Anyone else want to punch Bess in the face? - The Duchess (2008) Discussion

G should have rammed her foot up Bess' a***.

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I know. She should've gotten the picture cause there was a mement when G and the Duke were arguing right in front of her. I think it was the dinner scene. It's been a while since I seen the film and well I think they were arguing right in front of her about her and I just thought she should've gotten the picture and moved out of the place but I understand that she was doing that to get her kids back but still she should've moved out once she got them. Then again how would she support them. I read the book and I was thinking *beep* after she got her kids she should've married that guy she had a daughter with instead of being a homewrecker.

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[–] jediknight67ii 15 years ago

How could she just sit there and let William refer to her sons as "bastards"? From all the biographies I have read about the 5th Duke of Devonshire he continued to have affairs with other women and female servants even while he had Bess as his live in mistress. He quicked moved a new mistress into the house after Giorgianne died and married Bess. How could she want to be with a man who was so insensitive? He was screaming and yelling at her, yet she did nothing. Somehow I wonder if he was really "in love" with Bess or was he just keeping her around because she was more sexually experienced than Giorgianne and wanted to just have Bess there as a thorn in her side, just to get back at her for not giving him a son?

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[–] galluslass 15 years ago

I started being angry with her and then felt pity in much the way G was powerless. What was she supposed to do, how was she supposed to live? Women of her status couldn't work and believe it or not there was no benefits system where she could get a nice little council flat or whatever unless the workhouse (if there was one at that time) was an option.

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[–] whoiamnow 9 years ago

Where was she supposed to go? What was she supposed to do? This is a society where women are chattel. There's no welfare, no food stamps, no government housing.

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[–] Catdubh 15 years ago

No she wasn't. Bess had absolutely no choice in matters where the Duke was concerned. You give her entirely too much credit.

What, just for once in your life can't you be serious?

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[–] 15 years ago

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[–] Beaubelle 15 years ago

Yes. Oh, yes. OMG, YES!

Oh, and lest we forget, she edited the letters Georgiana wrote during her life by just marking out passages SHE didn't approve of. Or just burning the whole letter. Bloody nerve!

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[–] sugreev2001-1 15 years ago

Maybe the first time she sat on the table looking a bit nonchalant,but not once I knew the reason behind it all...after all,it is the major theme of the movie.

"What the world needs is more geniuses with humility, there are so few of us left."

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[–] reeldramaqueen 15 years ago

I'm sorry, but I can't hate Bess when it was Georgiana who made the stupid decision. Why on earth would she ask Bess to move in with her and her husband, knowing the Duke's inclination for affairs and the fact that he already had his eye on her before they were friends?! She brought that on herself. When her mom asked her "What have you allowed to happen?" or something to that effect, I totally agreed. She allowed that.

Add to that the fact that Bess was desperate to get her children back, I don't blame her. That was one of the major themes---there's nothing one wouldn't do for one's children.

If I'm mad at anybody it's the Duke. What a prick. I understand he was under pressure and all, but he basically got everything he wanted---his wife, his mistress, and the boy, while Georgiana got the miserable end of the stick.

I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.

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[–] brooklynbotz143 15 years ago

in actuality, Georgina loved Bess and championed for her to stay at their house. Most around Georgina saw right through Bess but even after Bess' affair with the Duke, Georgina brushed it off and begged her to continue living there. She NEVER would have demanded that Bess leave, she had a very unhealthy attachment to Bess which of course, Bess used to her advantage.

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[–] TheWumberlog 15 years ago

To answer the OP's question, I recently re-watched the movie with my mom. She just short of said that she wanted to punch Bess.

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[–] crooked_spoons 14 years ago

I wanted to punch Bess in the face in the movie AND in the book. And the movie's version of Bess is by far, a million times more forgiving. In the book she was a manipulative cow whom was hated by Georgiana's children as well as her mother, loathed by society and had to be endured only because Gee was so attached to her.

She was angling for a duchy from day ONE and played the role of "lady of the house" whenever Gee was away. And she didn't enter into an affair with the duke merely to gain back her children, she was a notorious slut who had several affairs.

"Adultery makes a party go such a swing!" Naomi——Skins.

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[–] thenYES 14 years ago

Yeah, in the movie I felt bad for Bess because it seemed like she really had no place else to go, was devoted to her children, and was at least a friend for Georgiana when she had no other friends.

And then I read the book. And now I hate that manipulative, heartless, cruel, horrid, social-climbing, mooching, phony brat. She was never a friend to Georgiana and she took advantage of Gee's naive and naturally loving character to get wealth and power. Absolutely awful woman.

"And then he started cheating...especially at magnetic travel scrabble."

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[–] snexyagentklark 14 years ago

What is the book called?I would really like to read it;it sounds very interesting.

10 Things I Love About You:)

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[–] YouMustLoveMe 14 years ago

The book is "The Duchess" by Amanda Foreman.

EVERYONE should read it - as someone said, the movie has a sympathetic slant and Bess knew 100% whats she was doing: using G and the Duke. At one point she was shagging the Duke and some other well-titled guy; she had a son with the other guy but passed it off as the Duke's when her other bloke refused to marry her. Once G was dead she demanded the Duke marry her, burnt any and all letters that put her in a bad light, etc., etc.

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[–] iseepinkelefants 14 years ago

Wow I didn't know that. I knew she was a major bitch in the film (the sympathetic slant I didn't even notice. I felt no sympathy for her), but to know she was even worse in real life? Poor G.

As for the OP, yes, when she's sitting at the dressing table and Bess walked in, I wanted her to throw that perfume bottle at her head! The same goes for the Duke after the Fox hat scene, and he walks in, and she's yelling at him, I wanted her to throw a shoe at him or smack him across the face. I wish she had, had the ability to stand up to him more. Unfortunately there were instances were Fiennes played him too sympathetically (like after she yells at him in the aforementioned scene, and when she comes back from the birth of Grey's baby). I just can't imagine he would have ever been so apologetic of his behavior.

If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all

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[–] GingerLee2082 14 years ago

Bess is a million times more sympathetic in the movie. Anyone who hated her in the movie won't believe their eyes when they read about some of the sh!t she gets up to in the book.

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