GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING

 

"I will paint you as I first saw you. Not a Maid. You."

Johannes Vermeer

1665 Delft in Holland, Griet (Johansson) starts work as a maid in the house of renowned local artist Johannes Vermeer (Firth). Her duties include the cleaning and tidying of her master's studio and over the time she becomes fascinated with his work. Without a new commission, Vermeer becomes inspired by Griet's interest in the art and she becomes his muse. His wife and children become increasing jealous of the attention he is giving the maid but when local patron Van Ruijun (Wilkinson) asks for a portrait of Griet, Vermeer and his mother-in-law Maria Thins (Parfitt) decide to keep the painting a secret.

Inspiration and fascination are explored in a movie about art that looks good enough to be a painting.

Based on Tracy Chevalier's acclaimed novel, the movie delves into the mystery of one of the greatest ever portraits, Vermeer's 'Girl with a Pearl Earring'. Here we find out about the fictional life of Griet, the subject of the painting as created by Chevalier from historical clues about Vermeer's life and studies of his paintings. Her captivating life of service and fascination with her master's paintings, might be pure speculation but it is the attention to detail of both the movie and the novel that give these events the possibility of truth.

The performances are first rate. It is easy to forget that there is more to Colin Firth than his romantic comedy roles. He is also a fine dramatic actor and provides an understated, slightly removed performance for a character consumed by his art at the expense of his family. While his wife, children and mother-in-law are motivated by the money his painting generate, only Griet takes an interest in his art and you can see why Vermeer is drawn to her. Firth rises to this challenge by creating two sides to the complex character, a distant, remote side when he is with his family or in a social gathering and a tender, passionate side when he shares his love of art with Griet.

Fine support comes from the always-reliable Tom Wilkinson, as the deviant patron Van Ruijun who has a predilection for young servant girls. Cillian Murphy continues to make a name for himself, with another fine performance. Judy Parfitt as the commanding woman of the house and mother-in-law, Maria Thins would strike fear into any servant or man and Essie Davis excels as the jealous wife, consumed by self-doubt and greed.

This is Scarlet Johansson's movie however. The young actress is becoming a real star and someone to watch. She is truly captivating in the role of Griet and she looks astonishingly like the inspiration for the famous portrait. It is the pure honesty of her performance that brings the character to life as the actress captures her innocence and passion for art with the skill of a seasoned professional. Superstardom and awards aplenty await this extremely talented performer.

The visuals on this movie are a pure colour pallet for the eye. Fantastic set design, costumes and lighting create a canvas on the screen as the colours are illuminated as if they were the original oils used to produce Vermeer's masterpieces. Director Peter Webber and cinematographer Eduardo Serra have captured the period and the look exquisitely to produce one of the most visually splendid films for many a year. It is a pure visual feast.

What lets the film down is some unnecessary details and subplots. While the interactions between Vermeer and Griet are fascinating, as they grow as people in each other's presence, there is not enough here to hold the attention. The decision by the writer and filmmakers for the two not to consummate their attraction and bond is an excellent one, adding more to the drama and romance of the piece but many of the other storylines seem totally unnecessary. For example Vermeer's son's dislike of Griet, the whole Pieter storyline and the religious overtones of Griet's character are all voiced but never really followed up on or concluded. If these points had been historically accurate you could have accepted them but as most of the story is based on speculation, it makes it harder to accept as it just feels like filler.

'Girl with a Pearl Earring' is a fine example of period filmmaking. This is a visually stunning movie that has a captivating story at it's heart but suffers from been smothered by the surrounding, unnecessary filler. While this doesn't take too much away from the main story, it does hinder it slightly as you are taken intermittingly away from the real tale it is trying to tell. This is a shame as the excellent visuals and fine performances deserve a lot more.

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen with a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround soundtrack, this is an excellent transfer. The sharpness of the picture quality allows the film to convey its artistic feel and the almost oil painting like pallet of the entire movie. The surround sound track emphasises dialogue very well but comes alive when Alexandre Desplat's wonderful score consumes the speakers.

BONUS FEATURES

Director/Producer's Commentary
Director Peter Webber and Producer Andy Patterson chat about bringing Tracy Chevalier's novel to the silver screen. They talk about using different film stocks to create a look that would mimic actual paintings from the time. They reveal how they met Scarlett Johansson for the first time and how she instantly stood out from the one hundred and fifty girls who auditioned for the part. They also discuss, in length about how cold the shoot was and how the fictional elements of the book and the proceeding screenplay where blended with actual historical facts, such as the removal of the chair from Vermeer's painting.

Author/Screenwriter's Commentary
Novelist Tracy Chevalier and screenwriter Olivia Hetreed discuss the differences between the novel and the final draft of the screenplay. They talk at length about the differentiation between the written word and the visual medium and how something can work extremely well in a book and be a complete failure on the silver screen. The two discuss the casting and how Olivia fell in love with Cillian Murphy. The also reveal that the ending of the book was completely different to the movie, as it misses out a section that takes place twelve years after the completion of the painting.

Girl with a Pearl Earring: The Art of Filmmaking (13.40 mins)
Director Peter Webber, producer Andy Patterson, novelist Tracy Chevalier, screenwriter Olivia Hetreed and stars Colin Firth, Scarlett Johansson, Cillian Murphy and Joanna Scanlan talk about bring 17th century Holland and the world of Johannes Vermeer to life. They discuss the visual style of the movie and the importance of certain scenes. Colin Firth reveals that he became obsessed with the painter and his paint making methods but the fact that he cannot paint to save his life hindered any chance of becoming an artist.

Deleted Scenes (14.59 mins)
Entitled "The Vermeer's visit", "I didn't ask for blue", "So Soon", "Plague 1", "Plague 2", "Plague 3", "As I first saw you" and "The cabinet" these eight deleted scenes are accompanied by optional commentary by director Peter Webber.

Anatomy of a Scene (23.52 mins)
A Sundance Channel special that looks at the construction of the 17th Century Banquet scene. With interviews with director Peter Webber, producer Andy Patterson, novelist Tracy Chevalier, screenwriter Olivia Hetreed, editor Kate Evan, art director Christina Schaffer, cinematographer Eduardo Serra, composer Alexandre Desplat and star Scarlett Johansson, the featurette takes you through design, location, production, lighting, editing and music of the pivotal scene.

UK Theatrical Trailer (1.39 mins)
Your chance to watch the trailer released to cinemas in the UK.

OVERALL

A visually superb movie receives an extremely good DVD treatment from Pathé. The two commentary tracks are very informative and a pleasure to listen to when the people involved are so passionate about the project. The inclusion of a good making of featurette and the excellent Sundance Anatomy of a Scene only add to the value. The deleted scenes are all better for the inclusion of an optional commentary track also. These elements combine to make this a extremely well packaged DVD that is a must buy for fans of the movie and a fantastic rent for everyone else.

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2004