I just finished watching "The Duchess" with my wife. Interesting movie from the realistic way it portrays life in the late 1700's, especially for women. The following is from one review I read about the movie and I agree that it hits the mark: The Duchess is a sobering look at the darker side of pre-Victorian life, the side that the Austens and Brontes of the world would have you believe never existed. While those endless adaptations of their work might make you think that eighteenth century England was all merry dances, flouncy dresses and chasing after brooding alpha-male types; the truth about the way of life at that time was far less fanciful. These are days when not even all men have rights yet, so women are subjected to arranged marriages of convenience and dealt with more as commodities and baby-machines than actual people. There are no dew-soaked wet-shirted romps or happy endings here, but there is something missing that stops The Duchess from being all that it could have been. It is not a great movie but it is worth watching. Main actors are Ralph Fiennes and Keira Knightley. My rating 2.75 out of 5 stars.
Ken
