IMDb > The Duchess (2008)
The Duchess
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The Duchess (2008) More at IMDbPro »

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The Duchess (2008) -- The Duchess - Theatrical Trailer
The Duchess (2008) -- Clip: The Whig Rally
The Duchess (2008) -- MyMovies.Net - Costume featurette (WMV)
The Duchess (2008) -- Kiera Knightley has starred in some of the biggest blockbuster period pieces in recent memory. She talks with Harry Smith about her new role as "The Duchess."

Overview

User Rating:
7.0/10   13,203 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?

Down 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Saul Dibb

Writers (WGA):

Jeffrey Hatcher (screenplay) and
Anders Thomas Jensen (screenplay) ...
more

Contact:

View company contact information for The Duchess on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

10 September 2008 (USA) more

Tagline:

There were three people in her marriage more

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

more

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 wins & 14 nominations more

NewsDesk:
(234 articles)

Cooper Eyes Sadistic Thriller Playing 'The Devil's Double'
 (From Rope Of Silicon. 10 November 2009, 1:22 AM, PST)

Dog Ears Music: Volume Ninety-Seven
 (From Huffington Post. 6 November 2009, 9:28 AM, PST)

User Comments:

Saul Dibb presents "The Duchess" as an incredibly emotional woman, somebody who has a lust for life… more (93 total)


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
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:

La duchessa (Italy)
more

MPAA:

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

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

UK | Italy | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS | SDDS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (cut) (certificate #44471) | UK:12A | Ireland:15A | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Hong Kong:IIA | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Netherlands:12 | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Ontario) | Sweden:7 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | New Zealand:M | Brazil:14 | Singapore:M18 | Argentina:13 | Czech Republic:U | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | Germany:12 (f)


Fun Stuff

Trivia:

Susanne Bier wrote an early draft of the script and was originally attached to direct the film. more

Goofs:

Continuity: In the rape scene which takes place in the Duchess's bedroom, the entry is through double doors. When you see Bess listening outside the room; the entry is a single door. more

Quotes:

Charles Grey: Is it always like this?
Bess Foster: Well, as they say, the Duke of Devonshire must be the only man in England not in love with his wife.
more

Movie Connections:

Featured in 81st Annual Academy Awards (2009) (TV) more


FAQ

How was Georgiana related to Diana, Princess of Wales?
Why did people wear wigs back then when they had perfectly good hair?
What did "the Duchess" do to warrant having a movie made about her?
more
18 out of 22 people found the following comment useful.
Saul Dibb presents "The Duchess" as an incredibly emotional woman, somebody who has a lust for life…, 7 March 2009
8/10

What rather wonderful about this story is that Georgiana Spencer (Keira Knightley) discovers a way to exult in victory over things and to get back some kind of power in a time where, really, women had very little… Being someone of great vitality and liveliness, she was very much a dreamer and an idealist, a woman who loved being the center of attention, who loved the fact at some point that her picture was in the paper, that the clothes were always talked of, that her every move was commented on…

We are immediately impressed by her presence, by her personality… She wasn't behaving quite in accordance with the way in which other 18th century women were expected to behave…

But there was something incredibly sad about this self-conscious lady… She was a victim of herself… A victim of her own innocence… A victim of people using her for their own profit… Even though she seemed to have everything, we realize that it was not that simple… And with all of her privilege came a lot of moral obligation and things were never what they really appeared to be…

The Duke (Ralph Fiennes) was a misanthropic man, rather cold, unemotional and quite cruel… He seems to like better his hunting dogs to his young wife… Of course with certain values, that he believes were absolutely right and that he strictly held to…

This sumptuous period piece also presents the Duchess of Devonshire as a political hostess… Saul Dibb's film shows us her dinner parties, her evening events, her fame and its extraordinary effect on her… It made her both desperate to please, terrified of doing anything wrong and shocked at her own celebrity and unable to figure out in her own mind why she was quite so famous… And we see the crippling effect it has on her sense of self…

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
I'm a little confused on one thing,.... Tinka9254
The Duke..? Kusumita
Book vs. Movie? brooklynbotz143
Duke Likes Fleshier Woman Hezzer_Wezzer
Would they really have called her 'Gee'? CCCampedel
Dinner time... but where are the children? gaby-41
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