Ahoy there!
It’s time for another voyage upon the Jar of Dirt! Are ye
ready to set sail? This time, instead of braving seas of time and waves of the
ink of the printed page, we will set sail on a sea of film. Yes, that’s right,
film. When we signed the articles binding us to our World Literature crew, my
fellow crewmates and I were charged with the duty of finding and watching a
foreign film. So, what movie will dictate the path of our voyage? It’s a
British film, a tale of murder and aristocracy starring Michael Gambon, Maggie
Smith, Emily Watson, Ryan Philippe, Helen Mirren, and Clive Owen. A tale titled
– quite simply – Gosford Park.
Warning, contains spoilers!
…
Set in the early 1930s, Gosford
Park begins with a number of British aristocrats and their servants
gathering at Gosford Park, the country estate of Sir William McCordle and his
family. Over the course of the first hour of the movie, a plethora of
characters are introduced. There is Lady Trentham, a gossip with an allowance
from Sir William, and her new maid, Mary. There is Ivor Novello, an actor and
relative of the host, his friend, an American actor by the name of Morris
Weissman, and Weissman’s valet, Henry Denton. There is the mysterious valet,
Robert Parks, the strange daughter of Sir William and her cruel mother. There
are countless characters introduced, all with something to hide, be it their
history, their true identity, financial problems, a sordid affair – or several –
or anything else that a person could possibly want to hide. Then there is the
turning point. Sir William is found dead, seemingly stabbed to death, but, in
reality, poisoned the stabbing post mortem. As the investigation into his death
moves forward, hidden agendas are uncovered. Some of the guests at Gosford Park
were seeking money from Sir William, others employment, and one was undercover
in order to research a role for a film. Then there was Robert Parks. The illegitimate
child of Sir William, born thirty-two years prior to the events of the film and
left by his father at an orphanage, Robert planned his way to Gosford Park to kill
the man who had abandoned him. However, he failed to realize that Sir William
was already dead by the time he plunged the knife through his heart. He had
already been poisoned by one of his maids, Jane. Why did she do it? Robert was
her son; she realized it the moment he arrived and knew what he planned to do.
By killing Sir William before Robert had the chance to, she ensured that her
son would keep his life.
So, what does this have to do with World Literature?
Well, the movie provides insight into the workings of a
British aristocratic household in the mid-20th century. The type of
social hierarchy portrayed in the film is one not which has never had a true
match in American culture. Servants formally addressed each other by the last
names of their aristocratic employers. They drove, cooked, and cleaned for
their employers; they even helped them dress. A common theme throughout this
movie is the idea of the aristocrats looking down on the very people they rely
heavily on. Early in the film, Sir William’s daughter is having a private
conversation with a fellow aristocrat who is attempting to blackmail here when
one of the servants walks in. When she worries about her associate overhearing,
he simply says, “it’s nobody.” This idea is shown throughout the film in
various ways, including the many dalliances Sir William had with his factory
workers and maids, abandoning the children resultant of these “indiscretions” even
though they were his own, viewing them as second class, not following through
on his promises to find a good family to adopt them.
The most prominent example of this theme is found at the end
of the film when the police Inspector arrives to investigate Sir William’s
death and one of the head servants inquires as to whether or not all of the
servants will have to wait around to be questioned. The Inspector simply says, “I’m
not interested in the servants, only people with a real connection to the man.”
Little does he know that the very people he has just dubbed as second class are
the ones with the real connections to Sir William. His fellow aristocrats only
wanted money from him. Even his wife didn’t care about him; she and her sister
had cut cards to decide which of them he would marry. He did, however, have
affairs with at least three of the maids employed at his house (two of those
affairs resulting in children), and an illegitimate child seeking vengeance for
the life Sir William had robbed him of.
While Gosford Park
is a highly enjoyable film, it also sends across a very clear message; do not
judge a person by their social status, and do not underestimate someone simply
because they have little. Those who are ignored often see the most, hide the
most, and are often capable of far more than others believe.
…
Well, me hearties, that brings yet another journey to a
close. If you are a fan of British dramas, whodunit murder mysteries, or Clive
Owen, I recommend setting sail for Gosford
Park as soon as possible.
Until next time!
