Once upon a time, I didn’t really “get” the women’s suffrage movement until my history professor from years ago shared a quote by a militant Suffragette:
“Our hearts burn within us when we read the great mottoes which celebrate the liberty of your country; when we go to France and we read the words, liberty, fraternity, and equality, don’t you think that we appreciate the meaning of those words? And when we wake to the knowledge that these things are not for us, they are only for our brothers, then there comes a sense of bitterness into the hearts of some women, and they say to themselves, “Will men never understand?” – Emmeline Pankhurst (1858-1928)
I love it when the things I studied at university come to life on screen.
The foot soldiers of the early feminist movement, women who were forced underground to pursue a dangerous game of cat and mouse with an increasingly brutal State..
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TESTAMENT OF YOUTH (2015)
During World War I, a young English woman named Vera Brittain, postpones her studies at Oxford University to serve as a Voluntary Aid Detachment nurse in London and abroad. After the war she returns to Oxford to read history and later becomes a writer, feminist and pacifist.
Summary: In late 18th-century, Ross Poldark returns to his Cornish tin mines after spending three years in the army to avoid charges of smuggling, leaving behind his sweetheart Elizabeth. On his return, having fought in the American War of Independence, he finds his father dead, his estate in ruins and Elizabeth engaged to his cousin Francis. In need of help he takes on a new kitchen maid, Demelza, after rescuing her from a beating bringing him into conflict with hostile locals.
Episode 1 Recap:
The episode opens with Ross Poldark fighting a losing battle in the American Revolution. When the war ends, he returns to Cornwall, England, with a scar on his face and a wounded leg.
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During the journey home, he pretends to be asleep while he listens to the whispers among people who have recognized him. Ross learns that his father–the libertine–is dead, and that he has inherited the ancient Poldark land. Continue reading →
Based on the literary classic by Thomas Hardy, FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD is the story of independent, beautiful and headstrong Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan), who attracts three very different suitors: Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenaerts), a sheep farmer, captivated by her fetching willfulness; Frank Troy (Tom Sturridge), a handsome and reckless Sergeant; and William Boldwood (Michael Sheen), a prosperous and mature bachelor. This timeless story of Bathsheba’s choices and passions explores the nature of relationships and love – as well as the human ability to overcome hardships through resilience and perseverance.
PAN (2015)
Offering a new take on the origin of the classic characters created by J.M. Barrie, the action adventure follows the story of an orphan who is spirited away to the magical Neverland. There, he finds both fun and dangers, and ultimately discovers his destiny—to become the hero who will be forever known as Peter Pan.
IN THE HEART OF THE SEA (2015)
In the winter of 1820, the New England whaling ship Essex was assaulted by something no one could believe: a whale of mammoth size and will, and an almost human sense of vengeance. The real-life maritime disaster would inspire Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick. But that told only half the story. “In the Heart of the Sea” reveals the encounter’s harrowing aftermath, as the ship’s surviving crew is pushed to their limits and forced to do the unthinkable to stay alive. Braving storms, starvation, panic and despair, the men will call into question their deepest beliefs, from the value of their lives to the morality of their trade, as their captain searches for direction on the open sea and his first mate still seeks to bring the great whale down. Based on the book In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick.
BELOVED SISTERS (2014)
n 18th century Weimar, devoted aristocratic sisters Caroline and Charlotte fall in love with Friedrich Schiller, a rebellious poet taking the literary world by storm. Soon their journey of shared passion and creativity inspires a ménage-a-trois that invigorates and complicates their entire world. Germany’s official Oscar submission, this sweeping yet intimate romantic drama illuminates two bold women and one of classical literature’s most celebrated figures with charm and contemporary energy.
Here are two completed period dramas that I’ll be watching after I finish BBC’sBleak House (2005), whichI’m really enjoying!
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THE CRIMSON FIELD (TV 2014)
In an army hospital the staff heal the bodies and souls of men wounded in the trenches. (BBC)
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JAMAICA INN (TV 2014)
Jamaica Inn is set in 1821. It tells the story of Mary Yellan who lives with Aunt Patience after her mother dies. Mary finds Aunt Patience under the spell of her husband, Joss Merlyn after she arrives at Jamaica Inn. She soon realises that the inn has no guests and it is being used as the hub of Joss’ ‘free’ trade. Mary becomes attracted to Jem Merlyn, Joss’ younger brother who is a petty thief. Mary meets Francis Davey, the parish vicar, and his sister Hannah. (BBC)
As a writer, a guilty pleasure of mine is imagining which actor/actress should play the characters in my book. So I had great fun making this chart for the story I’m hoping to publish one day. The chart looks a little messy, but whateverrr.
England 1866: A love story about a prostitute and a gentleman in a time of social turmoil.
Léa Seydoux as Amanda Hollingworth
James Purefoy as Lucas Creswell
Gillian Anderson as Mrs. Creswell
Sally Hawkins as Madame Bedwyn
Amanda Hale as Jane Roderick
David Morrissey as James Roderick
Imogen Poots as Theodosia Drury
It was pretty easy making this chart, though very time consuming (at least for me). I don’t have a photo-editing program so used the following sites:
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June Hur 