Watching: Colette

[white_hart]

2019's cinema-going is two for two on f/f historical costume dramas so far. (Sadly, this streak seems unlikely to continue, as next week will be Stan and Ollie which I expect to be utterly devoid of lesbians, alas. And the week after may well be Mary Queen of Scots which I suspect will be femslashy but without either actual lesbians or much in the way of actual history, at least in the sense of Things That Happened or Things That May Plausibly Have Happened, rather than Things We'd Really Like To Have Happened.)

Colette is a fictionalised version of Gabrielle-Sidonie Colette's marriage to the writer Henry Gauthier-Villars, better known simply as 'Willy', a writer and critic more inclined to self-promotion than to actual writing, employing a team of ghostwriters to produce the works published under his brand and eager to capitalise on his young wife's writing talent by publishing her 'Claudine' novels under his name. It's beautifully filmed, with an aesthetic very reminiscent of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings (I'm fairly sure that some shots were deliberately set up to invoke particular paintings) and stunning costumes; Keira Knightley is very good as Colette and Dominic West (plus some very impressive facial hair) is wonderfully Mybuggian as Willy.

It left me feeling rather embarrassed that I've never read anything by Colette. I do have a copy of Claudine at School that I bought years ago so I may have to dig it out and give it a try, though I wish I thought my French was anything like good enough these days to read the original (once, I could probably have managed it).

Comments

[hilarita]

For the Mary Queen of Scots one, really, if they're not going to do much in the way of actual History (TM), they could at least provide more lesbians. I approve of lesbians in films (though I'm very unlikely to go to the actual cinema, because it's too loud and bright).

[white_hart]

I mean, it could have lesbians, but I strongly suspect that it's going to make Mary and Elizabeth super slashy without any hint of actual lesbianism. But it looks like it has nice landscapes and costumes.

I also approve of lesbians in films and am happy that they seem to be increasingly common.

[antisoppist]

*contemplates genderswap Laurel and Hardy*

Daughter and I just got back from seeing The Favourite, which was brilliant. Local cinema mainly objected to the atmospheric sound effects.

My copy of Claudine at School was translated by Antonia White.

[white_hart]

Oh, mine was also translated by Antonia White! I'd never thought to check that. That makes me feel much more inclined to read it.

I'm glad you and Daughter enjoyed The Favourite!

[oursin]

I seem to recall from when I read her biography that she had writer's block for decades but did translate a lot of Colette during that time - and other things? can't recall.

[antisoppist]

Voltaire and Guy de Maupassant says Britannica. Translation is very good for doing words when you haven't got any of your own.

I picked up Beyond the Glass in a secondhand bookshop last week.

[el_staplador]

I nearly bought Claudine At School a couple of months ago, but I told myself that I could and should read Colette in French. Rather regretting it now: there's not much on Gutenberg. Also it's more difficult than Verne.

I am intending to make good on my resolution and go and see The Favourite tomorrow. Maybe Colette the week after next.

[white_hart]

I do rather regret that at the point where I could read French well enough to do comparative literature I never thought to also try reading French for fun. Maybe I should ask myself with a dictionary and try some short stories and see if I can pick it up again.

[nineveh_uk]

I can stick my copy of Cheri in the internal mail, if you like.

[white_hart]

Yes please! Or you could just bring it next Wednesday?

[nineveh_uk]

Since I didn't have time this morning, Wednesday it is!

[antisoppist]

There was a brilliant radio version of Cheri with Lindsay Duncan and Frances Barber in it. Not currently available on iplayer sadly.

[white_hart]

I think I heard bits of that, a few years ago, though I'm never very good at following radio dramas as I always get distracted by random trains of thought and miss huge chunks.

[perennialanna]

I had been meaning to say how much your recent descriptions of why audiobooks don't work for you resonate with me. I admit to having chosen to hone my ability to follow a random train of thought and completely ignore what I am supposed to be listening to as a safety device at CU meetings, but I've always found the printed word a lot easier to follow than audio.

[white_hart]

I'm not sure how much it's innate in me and how much it's a learned response to several years of commuting by car. A bit of both, I think - I certainly remember being able to concentrate on homework with Radio 4 on but not music when I was at school, and always needed to take lots of notes in lectures, but I suspect the need to focus on the road and not the radio did for the last of my ability to concentrate.

[perennialanna]

I did a lot of my homework to a background of Radio 4 or evening television - no central heating, so the bedrooms were freezing in winter. Occasionally literally freezing.

I fell asleep in at least three quarters of my lectures. Despite sleeping ten hours a night at that point. People were beginning to mutter "narcolepsy", but I think it was just very deep depression.

[white_hart]

To be quite honest, I didn’t actually go to most of my lectures, but when I did I had to take notes if I wanted to stop my mind from wandering. I’m sure it was good practice for committee servicing many years later.

[sam_t]

I do the same thing. I do like listening to wordy things, but I generally choose audiobooks of things I've already read, or podcasts where missing small bits is OK, or selected bits of Radio 4 comedy. I miss less when running or knitting, more when doing housework (this may be just because I'm more likely to be interrupted and also more likely to be making distracting noise), and most when not doing anything else.

I was quite good at concentrating in lectures, but then I was making quite extensive notes. Unfortunately for the rare occasions when I sub in for the secretary in committee meetings, this does not appear to be a skill that has stayed with me.

[white_hart]

Fortunately (given that acting as secretary to committees is part of my job description) taking extensive notes still works for me!

[sfred]

Ooh, I am planning to see this at the weekend and am looking forward to it even more now.

[white_hart]

I was very impressed by it.