Scarlet's mouth made this movie unwatchable for me

I agree, the whole open mouth thing was very unattractive. Was she trying to be sexy even though she had to be covered up?

I have to disagree. I've seen the movie many times and read the book. Griet comes off as more intelligent in the book because the narrative allows more insight into her consciousness. This is hard to do in a film. In the film, we do see Griet as an intelligent girl who strives for dignity in a World that affords her none. Vermeer recognizes that she has an eye for lighting, color and perspective. She becomes his muse. A beauty that can inspire his art, but that he can never touch. This is the underlying theme of the book and the film.

As for the criticism of the "mouth-breathing" Scarlett Johansson, I think its off base. People on these boards are knocking Scar Jo lips for being too sexual, while others are knocking her for mouth-breathing. You can't have it both ways. Griet is an illiterate 17 year old maid from the 17th century. She is (both in the book and film) meant to be at an awkward age. She is, nonetheless, a naturally beautiful girl, particularily by the standards of 17th Century Netherlands. This is why she was chosen to be a maid in Vermeer's home as well as a subject for him to paint. Scarlett Johansson was perfect for the role, and a major reason for the success of the film.

I don't think any actor or actress in the film comes off as very attractive, let alone gorgeous. Everyone has ashen pale skin and oily hair. This is a period piece about a bleak time and place. If you watched the film to admire beautiful people, this isn't your type of film.

I loved the entire movie except for one thing, and it did involve her mouth. When he told her to moisten her lips, she acted like she didn't know how to do it. Geewhiz!

I never laughed so hard in my life. A comment thread all about Scar's lips and her mouth breathing. Thank you for an enjoyable thread read. I don't have a problem with her mouth breathing or her lips. What gets me ticked is the fact that she is a really sexy woman, a sexy actress but she has no emotions. She never becomes animated, she never reveals through her facial features what she is feeling. I've watched her from Ghost World on, she has that same look all the time. I think she is a better model than an actress because she can melt butter with her smouldering looks and foxy fire but put her in a movie where she has to do facial features and be animated, that's a fail right there. I never read the book and never really brushed up on my history with Vermeer or his paintings (not being an art fan myself) but I decided to watch this movie just for Scar and Collin. And whenever I'm done watching a movie I come to IMDB to read ppl's comments about said movie and people have come up with the same things for actors: too this, too that, too big, too fat, too small, not enough screen prescence, too much, etc. and so on but I have never read a comment about a female actor's over the top sexy lips or her mouth breathing. I tip my hat to you.

yeah, lips movement as if being amazed all the time were funny,,

i watched this movie not because of book though, but because of music, music is so beautiful.
the story itself can pass, i like the fact that there is not much vulgarity and obscene scenes as much as modern european movies have them - that would make it unwatchable.

SCARLRT IS BEAUTIFUL FROM ANY ANGLE. So jUST ENJOY AND GET over yourself😎

Scarlett's mouth is almost another character in each of her films, whether you like her or not! I'm on the fence about her. But she seems to have switched from the open mouth in this film, to constantly pressing them together in later films.

I'm betting they told her to look "stunned", "oppressed" or something to indicate powerlessness. It was a bit much! However, the wife bugged me much more.



Don't get me wrong...
It might be unbelievable,
But let's not say so long

Several previous posters have made valid points about this, but I'd just like to throw in another one: most of the film is set in the frigid Delft winter. Everyone breathes through their mouth when they're out in freezing weather, it's a biological response to help heat up the air before it reaches our lungs. I don't know if they actually shot in cold weather or added the breath condensation in post-prod, but the former seems more likely. That would explain the mouth thing in several scenes, at least. Especially since Scarlett was in those temperatures with no scarf, gloves or coat and an exposed neck. In the summer scenes with Pieter she doesn't have her mouth open so much.



The mirror... it's broken.
Yes, I know. I like it that way. Makes me look the way I feel.