Emma Mackey in Emily: Sex Education Star in a moving portrait of a woman

A major novelist of the 19th century, the Brontë sisters fascinate for several reasons. First, because these young women managed to establish themselves and become famous authors despite the social conventions of the time, which left little room for female artists. Charlotte, Emily, and Anne then all wrote works that became notable in Anglo-Saxon literature, ultimately because the Bronte siblings (their brother Branwell was a painter) died prematurely.

Branwell and Emily both died in 1848 aged 31 and 30, Anne died the following year aged 29 and Charlotte died a few years later in 1855 aged 38.

At that time, this tragic disappearance was explained by tuberculosis. But a few years later, the water in the town of Haworth, where the family lived, was turned on. Issues of Herschel Babbage a account In which he claims that the excessive mortality of a town in West Yorkshire is due to sewage. Latrines, garbage and poor cemetery maintenance would contaminate water tables.

Today Frances O’Connor paints a portrait of Emily, the youngest of the Brontë family. Less famous than her older Charlotte, to whom we are indebted Jane Eyre and “shirley”Emily wrote several poems and one novel:sheer heights“, whose critical reception was mixed when it came out. Described as lonely, rebellious and cruel, Emily Brontë would not be recognized as a talented novelist until the end of the 19th century.

“Broken Heights” It has been adapted for the big screen several times: in 1939 by William Wyler, in 1985 by Jacques Rivette, in 1988 by Yoshishige Yoshida, in 1992 by Peter Kosminski, and in 2012 by Andrea Arnold. Note that in 1979, André Techin brought the Brontë sisters’ lives to the screen, starring Marie-France Pizier, Isabelle Ajan and Isabelle Huppert.

Celebrate the woman behind the work

For her first film, Australian actress Frances O’Connor chose to portray Emily Brontë. It explains the site Screening Which made him bring Emily’s life to the screen.

“When I was 15, I read Wuthering Heights on the school bus. I remember getting off the bus and feeling like I’d gone somewhere – such a supernatural atmosphere… this beautiful Gothic landscape and these rebellious characters in the middle of it. It really matched the anxiety that 15 I was years old.

Then when I got older and read his poems and learned a little more about him, I found him to be very inspiring. He was an introvert, he was incredibly intelligent, and he wrote this amazing novel at the age of 27.

I really wanted to tell a story that celebrated who she was. I wanted to bring her story to the center and explore themes that interested me, namely female authenticity and the female voice.”

Because the strength of this film, which the filmmaker has been making for 10 years, is that it paints a portrait of an independent, lonely, rebellious and feminist woman. Qualities that were considered flaws in the 19th century. Emily Brontë is a modern and strong heroine who does not envy the heroes of novels.

A film between reality and fiction

Nevertheless, very few elements about the young woman have come down to us. Frances O’Connor wanted to show what Emily Brontë had to go through to write.Wuthering Heights” and became a recognized female poet during the few years that her life lasted. Therefore, the screenwriter and director mixed reality and fiction, especially in relation to the love story of Emily and Vicar William Weightman.

O’Connor thus declares the site this shelf : “The film’s timeline is pretty accurate when it comes to her going to school and the fact that she literally couldn’t leave the house without getting sick. So he really wandered around the vicarage with Branwell (Bronte) and (William) Weightman, his father’s vicar, and himself for about two years.

This raises the question of what happened during this period. I don’t really think she had an affair, but I think thematically it worked really well as an example of a young woman trying to figure out who she is. But because Waitman was part of the patriarchy when he had this feminine and poetic side that we see in his sermons.“

Emma Mac: Rebel and Modern Heroine

And it is the Franco-British actress Emma Mack, who, thanks to the sexual education of the series, found herself sliding into the skin of the novelist.

From almost every shot, Emma Mac shines and captivates. Her intense gaze and restrained acting give her skin-deep character a special aura.

The director explains his choice:Emma was one of the first people to audition. She was perfect, has wild energy, is gifted with great intelligence, and is obviously very beautiful, but there is something beyond her appearance. Although we continued to search, I always came back to Emma.

In turn, Emma Mackay announces the magazine Harper’s Bazaar :”I knew about the Brontë sisters and their work, but the most I needed to know was from reading biographies and studying the role.e.”

He then explains the fictional part of the feature film: “When I realized that there were many historical inconsistencies and many things that were not factual, I had to re-examine my preconceptions about the story of Brontë and Emily.

I imagined it was going to be a biopic, and when I got into the movie, I realized it wasn’t.”

He adds: “I am satisfied with the final result. The film isn’t stuck in a particular structure or set of cinematic rules, and I appreciate that. I like the fact that we’re blurring the lines quite quickly and playing with the genre a bit, going more supernatural.”

Emma Mackey shares the poster of Emily with Alexandra Dowling who plays Charlotte, Amelia Gething is Anne and Fionn Whitehead (Dunkirk) plays Branwell and Oliver Jackson-Cohen, who appeared in The Haunting of Hill House / Bly Manor and Invisible Man, is Vicar William. weightlifter

In 2022, the feature film submitted to the Dinard competition at the British Film Festival received 3 awards: the Golden Hitchcock, the main prize of the festival, the audience award and the award for the best interpretation of Emma Mack.

This modern and moving costume film opens in theaters this Wednesday, March 15th.