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Girl With A Pearl Earring
2003
Set in 17th-century Holland, GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING follows the life of Griet (Scarlett Johansson), a young woman who must work as a maid to help her family make ends meet. Seeking employment at the home of renowned painter Johannes Vermeer (Colin Firth), Griet finds most of the household, including Vermeer's ever-pregnant .. Read more
| Starring | Colin Firth, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Wilkinson, Judy Parfitt |
|---|---|
| Director | Peter Webber |
| Genres | Audio Descriptive, Drama |
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Girl With A Pearl Earring
Set in 17th-century Holland, GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING follows the life of Griet (Scarlett Johansson), a young woman who must work as a maid to help her family make ends meet. Seeking employment at the home of renowned painter Johannes Vermeer (Colin Firth), Griet finds most of the household, including Vermeer's ever-pregnant wife (Essie Davis) and stern mother-in-law (Judy Parfitt), to be difficult and even hostile. However, she does form a unique bond with Vermeer himself, but this connection threatens to cause grief for both Griet and Vermeer. Complicating matters even further is attention from both Vermeer's wealthy patron Van Ruijven (Tom Wilkinson) and the charming local butcher's son (Cillian Murphy).
Adapted from the book by Tracy Chevalier and helmed by first-time director Peter Webber, GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING creates a back story for Vermeer's famous painting of the same name. Johansson is excellent in her quiet, understated role, while Firth is suitably moody and enigmatic. However, the visuals are the true highlights of this remarkably photographed movie; Webber and, most notably, cinematographer Eduardo Serra establish a beautifully historic look and film every scene as if it were a series of gorgeous paintings in the style of that era. As a portrait of the life behind a portrait, GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING is an intriguing study of both art and desire.
| Starring | Colin Firth, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Wilkinson, Judy Parfitt, Cillian Murphy, Essie Davis, Joanna Scanlan |
|---|---|
| Director | Peter Webber |
| Studio | PATHE DISTRIBUTION |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 43 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Audio Descriptive, Drama |
| Language | DVD: English, English Audio Description |
| Hearing-impaired | English |
| Released | DVD: 26 May 2004 Production year: 2003 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (4)
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British director Peter Webber makes an astonishing feature debut with this ravishing period drama. Based on the bestselling novel by Tracy Chevalier, it's an imaginary reconstruction of the story behind 17th-century Dutch Master Johannes Vermeer's celebrated painting Girl with a Pearl Earring. Following her outstanding turn in Lost in Translation, Scarlett Johansson cements her golden girl positioning with a heartbreakingly brilliant portrayal of Vermeer's housemaid and eventual muse. Inadvertently drawn to the secretive artist (a brooding Colin Firth), she finds head and heart colliding to costly effect. Though a work of fiction, the exquisite tale feels authentic thanks to the strong central performances and a naturalistic script that avoids tawdry melodrama. Instead, the film's considerable emotional and erotic power comes from expectation and electric flashes of intimacy, with one look from Johansson enough to convey a thousand words. The cinematography is equally intoxicating, transforming every detailed frame into a richly coloured tableau vivant, while Alexandre Desplat's beautiful score adds extra intensity.
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Splendidly photographed, with interiors lit as if by Vermeer, this inert drama suffers from its banal dialogue and unconvincing performances.
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Most helpful member's review
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125 out of 142 people found this review helpful
Marvellous adaptation
Literary adaptations are notoriously fraught with danger, especially if it's one as popular as Tracy Chevalier's Girl With a Pearl Earring. Full marks then to the filmmakers' for having made an engaging, engrossing, moving movie which not only does the source material proud, but in places improves on it.
It's the visuals which amaze here. From the bustling, not-far-from-squalor atmosphere of 17th Century Delft, to the rich adornments of Vermeer's callow wife, to the austere yet strangely warm studio Vermeer uses, Girl With a Pearl Earring looks stunning. For a film about art, and the appreciation of art, there are scenes of painterly composition which are a joy to watch.
That the film is slow and methodical reflects the artist Vermeer's own work practices. As played by Firth, he appears as frustrated with the conventions of the day as his mother-in-law is ruled by them. Johansson it is who shines, though, stealing every scene she's in, and doing so with a minimum of effort. She would have made a formidable silent actress, so effective is her ability to project her inner thoughts and feelings.
Well worth your time, and like the famous painting it depicts, a movie which will linger long after you've seen it. -
Most recent members' review
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22 out of 41 people found this review helpful
An Adaptation That Surpasses The Original Material
Girl With A Pearl Earring is basically a love story. It is a story about the love of art and appreciation of the finer things in life that make living worthwhile.
Greet is the daughter of an artist. Her father has lost his sight and her family are unable to keep her so she is sent to live with another family as their maid. The head of the household is also an artist, one who relies heavily on the goodwill of his sponser to be able to put food on the table. When Greet's new master becomes aware of her appreciation for art he attempts to make her his protege, and eventually she becomes his muse. In time, both the artist's family, and his lecherous sponser, become increasingly jealous of their inappropriate relationship and individually plot to destroy it.
This is a film that is beautifully scripted, acted and shot.The film score is perfectly haunting, complementing the story, but never overshadowing it. It is a work of art come to life. -
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Set in 17th-century Holland, GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING follows the life of Griet (Scarlett Johansson), a young woman who must work as a maid to help her family make ends meet. Seeking employment at ... -