Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003)

Director:

Peter Webber

Writers:

Tracy Chevalier (novel)
Olivia Hetreed (screenplay)

Release Date:

9 January 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

He had a vision no one saw as clearly as she. In a house where everything had its place, where every image had meaning, he gave her the power to see the light. She gave him a look that would last forever.....

Plot:

A young peasant maid working in the house of painter Johannes Vermeer becomes his talented assistant and the model for one of his most famous works.

Plot Keywords:

Maid | Painting | Painter | Servant | Paint

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 12 wins & 34 nominations

Cast

Colin Firth	...	Johannes Vermeer
Scarlett Johansson	...	Griet
Tom Wilkinson	...	Pieter Van Ruijven
Judy Parfitt	...	Maria Thins
Cillian Murphy	...	Pieter
Essie Davis	...	Catharina Bolnes Vermeer
Joanna Scanlan	...	Tanneke
Alakina Mann	...	Cornelia Vermeer
Chris McHallem	...	Griet's Father
Gabrielle Reidy	...	Griet's Mother
Rollo Weeks	...	Frans
Anna Popplewell	...	Maertge
Anaïs Nepper	...	Lisbeth
Melanie Meyfroid	...	Aleydis
Nathan Nepper	...	Johannes
Lola Carpenter	...	Baby Franciscus
Charlotte Carpenter	...	Baby Franciscus
Olivia Chauveau	...	Baby Franciscus
Geoff Bell	...	Paul the Butcher
Virginie Colin	...	Emilie Van Ruijven
Sarah Drews	...	Van Ruijven's Daughter
Christelle Bulckaen	...	Wet Nurse
John McEnery	...	Apothecary
Gintare Parulyte	...	Model
Claire Johnston	...	White-Haired Woman
Marc Maes	...	Old Gentleman
Robert Sibenaler	...	Priest (as Pere Robert Sibenaler)
Dustin James	...	Servant 1
Joe Reavis	...	Servant 2
Martin Serene	...	Sergeant
Chris Kelly	...	Gay Blade
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Leslie Woodhall	...	Neighbour (uncredited)

Directed by
Peter Webber

Writing credits
Tracy Chevalier		(novel)
Olivia Hetreed		(screenplay)

Produced by
Peter Block	....	executive producer
Anna Campeau	....	associate producer
Jason Constantine	....	co-producer
Jimmy de Brabant	....	co-producer
Nick Drake	....	executive producer
Philip Erdoes	....	executive producer
Matthew T. Gannon	....	co-producer
Rebby Gregg	....	associate producer
François Ivernel	....	executive producer
Daria Jovicic	....	executive producer
Cameron McCracken	....	executive producer
Tom Ortenberg	....	executive producer
Andy Paterson	....	producer
Duncan Reid	....	executive producer
Guy Tannahill	....	line producer
Anand Tucker	....	producer

Original Music by
Alexandre Desplat

Cinematography by
Eduardo Serra		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Kate Evans

Casting by
Leo Davis

Production Design by
Ben van Os

Art Direction by
Christina Schaffer

Set Decoration by
Cecile Heideman

Costume Design by
Dien van Straalen

Makeup Department
Anita Burger	....	makeup artist
Aurélie Elich	....	crowd hair
Aurélie Elich	....	makeup supervisor
René Jordan	....	assistant hair stylist
René Jordan	....	assistant makeup artist
Claudine Moureaud	....	hair assistant
Claudine Moureaud	....	makeup assistant
Joël Seiller	....	additional hair stylist
Jenny Shircore	....	hair designer
Jenny Shircore	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Bénédicte Humbel	....	production manager
Jos van der Linden	....	production manager
Emma Zee	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Alexandre Brown	....	additional third assistant director
Ralph Eisenmann	....	second assistant director
Sébastien Fernandes Tasch	....	daily third assistant director
Sean Guest	....	first assistant director
Stefan Magnusson	....	third assistant director
Andy Paterson	....	second unit director
Beatrice Pettovich	....	second assistant director
Jim Probyn	....	third assistant director
Julian Stevens	....	additional third assistant director: dailies

Art Department
Boris Bartholomäus	....	construction manager
Klaus Bienen	....	propmaker
Claudio Campana	....	assistant art director
Manuel Demoulling	....	stand-by props
François Dickes	....	props buyer
Ricardo Galvao	....	art department assistant
Annett 'Gogo' Golinski	....	draper
Svet Hrouchoff	....	carpenter
François Mast	....	carpenter
Edouard Pallardy	....	head painter
Barbara Prati	....	painter
Stephanie Rass	....	art department assistant
Rosie Stapel	....	assistant head painter
Todd Van Hulzen	....	set designer

Sound Department
Dirk Bombey	....	boom operator
Peter Burgis	....	foley artist
Arthur Graley	....	foley editor
Arthur Graley	....	sound editor
Nigel Heath	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dan Morgan	....	dialogue editor
Jamie Roden	....	adr mixer
Julian Slater	....	supervising sound editor
Carlo Thoss	....	production sound mixer
Seppe van Groeningen	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Alain Couty	....	special effects coordinator
Clive R. Kay	....	special effects contact lenses
Lawrence Michael	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Tim Baxter	....	film recording
Charles Darby	....	matte paintings
Paul Edwards	....	visual effects producer: Cinesite
James Eggleton	....	digital I/O support: Cinesite
Stuart Pitcher	....	digital compositor
Dan Victoire	....	digital I/O support
Kathy Wise	....	digital systems manager
Aviv Yaron	....	2D technical director: Cinesite
Roma O'Connor	....	bidding producer (uncredited)
Courtney Vanderslice	....	head of production: Cinesite (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Alex Aach	....	clapper loader
Benny Ashoff	....	focus puller: "b" camera
Jaap Buitendijk	....	still photographer
Gilbert Degrand	....	best boy
Dieter Depypere	....	epk camera operator
Kevin Dresse	....	electrician
Johnny Feurer	....	focus puller: "b" camera
Svet Hrouchoff	....	grip assistant
Max Jacoby	....	clapper loader: "b" camera
Nunes Neto Ornei	....	grip
José Alberto Pinto de Jesus	....	electrician
Mike Proudfoot	....	camera operator
Mike Roberts	....	video assist operator
Alf Tramontin	....	Steadicam operator
Alf Tramontin	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Tony Turner	....	key grip
Wolfgang Wesemann	....	assistant camera

Casting Department
Louis Elman	....	adr voice casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Vesna Libric	....	wardrobe assistant
Magdalena Marczynska	....	wardrobe assistant
Jovana Sujdovic	....	wardrobe assistant
Aleksandra Valozic	....	wardrobe
Katja Wolf	....	daily wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Steve Farman	....	negative cutter
Matt Gauci	....	avid technical support
Andrew Melhuish	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Sam Okell	....	assistant scoring engineer

Transportation Department
Gaby Meyers	....	facility/truck driver
Francois Muller	....	truck driver
Igor Pecirep	....	driver: Tom Wilkinson
Otfried Suppin	....	driver
Kevan Willis	....	driver: cast

Other crew
Bob Bellion	....	financial manager
Natasha Coombs	....	script supervisor
Linda Gamble	....	unit publicist
Ambroise Gayet	....	production assistant
Charles Howes	....	tutor
Andrew Jack	....	dialect coach
Paula Jalfon	....	production executive
Joe Kotroczo	....	location assistant
Patricia Kretschmer	....	assistant: Mr. de Brabant
Maurice Landsberger	....	production accountant
Roberto Longobardi	....	production accountant
Richard Morrison	....	title designer
Francois Muller	....	facilities
Sébastien Peiffer	....	location manager
Olivier Printz	....	location assistant
Joanne Reichling	....	production coordinator
Sarah Trowse	....	assistant accountant: Luxembourg
Susan Weeks	....	tutor chaperone
Susanna Wyatt	....	head of physical production: Pathé Pictures

Production Companies

• Archer Street Productions
• Delux Productions
• Film Fund Luxembourg
• Pathé Pictures International
• UK Film Council
• Wild Bear Films

Distributors

• Concorde Filmverleih (2004) (Germany) (theatrical)
• FS Film Oy (2004) (Finland) (theatrical)
• GAGA (Japan) (theatrical)
• Lions Gate Films (2003) (USA) (theatrical)
• Mikado (2004) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Monopole-Pathé (2004) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Zima Entertainment (2004) (Mexico) (theatrical)
• A-Film Distribution (2004) (Netherlands)
• Bontonfilm (Czech Republic)
• EuroVideo (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• FS Film Oy (2004) (Finland) (DVD) (VHS)
• Hollydan Works (2005-????) (Serbia and Montenegro) (DVD)
• ITI Cinema (2004) (Poland) (all media)
• Pathé Distribution (UK)
• Pathé (France)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (Scandinavia)
• Vértigo Films (Spain)
• With Cinema (Korea)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2007) (Finland) (TV)

Special Effects

• Cinesite (visual effects)
• Capital FX (opticals)
• SFX Factory S.A. (special effects equipment)
• Cinesite

Other Companies

• Abbey Road Studios  music mixed at
• Capital FX  opticals
• Fig Productions  titles
• Film & Television Facilities  facility vehicles
• Hackenbacker Sound  sound post-production
• Kodak  motion picture film supplied by
• Location Consulting & Facilities  facilities vehicles
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services
• Sony Studios  music recorded at

Also Known As:

La jeune fille à la perle (Luxembourg: French title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some sexual content.

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

UK | Luxembourg

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:LH | Malaysia:U | Hungary:14 | Czech Republic:12 | South Korea:15 | New Zealand:PG | USA:TV-PG (cable rating) | Australia:PG | Brazil:12 | Finland:K-7 | Germany:6 | Hong Kong:IIA | Italy:T | Netherlands:AL | Norway:11 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Spain:7 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12A | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Company:

Archer Street Productions

Trivia:

The film was originally slated to star Kate Hudson and Ralph Fiennes and be directed by 'Mike Newell' . Hudson pulled out during preproduction (allegedly because she refused to wear a wimple for the role), which resulted in funding being pulled, and by the time new funding was secured, Newell had to move on to another project. After a director search, Peter Webber was tapped for the job and held auditions for a new female lead. He settled on Kirsten Dunst, who then dropped the project in wake of Spider-Man (2002)'s success. At this point, Fiennes had been waiting so long that he too had to move on to other scheduled projects, and so became unavailable. Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth were then cast.

Goofs:

Continuity: After her ear has been pierced, Griet picks up the earring and begins to hand it to Vermeer. In the next shot, she is picking it up off the table again.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Griet's Mother: Griet! Leave that.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Pauw & Witteman: (#3.41)" (2008)

A Wonderful Film Not Just about Vermeer, but Artistic Motivation

Johannes Vermeer was a silent man. Being equipped with immense talent, brush and palette, there really was no need for words. Such philosophy is greatly dwelt upon in Peter Webber's adaptation of Tracy Chevalier's novel.

The film is breathtaking alone in the fact that the production team, led by cinematographer Eduardo Serra, production designer Ben Van Os, and art director Christina Shaeffer, manages to capture Vermeer's filling, oil-based colors, and light into every scene.

The story is exemplary as well. We are taken into a brief era in Vermeer's life in 17th century Delft. Much of the film's premise is true: Vermeer was a reticent and brilliant painter who attempted to balance his genius and deep-rooted, innate calling to art and solitude with the often overbearing demands of a bourgeoisie, Venetian society, as well as the malignant pressures posted by a sadistic commissioner, and the pressures of being the head of a massive household (when he died in 1675, he left behind his wife and 11 children).

In 1665, however, he painted a mysterious masterpiece. It's mysterious because much scholarship has since been dedicated to uncovering the identity of the model who posed for it. It has been suggested that the subject is one of his daughters, although this theory is met today with much skepticism. And this is where the film spends most of its fictional focus: that of creating an imaginary story to help speculate on what we know as factual about Vermeer's life. Enter a young, beautiful servant girl, Grit (Scarlett Johansson), who through no fault of her own, finds that her classic beauty attracts Vermeer's sensibilities-as a man and as an artist-to such a degree that he has no choice but to capture her on oil and canvas.

Vermeer (Colin Firth) spends a lot of time in this film standing quietly in the shadows and peeking around corners. There's great symbolism in many of these shots-his body is often half-covered, half-exposed, representing the dichotomy he must have felt in his life-that of being in perpetual conflict with his spiritual, artistic longings and the more human qualities of a man.

Whereas Vermeer' silence is a result of his being reluctant to communicate with the external world, mostly due to artistic self-absorption, Griet similarly is cut off from humanity, but rather out of innocence, naivety, beauty, and the unfortunate side effect of being at the low end of a rather oppressive Delft caste system where she has little voice outside of the disturbance her beauty stimulates in others. Together, the two characters find an unspoken solace, a type of kinetic energy that can only be conveyed through Vermeer's art. Indeed, one of the film's more touching moments comes when the artist reveals his portrait of her and Griet replies, 'You've seen into me.' Another memorable moment, if not altogether breathtaking, comes when Vermeer is instructing Griet in how to hold her face at the proper angle in order to catch the appropriate reflection of light on her mouth, and also when he is instructing her in how to mix his paints and their hands, for a split second, brush together. It is in such moments that Firth brilliantly conveys the tormenting dissonance present in a man not in whose base desires are overshadowing his artistic being, but rather the opposite-as a virtuoso experiencing a rare moment of temporary carnal pleasure.

All philosophy aside, is the film any good? I'd say it's extraordinary, although if you're not one to gravitate toward the biography of an artist, this may not be the film for you. However, I do believe that the human story element her is valuable, entertaining, and worthwhile.