"Beauty inspires obsession."
Directed by Peter Webber
Produced by Andy Paterson, Anand Tucker
Screenplay by Olivia Hetreed
Based on "Girl with a Pearl Earring" by Tracy Chevalier
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Colin Firth, Essie Davis, Tom Wilkinson, Cillian Murphy, Judy Parfitt
Music by Alexandre Desplat
Cinematography: Eduardo Serra
Edited by Kate Evans
Production companies: UK Film Council, Archer Street Productions
Distributed by Pathé, Lions Gate Films
Release date: 16 January 2004 (United Kingdom)
Running time: 100 minutes
Country: United Kingdom, United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Netherlands
Budget: £10 million
Box office: $31,466,789 (Worldwide)
"Girl with a Pearl Earring" is a biographical romantic drama film directed by Peter Webber and based on the novel of the same name by Tracy Chevalier. The story is about a young girl who working as a maid attracts attention of painter Johannes Vermeer and becomes his talented assistant and a part of his masterpieces.
Cast
- Colin Firth as Johannes Vermeer
- Scarlett Johansson as Griet
- Tom Wilkinson as Van Ruijven
- Judy Parfitt as Maria Thins
- Cillian Murphy as Pieter
- Essie Davis as Catharina
- Joanna Scanlan as Tanneke
- Alakina Mann as Cornelia
- Chris McHallem as Griet's Father
- Gabrielle Reidy as Griet's Mother
- Rollo Weeks as Frans
- Anna Popplewell as Maertge
- Anaïs Nepper as Lisbeth
- Melanie Meyfroid as Aleydis
- Nathan Nepper as Johannes
- Lola Carpenter as Baby Franciscus
- Charlotte Carpenter as Baby Franciscus
- Olivia Chauveau as Baby Franciscus
- Geoff Bell as Paul The Butcher
- Virginie Colin as Emilie Van Ruijven
- Sarah Drews as Van Ruijven's Daughter
- Christelle Bulckaen as Wet Nurse
- John McEnery as Apothecary
- Gintare Parulyte as Model
- Claire Johnston as White Haired Woman
- Marc Maes as Old Gentleman
- Robert Sibenaler as Priest
- Dustin James as Servant 1
- Angelique Alis as Servant 2
- Martin Serene as Sergeant
- Chris Kelly as Gay Blade
- Leslie Woodhall as Neighbour
Before watching I'd known only one Webber's picture, "Hannibal Rising" (2007), that turned out not very remarkable. And as for "Girl with a Pearl Earring", it also wasn't a masterpiece but a good film to see because of long-haired Colin Firth, silent Scarlett Johansson or paranoiac Judy Parfitt whose performances made me watch till the end.
Advantages
- Colin Firth as Johannes Vermeer
- Scarlett Johansson as Griet
- Judy Parfitt as Maria Thins
- Cillian Murphy as Pieter
- Music
- Colours
Disadvantages
- Too little Scarlett's voice but it's a feature of her character
"Strangenesses"
- Too much children for today, but normal for the 17th century
Clue Moments
- Pearl earrings
- Cleaning windows
Of course, beauty is such an abstract concept which might develop in different ways. Probably for someone a butcher's shop with all its goods seems quite pretty but it's a question at issue. However if we talk about an attractive person who will dispute on her likeableness at least?
An opinion about how beautiful or ugly someone or something is depends on each person - what's good for one, bad for an other.
Johannes Vermeer was born to Reijnier Janszoon and Digna Baltens, middle-class innkeepers and prominent silk weavers in the city of Delft. Vermeer's father was a member of the St. Luke's Guild, where he traded and sold various paintings. It was from this profession that Johannes would learn all about art.
Johannes Vermeer later became part of the Guild of St. Luke. It is believed that Vermeer apprenticed under Leonart Bramer or Carel Fabritius but no evidence can really verify this. Some scholars believe that Vermeer was taught by the Catholic painter Abraham Bloemaert.
In April 1653, Vermeer married Catharine Bolnes, a wealthy Catholic woman and they had fifteen children together but sadly, four died at birth.
Catherine modeled for many of her husband's great works including "Woman Holding a Balance" and "Woman Reading a Letter". He also included various images of his children in his paintings, such as "The Little Street".
The couple are believed to have lived a happy married life until Vermeer's untimely death in 1675 from what is assumed to be a stroke.
During his lifetime, it's thought that Vermeer completed a total of thirty-five paintings, though many others that are thought to be his remain unattributed. Much can be said of Vermeer's personality traits within his works such as his affinity for the domesticity of home life and the values instilled within Christian life in the Netherlands.
Soundtracks
- Alexandre Desplat - Girl with a Pearl Earring
- Alexandre Desplat - Griets Theme
- Alexandre Desplat - A New Life
- Alexandre Desplat - The Masters House
- Alexandre Desplat - Camera Obscura
- Alexandre Desplat - The Birth Feast
- Alexandre Desplat - Cornelia
- Alexandre Desplat - Vermeers Studio
- Alexandre Desplat - Winter Nights
- Alexandre Desplat - Van Ruivjen
- Alexandre Desplat - Home
- Alexandre Desplat - Colours in the Cloud
- Alexandre Desplat - The Master Is Painting
- Alexandre Desplat - By the Canal with Pieter
- Alexandre Desplat - Catharinas Pearls
- Alexandre Desplat - Colours in the Clouds (Strings)
- Alexandre Desplat - Girl with a Pearl Earring (Reprise)
- Alexandre Desplat - Silence and Light (Piano Solo)
- Alexandre Desplat - Griets Theme (Reprise)
- Alexandre Desplat - Griet Remembers
Quotations
* * *
Van Ruijven: How hard is it to paint a pretty girl?
* * *
Maria Thins: You're a fly in his web... we all are.
* * *
Griet: Good morning, madam.[curtsies]
Catharina: Don't speak until you are spoken to.
* * *
Pieter: Don't get caught up in his world.Griet: I may only be a maid, but I would NEVER give in to Master Van Ruijven!
Pieter: I wasn't talking about Van Ruijven...
* * *
Griet's Mother: Stay clear of their Catholic prayers. Or if you must be with them when they pray, stop your ears.
* * *
Van Ruijven: You have very wide eyes.
* * *
Catharina: She's dishonest, always sneaking around, shirking her work!
* * *
You may see the trailer here.
Plot: 8/10
Entertainment: 7/10
Acting: 7/10
Originality: 7/10
Music and Sound: 8/10
7/10
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