light to slavery.
Emily experiences a series of losses, which drive her reclusive nature. She develops an attachment to a married pastor, and is visibly angry on hearing he is moving away. Vryling is to marry; Emily refuses to attend and bids her "goodbye". Emily views marriage as cutting ties with family to live with strangers. Father dies – we see Emily grieving her father from an upstairs window refusing to join the funeral procession.
Emily, now confined to her room, will not come downstairs. She upbraids the visiting newspaper editor for altering the punctuation of her poems, objecting to Dr Holland's changes as "obviousness". She refuses to come down meet a potential suitor who admires her poetry – fearing he is too beautiful. Later she prays for a suitor and has a mystical vision. Emily explains to Vinnie that for her love is permanent, unlike a man who loves and then cools.
Diagnosed with Bright's disease, a kidney ailment, her health deteriorates with back pain and grand mal seizures. Mother, long suffering from melancholy, has a stroke and passes. Subsequently, Emily discovers that Austin is having an affair with a singer (Mrs Todd). Emily, with sympathy for Susan, confronts her brother's hypocrisy. With the strains growing, Vinnie points out to Emily her own intolerance of the failings of others.
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A Quiet Passion
A Quiet Passion is a 2016 British biographical film written and directed by Terence Davies about the life of American poet Emily Dickinson. The film stars Cynthia Nixon as the reclusive poet. It co-stars Emma Bell as young Dickinson, Jennifer Ehle, Duncan Duff, and Keith Carradine. The film premiered at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2016 and was released in the United Kingdom on 7 April 2017. It won the Grand Prix at Film Fest Gent in 2016, and was voted the best film of 2017 by the Museum of the Moving Image publication Reverse Shot.
The film follows American poet Emily Dickinson from her early years as a student to her later years. Emily's upbringing in Massachusetts' Puritan/Congregational world is evident from the start, when she stands up to a Mount Holyoke Female Seminary school mistress (Miss Mary Lyon). Her family (Father, brother Austin, sister Vinnie) take her home to Amherst. Subsequently, while she is enraptured at the opera, her father and aunt express displeasure at a woman singing anything other than hymns – a pious Aunt Elizabeth comes to regard Emily as insolent.
Emily convinces her father to ask his friend Dr Holland, editor of the Springfield Republican, to publish her poems. The editor deigns to publish one, noting that the rest are childish and that women cannot add much to literature.
Many years pass and we see the Dickinson family as older adults. Family friend Vryling Buffam strikes up a friendship with a retiring Emily, who admires Vryling's acerbic commentary. Emily begins to assert her independence by not attending church, angering Father. Austin brings home his new bride, Susan, and the Dickinson sisters welcome her warmly, as does an evidently unwell Mrs Dickinson who makes a rare appearance downstairs. (Susan will later confide in Emily that she had strong reservations about marriage, not feeling the usual attraction.)
When the Civil War starts, Father decides that he will pay for Austin to avoid the draft, Austin's heartfelt views on honor and conscience notwithstanding. There is a montage of civil war battles. Austin is offended by Emily's observation that gender issues ought to be considered in a similar light to slavery.
Emily experiences a series of losses, which drive her reclusive nature. She develops an attachment to a married pastor, and is visibly angry on hearing he is moving away. Vryling is to marry; Emily refuses to attend and bids her "goodbye". Emily views marriage as cutting ties with family to live with strangers. Father dies – we see Emily grieving her father from an upstairs window refusing to join the funeral procession.
Emily, now confined to her room, will not come downstairs. She upbraids the visiting newspaper editor for altering the punctuation of her poems, objecting to Dr Holland's changes as "obviousness". She refuses to come down meet a potential suitor who admires her poetry – fearing he is too beautiful. Later she prays for a suitor and has a mystical vision. Emily explains to Vinnie that for her love is permanent, unlike a man who loves and then cools.
Diagnosed with Bright's disease, a kidney ailment, her health deteriorates with back pain and grand mal seizures. Mother, long suffering from melancholy, has a stroke and passes. Subsequently, Emily discovers that Austin is having an affair with a singer (Mrs Todd). Emily, with sympathy for Susan, confronts her brother's hypocrisy. With the strains growing, Vinnie points out to Emily her own intolerance of the failings of others.