Bright Star
When I watched “Bright Star” in 2009, it didn’t really stand out among the other period dramas I had seen over the years. That, in and of itself, makes it stand out in Jane Campion’s filmmography. Regardless of how I feel about her work, it always feels distinctive, something was that especially true with my last two first-time watches of hers, “In the Cut” and “The Power of the Dog.” Seeing it on the other side of those two films, “Bright Star” remains a fairly standard period film for me, though I sense a bit more of Campion’s compassion for her characters in it.
Ben Whishaw is a very different presence to me now as an actor than he was when he played poet John Keats for Campion in this film. Prior to “Bright Star,” he had been in “Perfume” as a largely silent monster; since then, he’s showed many shades as a variety of characters in “Cloud Atlas,” been a youthful, exasperated Q for James Bond, and as a young man pushed to the edge in the recent “Surge.” As Keats, he is introspective as an artist who is unsure if his work will ever really be appreciated. He often spends his days with Mr. Brown (Paul Schneider), another poet very protective of Keats’s time, especially when Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish) starts to show interest in him and his work. Keats’s life is his poetry- which often involves sitting in rooms, waiting for inspiration to strike- and his ill brother. Fanny is an interesting kink thrown into his life, especially as it is she who is the pursuer. Thinking about the film, I’m reminded of one of my very favorite films, “The Whole Wide World,” about a school teacher who becomes friends, and potential lovers, with pulp author Robert E. Howard. What held back Howard is not the same as what hold Keats back from fully reciprocating Fanny’s interest, however; at the time, Howard is successful as a writer, whereas Keats is not. Is it only practical concerns that keep Keats at a distance, though?
It’s interesting to rewatch “Bright Star” through the lens of Campion’s work in “The Power of the Dog.” In a way, both films look at male relationships where the bond at the center can be ruinous to independent women. While Benedict Cumberbatch’s Phil is certainly more toxic than any of the characters in “Bright Star,” he and Mr. Brown are cut from the same cloth; they don’t view women from a position of respect, and are more concerned with displaying machismo and being proven right over respecting women. Whereas Kirsten Dunst’s Rose withers under it, partially because Phil’s brother- her husband, George- is almost equally condescending, even when he tries to be loving, Fanny doesn’t buckle. She’s certainly more open about her feelings than Keats, and she doesn’t have the pressure of running a business or raising a son, but she’s not above being hurt when Mr. Brown pulls a prank on her. That it backfires is a credit to Keats’s understanding of human frailty, and not wanting to see Fanny hurt.
Even though, in writing this review of “Bright Star,” I’ve certainly seen more of a connective tissue in its place among Campion’s other work, the film ultimately feels like a disappointing effort from the director. Disappointing not in its craft, which is wonderful, but in how generic it feels. Part of that is because, despite really liking Fanny as a character, Cornish’s work is not quite on the same level as Whishaw in this couple. Part of it is because, from a storytelling standpoint, it does feel very familiar with other period costume dramas of its kind. That being said, “Bright Star” is an interesting effort from one of the great modern directors.
