Belle
BELLE is inspired by the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle (Gugu Mabatha-Raw), the illegitimate mixed race daughter of a Royal Navy Admiral. Raised by her aristocratic great-uncle Lord Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson) and his wife (Emily Watson), Belle's lineage affords her certain privileges, yet the color of her skin prevents her from fully participating in the traditions of her social standing. Left to wonder if she will ever find love, Belle falls for an idealistic young vicar's son bent on change who, with her help, shapes Lord Mansfield's role as Lord Chief Justice to end slavery in England.
Director:
Amma Asante
Cast:
Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Matthew Goode, Emily Watson
Screenplay:
Misan Sagay
Screening Date:
Apr 26, 2014
Running Time:
104 minutes
| Excellent | Very Good | Good | Fair | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 61.2% | 32.7% | 4.1% | 2.0% | 0.0% |
“BELLE does what film does best which is to tell us about a little known moment in history and show us how mere mortals can change thing for the better.”
“Beautiful story beautifully told. Dido was magnificent.”
“A remarkable story all the more poignant because it was true.”
“Made me cry. It was very predictable.”
“An excellent film! I am motivated to learn more about the Zong case. Thank you for an excellent film.”
“A good companion piece to AMAZING GRACE about William Wilberforce. Wilkinson was great. The language was elegant.”
“An exquisite film telling a story that I knew nothing about. Intelligent, beautiful, well-acted and poignant. There were no easy answers and the Papa was so caring and loving and courageous to do the right thing in a time of great racial and class divides. He truly went against the tide.”
“A beautiful costume drama to illustrate the varying attitudes of different factions of English society at that critical juncture in history. Great cast with excellent acting. Reminiscent at times of Ivory/Merchant approach to filming. Some of the writing was excellent, especially some of the important speeches by Belle. Beautifully shot. Overall liked it very much. Thanks for this film. A little melodramatic at times. Some of the characters were too black and white like the mother and sons. I didn’t believe that Elizabeth and Dido didn’t know about marrying for money. I couldn’t believe that Elizabeth was so naïve to think the eldest son loved her.”
“A most disturbing and very compelling drama. Belle’s enduring pain is something that still resonates in 2014!”
“A worthwhile film. Very MASTERPIECE THEATER!”
“A beautiful and informative film that needs to be viewed by all. It touched on many aspects of importance - slavery, class, sexism, wealth, power and morality.”
“Ethics, morality, values and human worth all well addressed! The story was very obvious from the beginning and history made it a feel good movie. However, had the mother not died what then would be Belle’s fate and would that bit of history not happened?”
“Wonderful performances. Bravo to the casting director. A bit reminiscent of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD.”
“Zong tragedy brings to light a segment in British history which is not often discussed, shocking but not surprised that Mansfield was incredibly brave and forward thinking in a time when political tides were not in his favor. Insurance companies always seem to have the edge in our world today. Gorgeous film, cinematography was exquisite, wonderful and moving story. Why did the filmmaker remove the turban from head of Belle (ed note: a variation from the original painting), suggests diminished status.”
“Great scenery to look at. Predictable but very interesting. Nice acting.”
“Really liked this film. Beautiful production, but more important it was educational and moving. I also appreciate seeing in the credits so many key people such as director, composer, and costumes were women.”
“Important and well done film, but the music was so sentimental.”
“Why oh why can’t there be more films like this? OK, I realize maybe there aren’t many stories like this, but then again if you ask any history teacher I’d bet they’d disagree with you…”
“Terrific story, terrific cast, solid production values – costumes, sets, etc. I will probably see it again.”
