A Quiet Passion | Film Review

Gamelkateinthecinema | A Quiet Passion

Director: Terrence Davies

Release: 2016
Writer: Terrence Davies

Genre: Biopic / Period Drama

Rating: PG-13 thematic elements, disturbing images and brief suggestive material

On leaving the cinema rather perplexed, I read a review in the evening standard that said “A Quiet Passion is almost very good but actually nearly intolerable, a very long two hours” and I was inclined to agree. It was a relief to find this review, as I had been starting to question my opinion, in proportion to the amount of oh-so-American, bandwagon praise this film was receiving. I was ready to attribute this to the simple fact that, perhaps, Americans just can’t make good period dramas. That was before I realised director Terrence Davies was English.

A Quiet Passion is a biographic look into poet Emily Dickson’s life from school to her deathbed. It is set mainly at her home in Amherst, Massachusetts, and focuses on themes relating to religion, feminism, and death. It does not touch on her writing in method, learning or practice, but instead uses full poems narrated over sequences throughout the film to represent her growth and the passing of time.

While there were some solid elements to the film – costume design, lighting, cinematography – I couldn’t help but feel let down by Davies. The shaky camera work, wooden line delivery and bizarre mix of minimal character development combined with a lengthy timeline and strong themes, undermined these, making parts of the film feel painfully drawn out for both the actors and audience. I don’t understand how such emotionally powerful scenes involving themes of religion, feminism, philosophy, love, sickness and death could feel at once both tense and emotional, as well as stuffy and tired.

Jennifer Ehle tried her best to carry the mood of the film, but even her determined over-cheerfulness appeared pointless next to the terrible acting of her fellow cast members. I don’t know Emily Dickson’s character traits, or if Cynthia Nixon embodied them well, but all this “blistering performance” hype I was promised in the trailer, seemed only to be in contrast to her pervious TV roles.  As Nixon said in an interview, she only accepted the role because she thought the film wouldn’t get made, and she would be able to privately gloat that she had been offered the part of such an important character.

Perhaps I am too harsh. She was ok, and certainly well cast for her resemblance to the only known portrait of Emily Dickinson (shown at the end of the film, in case we forgot why we were there). One of the films shining moments was the camera dissolve from the younger to older cast members. Done perhaps too many times in a row to maintain the flow of the sequence, the technique was still interesting, and showed off the skills of the casting directors. Other scenes of note included the surprisingly ethereal dream sequence that takes place in the time it takes for Dickinson’s door to close.

A pity, then, that one look at the hair and make up of the brother (Duncan Duff) who, in low lighting, looked like he had been cast as a middle-aged vampire in some low budget historical porno, took the film straight back to the starting block. I simply couldn’t get into it.

While it is possible I have missed the point of the film, I really was a disappointment that it was not better in every way. From the small things that irritate me in period movies (trim your damn wick, your oil lamp must hate you) to the bigger problems of the film, I found myself thinking it would have captured the audience attention better as a live theatre production. Intriguing at the start, drawn out in the middle, emotionally powerful at the end. Unfortunately by that time you’re not engaged with the characters enough to care.

Rating: 4/10

All images taken from the official A Quiet Passion Trailer 2016. Copyright to Thunderbird Releasing. 

I do not own the rights to these images. All text is written by me and is my own personal opinion.