Vanity Fair
LINKS
—Review
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections
Vanity Fair is the type of story for which words like “chicanery� and “conniving� were invented. Although this latest cinematic adaptation does not come across nearly as biting or satirical as Thackeray’s novel must have seemed when it first appeared in 1848, it still offers a clear glimpse of how nasty British high society could be to those unfortunate enough to be born without title or class during that time.
The focus of Thackeray’s social commentary is Becky Sharp, daughter of a French opera chorus girl and a talented but unsuccessful artist father. Faced with a limited list of options due to her questionable pedigree, Becky sets out to penetrate the upper crust through other means, mainly by marrying right.
It seems as if Becky were born for this role. And those who hold the keys to high society—the women—are quick to recognize the threat she poses to their ordered, sterile world. As one character remarks of Becky in a particularly brilliant line of dialogue: “I had thought her a mere social climber. Now I see she’s a mountaineer.�
Nevertheless, through a winsome combination of wit and strategy, Becky overcomes their resistance and achieves her goal—sort of. The problem is, as soon as her secret marriage to Rawley Crawley (the son of a minor British noble) comes to light, he is disowned. Things continue to go from bad to worse for Becky. But each time they do, her innate ability to mould and shape the people and circumstances around her saves the day. However, sooner or later such selfish ambition must run aground. And when it does, the only question is, will Becky manage to swim to shore or remain forever marooned on the island of her own hubris? I will leave you to discover that for yourself.
The subtitle of Thackeray’s original work is “A Novel Without a Hero.� While this is not completely accurate (there are some characters in this film that display heroic qualities) it clearly communicates Thackeray’s contempt for British high society. He saw nothing heroic in those who perpetuated the class system or those who tried to penetrate it through guile and deceit.
At the same time, we cannot help but sympathize with Becky. Even though she does not hesitate to stoop low when doing so will raise her up in the eyes of others, at times her actions do seem a step above self-serving. We also can’t stand the arrogance of those who think themselves better than Becky merely through the privilege of birth. It offends our sense of justice. So it feels good to see them get theirs.
But as this film so clearly shows, without love, all is vanity. And despite all that she gains and loses, love is the one thing Becky seems incapable of either giving or receiving—unless it serves her purposes. I cannot think of a better illustration of Christ’s words in Mark 8:36, “And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process?�
LINKS
—Review
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections
—Review
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections
Vanity Fair is the type of story for which words like “chicanery� and “conniving� were invented. Although this latest cinematic adaptation does not come across nearly as biting or satirical as Thackeray’s novel must have seemed when it first appeared in 1848, it still offers a clear glimpse of how nasty British high society could be to those unfortunate enough to be born without title or class during that time.
The focus of Thackeray’s social commentary is Becky Sharp, daughter of a French opera chorus girl and a talented but unsuccessful artist father. Faced with a limited list of options due to her questionable pedigree, Becky sets out to penetrate the upper crust through other means, mainly by marrying right.It seems as if Becky were born for this role. And those who hold the keys to high society—the women—are quick to recognize the threat she poses to their ordered, sterile world. As one character remarks of Becky in a particularly brilliant line of dialogue: “I had thought her a mere social climber. Now I see she’s a mountaineer.�
Nevertheless, through a winsome combination of wit and strategy, Becky overcomes their resistance and achieves her goal—sort of. The problem is, as soon as her secret marriage to Rawley Crawley (the son of a minor British noble) comes to light, he is disowned. Things continue to go from bad to worse for Becky. But each time they do, her innate ability to mould and shape the people and circumstances around her saves the day. However, sooner or later such selfish ambition must run aground. And when it does, the only question is, will Becky manage to swim to shore or remain forever marooned on the island of her own hubris? I will leave you to discover that for yourself.The subtitle of Thackeray’s original work is “A Novel Without a Hero.� While this is not completely accurate (there are some characters in this film that display heroic qualities) it clearly communicates Thackeray’s contempt for British high society. He saw nothing heroic in those who perpetuated the class system or those who tried to penetrate it through guile and deceit.
At the same time, we cannot help but sympathize with Becky. Even though she does not hesitate to stoop low when doing so will raise her up in the eyes of others, at times her actions do seem a step above self-serving. We also can’t stand the arrogance of those who think themselves better than Becky merely through the privilege of birth. It offends our sense of justice. So it feels good to see them get theirs.
But as this film so clearly shows, without love, all is vanity. And despite all that she gains and loses, love is the one thing Becky seems incapable of either giving or receiving—unless it serves her purposes. I cannot think of a better illustration of Christ’s words in Mark 8:36, “And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process?�LINKS
—Review
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home