{"id":17358,"date":"2022-10-25T18:09:51","date_gmt":"2022-10-25T16:09:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/?p=17358"},"modified":"2022-11-09T15:33:47","modified_gmt":"2022-11-09T13:33:47","slug":"new-film-offers-a-glimpse-into-the-imagined-life-of-emily-bronte","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/blog\/2022\/10\/25\/new-film-offers-a-glimpse-into-the-imagined-life-of-emily-bronte\/","title":{"rendered":"New Film Offers A Glimpse Into The Imagined Life Of Emily Bront\u00eb"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Although Wuthering Heights<\/em> is widely considered to be one of the greatest novels ever written, not much is known about the book\u2019s author, whose life is largely a mystery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In EMILY<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, actor-turned-writer\/ director Frances O\u2019Connor attempts to offer a glimpse into the Bront\u00eb family\u2019s lives. Loosely biographical, it focuses specifically on the imagined life of one of the world\u2019s most famous but mysterious authors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The film stars Emma Mackey as Emily, who is portrayed as a rebel and misfit. The young actress relished the chance to tackle such a beloved character: \u201cThe Bront\u00eb family is shrouded in mystery. They\u2019re sort of untouchable, especially Emily. She\u2019s this mysterious figure, and I like that we\u2019re fleshing her out and giving her a character, a personality and a voice and making her a living, breathing woman, as opposed to this figure from history.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

EMILY<\/strong><\/em> begins with a newcomer, clergyman William Weightman (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), coming to the remote village of Haworth. His arrival not only disrupts proceedings but causes emotional ripples that gather momentum as the story unfolds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bront\u00eb girls are initially quite curious about William, but soon become dismissive. However, things start to shift when William is tasked with giving Emily \u2013 who has grown up wild, free and fiercely independent \u2013 French lessons, resulting in an intense and all-consuming affair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to this forbidden and ultimately doomed love, which inspired the writing of Wuthering Heights<\/em>, the film explores the various relationships that shaped Emily\u2019s life, especially her raw, passionate sisterhood with Charlotte (Alexandra Dowling) and Anne (Amelia Gething), and her care for her maverick brother Branwell (Fionn Whitehead), whom she idolises. The film also stars Adrian Dunbar and .Gemma Jones<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More broadly, EMILY<\/strong><\/em> is a coming-of-age story \u2013 it\u2019s about a woman finding herself and her authentic voice and power in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEmily has a lot going on,\u201d<\/em> explains Mackey. \u201cWe see her start off as this timid, shy, and very observant girl. She\u2019s seeking her father\u2019s approval and doesn\u2019t really know what her place in the family and in the world is yet, but she\u2019s imaginative and curious and wants to tell all these stories. Over the course of the film, we see her evolve and develop relationships with her brother and William. Her relationships with her sisters evolve and change too, as well as her relationship with herself, her imagination, and her confidence. We see this evolution.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The film is O\u2019Connor\u2019s directorial debut, from her own original screenplay. \u201cThere were certain things in Emily\u2019s life that I identified with,\u201d<\/em> she says. \u201cCertain things that I think thematically are part of \u2018Wuthering Heights\u2019 and her life that I also relate to, and I think a lot of women would relate to, so the idea came from that.\u201d<\/em> In writing the script for EMILY<\/strong><\/em>, O\u2019Connor blended historical accuracy about the Bront\u00eb\u2019s lives with Emily\u2019s imagined world. \u201cI could\u2019ve told a story that was a straight biography, but I felt like that\u2019s been done. I was more interested in finding a way to celebrate who Emily is, that\u2019s connected to \u2018Wuthering Heights\u2019 and is more strongly narrative in a way that is a little like a fairy-tale.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

EMILY<\/strong><\/em> is beautifully acted, lovingly shot, and intensely imagined. It takes audiences on a journey that initially might feel familiar to fans of the Bront\u00ebs, but which also offers up a fresh new take on the life of one of literature\u2019s most mysterious authors, delving deep into the psyche of Emily and those closest to her as she navigates who she really is and what she is to become.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The film is a must-see for Bront\u00eb fans, Wuthering Heights<\/em> aficionados, literature students, and book lovers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

EMILY<\/strong><\/em> is locally distributed by Filmfinity Pty (Ltd.) and will be released in South African cinemas on 11 November 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n