Easy Virtue', Completely Unacceptable to John's Mother, Veronica (Krlsten Scott Thomas)
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Culture Watch - Exploring the message behind the media Page 1 of2 Hom Uth.t.l NG Abod Fla6 Let TY ll Login I Forgotten Password A slip of the mask Author: Bex Lewis Keywords: Masks, honesty, relationships, family, class Director: Stephan Elliott Screenplay: Stephan Elliott, Sheridan Jobbins, based on the play by Noel Coward Starring: Jessica Biel, Ben Bames, Kristin Scott Thomas, Firth m Colin Disributor: Path6 (UK); Sony Pictures Classics (USA) ffi Cinema Release Date: 7 November 2008 (UK); 22 May 2009 (USA) DVD Distributor: Path6 (UK) DVD Release date: 16 March 2009 (UK) Certificate: PG (uK); PG-13 (USA) ro lrnuflrrlril] iottlyerr.s6l &.fl!TE3OOtrrlr-nrrt I ,*. "s$ PUrglV*$a;41ti Buy liom Amazon.co.u& W Warning: This article contains plot spoilers liar-v Virtue is set in late 1920s' Britain. John Whittaker (Ben Bames), heir to a large aristocralic estate, retums from the continent having been 'llagged down' by Larita (Jessica ffi Bie)), a racing car dnver and thoroughly modem woman. Larita's modernness is epitomised not only by hgr profession, but by her dress, bleached blond hair, bright red Iipstick, choice of reading matter (lad1t L'lutterlqv's l,over), wide range of European knowledge, and her attitude and approach to life. In all these aspects she appears to epitomise a woman of'easy virtue', completely unacceptable to John's mother, Veronica (Krlsten Scott Thomas). mffi &r{d fi6nB 3 The news ofJohn's maniage is a bitter blow to Veronica, who had hoped that he would marry Sarah (Charlotte Riley), heir to the adjoining estate. Veronica appears to be stronger fli{.ffisi than her husband Jim (Colin Firth), but as the family wait on the driveway for the newly married couple, the rather dishevelled-looking Jim emphasises to the family, 'You're British, you can t'ake it'. As the couple pull up in a spray ofgravel, the look ofdisdain on Veronica's lbce increases as she declares 'Oh . you're American' as though Larita was something she'd found on her shoe. Much to Veronica's disgust, Larita immediately makes a connection with Jim, conversing with him in French. Outwardly polite, Larita soon picks up on the subtle ffi undercunents, declaring to John, 'Your mother, she loathes me.' As the tilm progresses, these undercurrents become less restrained, as the women ofthe house seek to gain the upper hand over each other. Eo$) Virtue is a romantic period film, based upon a play written by Noel Coward in 1924 cIMI (which was made as a silent movie by Alfred Hitchcock in 1928). Director and co-writer IEILEE DE T Stephan Elliot, who is best known for'l'he Atlventures ofPriscilla, Queen o/ the Desert,was not looking to produce a historically accurate film and has produced a witty, contemporary cAnilmrcil social comedy, successtully updating the storv for the twenty-first century just as the world slipped again towards recessron. Creat comedy tums are provided by the butler, Furber (Kris Marshall 1, a clear supporter o1'Larita, and John's sisters, Marion (Katherine Parkinson) who searches continually for photos ofcelebrities who look (nothing) like her dead fiance, and Hilda (Kirnberley Niron) who is constantly on the look-out for the next salacious news story. il Veronica believes that rt is Larita (and her Americanness) who demonstrates 'easy virtue', but as the film progresses it becomes clear that it's the English aristocrats who lack any moral values, including neighbouring Philip (Christian Brassinglon) who becomes injured whilst cow-tipping. Veronica is merciless in her attempts to get the better ofLarita, especially playing upon her'allergies'(clearly seen as a sign ofweakness). At first she does this in subtle ways, but the mask slips as the tale deepens, and the family starts to show what they truly think. The women seem entirely different lrom each other, but both care lor John. Larita cares for him because he appeared young and careliee when she'd recenily come fiom nursing her first husband as he died l'rom cancer. Veronica is very protective ofJohn because he is her 'troy', and she suspects that Larita has uherior motives for the maniage. The servants' viewpoint, however, gives an inkling that originally the two were not so very different, with the new Mrs Whinaker described as, 'like the old one before the war'. Jim, one ofthe 'romantic lost generation', survived the Firsl World War in body, but clearly was affected in other ways. As Larita seeks to escape from another conliontation with Veronica, she finds Jim in the garage rebuilding a motorbike. When he describes it (and perhaps himsell) as, 'broken, tamished and completely useless; guaranteed to keep my wife at bay', it becomes clear that both Jim and Larita are survivors who have much in common, lbelrng hemmed in by the arcane ways of httn://www damari s.ors/content/content nhn?tvne:5&id:R07 27lO5l2$O9 Culture Watch - Exploring the message behind the media Page2 of2 the land-owning aristocracy. The cons@nt battle ofwills between Veronica and Larita reaches a hcad over perticipotion in the local hunt, which Laria promises tojoin, but doesn't say how. Philip is very impressed by Larita, quoting Cole Porter's 1928 lyrics: 'There's something wld about that child: she's so contagious. let's be outrageous. let's misbehave.' Larita has definitely decided to misbehave, providing a modem answer to the horse and thumbing her nose at Veronica in the process. However, Larita has a guilty secret, which is finally revealed just afler she declares, 'at least I'm not pretendrng to be something I'm not.' She snaps, insisting thatthis, 'is not how I came offthe assembly lrne', md that she 'can't change lbr anybody . any more'. She no longer cares about the village gossips, and John complains to Sar3h that Lanta no longer wants to 'play along'. John, however, has changed the rules ofthe game, extending what was supposed to be a shon visit to the country seat to many months as he reahses his responsibility to what is mosl important to English aristocrats: the land. 'fhose who have experienced strong life challenges, such as Larita and Jim, are unprepared to invest everything rn their worldly goods. At the end ofthe Illm, having been ostracised, they demonstrate a masterful tango, and, rather than disappearing into the sunset (which is how the film staned with John and Larita). they disappear inro the night, accompanied by a 1920s- themed version of'Carwash', part ofa great film soundtrack. Throughout this film, we see the cultured, aristocratic mask and veneer of politeness slip as the characters try to get the better oione another. Manv ofus are accustomed to weanng our own masks, with'Oh yes, l'm fine, everything's great'as a standard answer. Masks, however, as demonstraled in /ias_v Virtue,can only cover the realit-v for so long. As Jesus said, 'You can't keep your true selfhidden lbrever; before long you'll be exposed. You can't hide behind a religious mask tbrever; sooner or later the mask will slip and your true thce will be known. You can't whisper one thrng in private and preach the opposite rn public; the day's coming when those whispers will be repeated all over toM.' (Lake lZ:2-3- The Message\. Jesus, however, came to give us l'reedom fiom having to live behind such masks. Once we have realised that Cod hims€lf knows all about us and our guilty secrets, and that he is still willing to accept us completely on the basis ofJesus's death and resurrection, we have no need to hide lrom others behind masks. ll enables us Io live truly authentic lives, accepted for who we are, here and now. rudiffi;*at Author: Bex Lewis ao Copyright: Bex Lewis 2009 Back Opinions expressed in Culturewatch articles are those ofthe author, and are not necessarily l representative -t ol- the views ol' Damaris l rusI. I I O Damaris Trust, 1997-2004. Click here lor intbrmation about republishing copyright I material. i Unless stated otherwise, Bible quotations are from the New Living Translation (NLT) 'l'yndale copyright O 1996,2004 by Charitable Trusr. Used by permission ol-Tyndale House PubLishqS Privacy Polig I Comments or questions? Email us your feedback. 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