MovieChat Forums > Devotion (1946) Discussion > historically innacurate crap

historically innacurate crap

posted 17 years ago by frumaatholoid
20 replies | jump to latest

Wow. So I know I'm not saying anything new, but this film is ridiculously historically inaccurate. The Bronte Sisters were completely alien to their on-screen counterparts. Also, there was a lot of character assasination with Charlotte (played by Olivia de Havilland). Anne is barely seen in this film, and her writing career is completely ignored. It just focuses on Charlotte and Emily, and the film depicts Charlotte as unscrupulous, selfish and opportunistic. And Branwell...wow. Arthur Kennedy was an excellent actor in a lot of other films...but c'mon, he didn't even use an accent here. The writers wrote him as surly and bitter. His character was sucha misinterpretation of reality, which can be said for most of the film. There was nothing Victorian about this film, it just bled with 1940s Hollywoodization.

One good thing- I think Lupino was excellent as Emily. I like how they focused on her, and her etheralness and how all along she basically had one foot out the door of this world. But she was never in love with Nicholls. Goddamn.

This film is not for people who like the Bronte Sisters. Or historical accuracy (which, as proven in the popularity of many current 'historical' films made, probably isn't many).

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] frumaatholoid 17 years ago

Look, I will concede that you are right in the fact that there have been some ‘historical’ films that weren’t 100 percent accurate but were still awesome flicks. But usually what elevates those movies to greatness are some exceptionally unique and superior attributes to their production. Usually a good script helps. Devotion relied on clichés and is painfully mediocre. It made me cringe a lot. It was such an adulterated version of the Bronte’s to a disgustingly excessive degree. I don’t see why they had to resort to such petty and trite conflicts such as made-up love triangles and whatnot, when in reality the Bronte’s lived such dramatic and tumultuous lives. They could’ve made a very entertaining and interesting film if they stuck to the facts, even if half their lives they were “sitting around not doing much of anything at all”. It could’ve been a very fascinating, character-driven piece.

Also- Anne of the Thousand Days was pretty accurate and I always liked it.

[–] lucy_snowe 17 years ago

I don’t see why they had to resort to such petty and trite conflicts such as made-up love triangles and whatnot, when in reality the Bronte’s lived such dramatic and tumultuous lives.

Yes, I totally agree. Why did they have to turn Charlotte's and Nicholls' romance into a grande passion (when it was quite a mundane, if touching love affair) when they had the whole Heger story to use? (Probably, because at the time, even the suggestion of adultery was as shocking to the Hays Code audience as it was to the Victorians.)

Some biopics (eg Elizabeth) capture the character even when the facts are embellished. But Devotion really doesn't seem to get the sisters at all - particularly Charlotte, who comes off the worst, what with the girly flirting with M Heger and the low-cut satin gowns. She's almost unrecognisable.

I have high hopes that the new flick, Bronte, will stick a bit more closely to what we know of the family.

[–] frumaatholoid 17 years ago

Yeah, definitely true about Elizabeth. It captured the historical queen and gave a very accurate illustration of the politically turbulent Elizabethan age. It was also a very powerful, well-written (and acted) film on top of all that. One of my favorite films.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] Doylenf 16 years ago

I thought it captured the Victorian atmosphere very well, but everything about it was romanticized, including the ballroom scene at the start. Nevertheless, it made me want to read more about the real Bronte story and for that reason alone I'm thankful the film even exists. I thought the performances were all top-notch, especially Ida and Olivia in the leading femme roles. Quite a nice cast. Arthur Kennedy and Sydney Greenstreet were excellent.

The brooding background score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold was a big help in establishing mood and atmosphere.

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] lorelei1-1 16 years ago

Actually I was surprised that a biography made in the 1940's was as close to accurate as this one was in a couple areas. I wondered how true it was and didn't know, so I checked out some information online. I was amazed that the part about Charlotte falling for the headmaster was in any way true. Although, yes, the romantic feelings Emily had for Nichols were the stuff of fiction, evidently. From what I'd read about Branwell, they loved him dearly but he definitely WAS unhappy, bitter and created much family turmoil. If Arthur Kennedy had used an accent it would have sounded rather odd, since none of the other actors playing his sisters spoke with an accent, either. In the end, I watched this for the characterizations; I'd never seen it and had always heard how good Ida Lupino was in the part. When I want an un-fictionalized account of someone's life I watch a documentary, read a biography or autobiography (and frequently those are somewhat fictional!), or check out information online. Biographical movies are usually embellished to various degrees to make the film dramatically interesting rather than to create a historical treatise of a person's life and I think most people realize this. Or should.

At any rate, I've never read any of the books except "Jane Eyre" and now I'm interested in reading all of them as soon as possible.

Lorelei

"I don't take this sh*t from friends--only lovers."

[–] Doylenf 16 years ago

Because others will want to read more about the real Bronte story. As you say, they did fictionalize the romantic rivalry but stuck close to the facts and situations in many other respects. And the script and dialog was quite literate.

There really wasn't a lot of drama in their lives. The only drama was that they all died young, not unusual for those who lived on the bleak moors in those days facing the harsh climate and poor living conditions. Charlotte WAS the more ambitious sister who went out into the world and Emily the quiet genius who stayed close to hearth and wrote Wuthering Heights. The writers had to dream up a lot of other things to keep audiences interested.

[–] frumaatholoid 15 years ago

Okay, so its been a year and a half, but I just came over this message board again, and thought I would respond.

If you want to make an argument that this film is valuable because it inspires others to read some of the Bronte's novels, fine, whatever, I'm not going to argue with you, because obviously that is just a subjective reaction and opinion(one that I do not share) some might have to the film. I will say that I'm glad that I am not one of those people who had to watch this film to get interested in the Bronte sisters.

However, your assertion "there really wasn't a lot of drama in [The Bronte's] lives" makes me think that you know very little about either Charlotte, Emily or Anne Bronte at all. They weren't just a bunch of lonely, sheltered girls sitting around idly, coughing themselves to death. There was, in fact, a lot of drama in their lives, drama that many I think would find interesting, and if, perhaps you read a biography on them, you might realize this.

If audiences, as you claim, are bored by the reality of the Bronte's lives to the point where film makers have to alter history, it really just says a lot more about audiences than the Bronte sisters themselves.

Trust me, they were fascinating.

[–] Molly-31 15 years ago

Good god. CURTAINS?!!! The Reverend Patrick Bronte must have spun like a top in his grave.

That bothered me more than all the rest, even the way they had Branwell and the way they seem to have squished Arthur and Willie Weightman together. Someone really needed to read something beyond that damn Gaskell biography.

What was really fascinating about those kids was the fantasy roleplaying game they all had, based on the Napoleonic Wars but flying off in all directions. By the time they were in their teens they'd all written several novels and God knows how many short stories, novellas and poems. When they were older Emily paired off with Anne and created a new game set in the North Pacific. About half of Emily's poems were about things that happened there. They were all still playing when they were in their twenties. Charlotte even worried that her fascination with her hero guy might be idolatry and she was going to burn in *beep!*. This would have made a terrific conflict.

I think Frances Ratchforde was the first to read their writings about their games (which were in teeny tiny print). Her books "Legends of Angria" and "The Brontes' Web of Childhood" came out just about the time this film did and their valuable source material couldn't have been used.

I'm all right, I'm alllll right!

[–] Doylenf 15 years ago

Aside from historical inaccuracies--and there were plenty, I did like the imagery used to suggest the approach of death for Emily--the black silhouette of the rider on the moors who approaches slowly and then envelops her in his cloak. A nice touch of imagery--and very dramatic. This was used also for her dream sequences.

And I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Erich Wolfgang Korngold's brilliant background score, dark and brooding.

If taken on the level of a Victorian romance, DEVOTION really is okay as entertainment. Good performances and camera work, fine score. And Sydney Greenstreet was a good choice to play Thackeray. I enjoyed his scenes with Olivia--and actually Thackeray did escort Charlotte around London, but the sisters came home from Brussels because of their aunt's death, not Branwell's. In fact, Emily was already dead by the time of Charlotte's acclaim for "Jane Eyre."

Charlotte's silly infatuation with Monsieur Heger had a few deft comedy touches which I liked. Victor Francen was excellent.

But anyone looking for a factual story from a Warner Bros. film of the '40s, is bound to be disappointed. That studio was famous for putting out inaccurate biographies.

[–] creightonhale 15 years ago

The 1979 French film The Bronte Sisters. It stars Isabelle Adjani as Emily, Marie-France Pisier as Charlotte, Isabelle Huppert as Anne, Pascal Greggory as Branwell, and Patrick Magee as Reverend Brontë. I haven't seen it, but it is available on video. Thought some of the posters here might be interested in viewing it to see whether it is a more accurate portrait of their lives.

"The answers to all of life's riddles can be found in the movies."

[–] abelposadas 14 years ago

You are right. It s flat and trite an completely phony.
On the other hand, Ms Lupino is excellent as Emily and... I disagree in reference to Arthur Kennedy. He´s quite a right Bramwell, dispite his accent.
abel posadas

[–] lastmidnite2 14 years ago

I'm only watching it for Olivia DeHavilland. I love her.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] urbisoler-1 13 years ago

You neglected to mention that the Bronte sisters bore NO resemblance to the Hollywood beauties that the motion picture industry insists on embellishing their fairy tales with. Otherwise, your comments are right on target. This abortion from Hollywood is just one example of how Hollywood destroys literature and biography. However, it is about the Brontes: therefore, I keep a copy and watch it from time to time. I am looking forward to the NEW biopic entitled Bronte but I shudder to think what they may do with it.
There is an old miniseries called the Brontes of Haworth with Alfred Burke, Michael Kitchen and Barbara Leigh-Hunt, among others, that far exceeds Devoton in accuracy and aesthetics. Ciao!

[–] emuir-1 13 years ago

The set designer had obviously never visited Yorkshire as Haworth looked like a set from The Prince and the Pauper, combined with a German fairy tale as envisioned by Walt Disney. They did not have Tudor timbered cottages in Haworth, nor did they have picket fences. Even the costumes seemed to be leftovers from a pirate film.

[–] 13 years ago

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