The Duchess (2008)

A chronicle of the life of 18th century aristocrat Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, who was reviled for her extravagant political and personal life.

Director:

Saul Dibb

Writers:

Jeffrey Hatcher (screenplay), Anders Thomas Jensen (screenplay),

Stars:

Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Charlotte Rampling

Won 1 Oscar. Another 5 wins & 16 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Keira Knightley	...	Georgiana
Ralph Fiennes	...	The Duke
Charlotte Rampling	...	Lady Spencer
Dominic Cooper	...	Charles Grey
Hayley Atwell	...	Bess Foster
Simon McBurney	...	Charles Fox
Aidan McArdle	...	Richard Sheridan
John Shrapnel	...	General Grey
Alistair Petrie	...	Heaton
Patrick Godfrey	...	Dr. Neville
Michael Medwin	...	Speechmaker
Justin Edwards	...	Macaroni
Richard McCabe	...	Sir James Hare
Calvin Dean	...	Devonshire House Servant
Hannah Stokely	...	Devonshire House Maid

Storyline

Georgiana Spencer became Duchess of Devonshire on her marriage to the Duke in 1774, at the height of the Georgian period, a period of fashion, decadence, and political change. Spirited and adored by the public at large she quickly found her marriage to be a disappointment, defined by her duty to produce a male heir and the Duke's philandering and callous indifference to her. She befriends Lady Bess but finds she is once again betrayed by her husband who wields his power with the three eventually living uncomfortably together. Against this background, and with the pressures of an unfaithful husband, strict social pressures and constant public scrutiny, Georgiana falls passionately in love with Charles Grey, a rising young Whig politician. However, despite his ongoing liaison with Lady Bess, the Duke refuses to allow her to continue the affair and threatens to take her children from her.

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Plot Keywords:

duke | marriage | heir | duchess | fashion | 

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Taglines:

The scandal that shocked a nation. The courage that defined a woman.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, brief nudity and thematic material

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

UK Italy France USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 September 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

La duquesa

Filming Locations:

Bath, Somerset, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£13,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$190,426 (USA) (19 September 2008)

Gross:

$13,823,741 (USA) (5 December 2008)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Vantage, Pathé, BBC Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Producer Gabrielle Tana and her partner, Executive Producer Carolyn Marks Blackwood, got the rights to the Book "Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire" back in 1998.

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Goofs

During the scene where Georgiana introduces her daughters to Bess a couple walking a black and white dog walk past. They are then seen further along the river before disappearing from the shot. They then pass in front of the camera again at the end of the scene.

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Quotes

Charles Grey: Good people of Westminster! The world is on the brink of disaster or salvation. From France to America, men and women are struggling to free themselves, to find meaning in their existence. Change is upon us!

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Connections

Referenced in The 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards (2009)

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Soundtracks

"Largo from Concerto for Violin, Strings and Harpsichord in C"
Written by Antonio Vivaldi
Arranged by Rick Wentworth

User Reviews

More fun in corsets

The latest slice of period drama to grace our screens is this biopic on Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, who during the 1770s was patroness of the Whig party and prisoner of a marriage which made her, among other things, suffer the indignity of having her husband's mistress living under the same roof. These heritage dramas are an industry all by themselves; the armies of prop hirers, wig and costume makers, researchers, production designers, location scouts and (mostly) British actors who go to make them must find themselves in almost permanent employ. The BBC does them, the Americans have a go at them, and the public can't seem to get enough of them. The Duchess is a superior example of the genre, though nowhere in the league of Kubrick's Barry Lyndon, and combines the spectacle of Keira Knightley looking glamorous in a range of frocks and wigs, while at the same time honing her acting talents (no more those rictus grins), with the guilty pleasure of following the uncomfortable parallels between the fortunes and indiscretions of the ancestress of Lady Diana Spencer with those of the Princess of Wales herself. Lowering over the whole proceedings is the truly superb presence of Ralph Fiennes's Duke of Devonshire, Fiennes an actor who can convey polite discomfiture or threatening ire with slightest twitch of the mouth. In his hands the Duke becomes far less a melodramatic villain than a product of his time, and you almost feel sorry for him. Go and see The Duchess; only those who have had children will balk at the liberties taken with childbirth and breastfeeding. But not even that will spoil the fun.