A Voyage to England

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!

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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-20^th 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.

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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!