His poems ode to a nightingale and bright star examine themes such as mortality and idealism of love. Bright star is a biopic based on the last three years of the life of john keats, the great romantic era poet who died of tuberculosis at the ripe old age of twentyfive. Bright star, would i were stedfast as thou art john keats was born in london on 31 october 1795, the eldest of thomas and frances jennings keatss four children. Campions film about the life and love of keats poets.
Description and explanation of the major themes of keatss odes. How to analyse keats poems and bright star for hsc english. No, he doesnt want to be like a star in these ways, but in its steadfastness. Last sonnet or bright star as the poem is also known as was written by john keats in 1819 and, then, revisited in 1820. Bright star is a true story depicting the love affair of two exceptional souls who lived a life however brief for keats of happiness in this world. Her story is inevitably woven with that of an idealistic young man. Well, in the first line, the speaker says he wants to be like a star. Bright star is a 2009 britishfrenchaustralian biographical fiction romantic drama film based on the last three years of the life of poet john keats and his romantic relationship with fanny brawne. Bright makes some very brilliant, economical decisions over the course of. Bright star by john keats poetry analysis quillsliteracy. In the opening moments of bright star, a blade pushes through the surface of some coarse material.
Bright star 2009 jane campion synopsis, characteristics. A portrait of love and loss, jane campions film bright star chronicles the tragic love affair between john keats and his neighbor, fanny brawne, throughout the years in which keats wrote several of the most celebrated poems of the romantic period. Bright star encourages our belief that browns solicitude for keats and hostility to brawne is not motivated solely by her potential to derail keatss career. Bright explores universal themes, but simply in a fantastical, heightened way.
The poet aspires to the fixed and ethereal beauty of the star, yet is aware of its limitations. The poems main theme deals with the love and appreciation of things that are unchanging. One could see it as the story of a womans coming of age, the necessary passage of fanny from the safe prettiness of her maiden chambers towards the intimacy with suffering that she finds through her relationship with keats. This is the north star, the one star that stays fixed in its place for all time. All the other stars on the sky are constantly changing positions as time passes. Theme and poetic analysis of john keatss sonnet bright star a bright star by keats, is a sonnet that shows his infatuation to be with his lover for eternity. Campions film about the life and love of keats a portrait of love and loss, jane campions film bright star chronicles the tragic. As keats states in lines 1011 that he would rather be steadfastly pillowed on his lovers breast rather than being like the star hanging in splendid isolation in the sky, his choice of language sensuously suggests the physicality for which he yearns. For a second, the prospect of a campionesque act of violence hoversthe kind that hacks into her films romantic fantasies, proving lethal to women and hardly less toxic to men.
Bright star is the story of one woman at two different points in her life. While i came to enjoy this soundtrack a great deal, i admit that the unconventional format took me by surprise. The sonnet with its measured space and serene dignity is a flawless composition in design and craftsmanship. A portrait of love and loss, jane campions film bright star chronicles the tragic love affair between john keats and his neighbor, fanny brawne. The quality the speaker most admires in the star is. Bright star 1 a facilitators guide for youth workers, leaders, educators and families to accompany the movie, bright star. Jan chapman productions, new south wales film and television office, screen australia. He could have been writing about himself and fanny. This educational site for secondary schools and further education colleges features interactive teaching materials exploring the representation of keats life and poetry in the film bright star. Isolation is a very important theme in bright star because it is the dealbreaker. Though her new film bright star chronicles the love story of british romantic poet john keats and 18yearold fanny brawne, academy. Mar 01, 2010 brown, not keats, is the aesthete in bright star, valuing vocation over matrimony and high art over life, life as the enemy of promise. After months of hype and anticipation, netflix has finally dropped bright, the streaming platforms first blockbuster.
Jane campions calm, subtle and measured film about keats is the best of her career, says peter bradshaw. Theme and poetic analysis john keatss sonnet bright star. The film is a tribute to the powerful tension between the two, between materiality and mystery, soul and body, practicality and poetry, even life and. Bright makes some very brilliant, economical decisions over the course of its introduction that earns the film a lot. Brown, not keats, is the aesthete in bright star, valuing vocation over matrimony and high art over life, life as the enemy of promise. Nevertheless, his biographers suggest different dates for this same poem, which contemplate his meeting with fanny brawne and, later, his engagement to her. The purity and steadfastness of the star image turns into the warm sensuousness of physical love with images of loves ripening breast rising and falling.
A film about a romantic poets romance could so easily be cringeworthy. Not since sweetie have i so relieved in her work as i have in bright star. The musical is inspired by their grammywinning collaboration on the 20 bluegrass album love has come for you and, in turn, the folk story of the iron mountain baby. Young people are brightthey can handle these kinds of complex concepts. Bright star, would i were stedfast as thou art themes. It stars ben whishaw as keats and abbie cornish as fanny. The shot is an introduction to fanny brawne, whose love affair with john keats is the subject of campions new film. Film education resources bright star poetry onscreen. Bright star is a beautifully made film and i suppose its true to the romantic spirit of john keats poetry, but the scripts drippy, melodramatic qualities produce quite a few eyerolls. By adding an exclamation to the line, he stresses the importance of the star and to exhibit the excitement he is feeling.
The great poets lives are infinitely colourful, so why are films about them so dull. In particular, it views keats through the lens of his muse and love interest. The quality the speaker most admires in the star is steadfastness. Aug 28, 2017 provided to youtube by ghostlight records if you knew my story carmen cusack bright star original broadway company bright star original broadway cast recording. In this sonnet keats reflects on the discontinuity between man and nature, as well as a longing for identification. Bright star is a musical written and composed by steve martin and edie brickell. Friends and his doctor had urged him to try a common treatment for tuberculosis, a trip to italy. Bright star is a period film that focuses on keats and brawnes relationship. Bright star is a film about interiors, alternating between fannys sunlit rooms and the dark, disorderly places where keats ben whishaw and brown paul schneider struggle with the interior imagination. So unhappily for the cynic, his venom is ineffectual against this film. Exploring poetry as well as learning more about the early 19th century are key themes in this guide. Campions film bright star, in order to infuse the narrative of john keats and fanny. It is set in the blue ridge mountains of north carolina in 194546 with flashbacks to 1923.
Netflix bright takes on racism, social class commentary. It tells the story of john keats brief but passionate relationship with fanny brawne, when john keats, the poet was 24 and approaching the throws of tuberculosis that fatally claimed his life in rome. Jane campions beautiful, wistful film bright star shows them frozen in courtship, like the young man keats wrote about in ode on a grecian urn. Bright star, would i were stedfast as thou art themes shmoop. Nov 09, 20 jane campions film bright star2009 described by blogger wondersinthedark, is based on a biographical volume by andrew motion. He wrote it in 1819 originally, although he revised it a year later. Jane campion whose films sweetie and angel at my table are personal favorites, though it was the piano that won three oscars made several deft moves in her writing and direction of bright star and created a solid film. In particular, it views keats through the lens of his muse and love interest, fanny brawne.
Would i were steadfast as thou art the sonnet form. The acting is fabulous, as is the writing, setting, cinematography, customs etc. Themes in bright star, would i were stedfast as thou art, analysis of key bright star. With this account of john keatss love affair with fanny brawne, played by ben whishaw and abbie cornish, campion has made a fine and even ennobling film. Bright star is a 2009 film based on the last three years of the life of poet john keats and his romantic relationship with fanny brawne. This film curriculum for bright star is structured for use in conjunction with reading one or more of keats poems and a selection of his letters to fanny brawne, his friends and family, and. Provided to youtube by ghostlight records if you knew my story carmen cusack bright star original broadway company bright star original broadway cast recording. Jane campion is a new zealand filmdirector and screenwriter who began her studies in the early 1980s at the australian school of film and television. Rather than simply giving us the musical score of the movie bright star, this recording combines music, dialogue, and keats poetry, distilling them into a short but moving program.
The clearest picture we get of love in bright star comes after line 9, when the speaker describes how he wishes he could spend all eternity with his head resting on his fair loves ripening breast. Dec 21, 2017 bright explores universal themes, but simply in a fantastical, heightened way. Starring will smith and lots of gunfire, the film has a lot going on. Keats wrote bright star in 1819 and revised it in 1820, perhaps on the final voyage to italy. Nov 05, 2009 bright star 5 5 stars 5 out of 5 stars. Having cornish and whishaw recite stretches of keats poetry in the course of conversation is a risky strategy that could easily misfire, but never does. Bright star was workshopped by the new york stage and film at the powerhouse theater at vassar college in july 20. Summary and analysis it was the last poetical work of keats, was composed in october 1820 on board the ship that took him from london to italy.
This accessible literary criticism is perfect for anyone faced with keatss odes essays, papers, tests, exams, or for anyone who needs to create a keatss odes lesson plan. However, where keats poetry is all about trying to understand love and death in terms of the transcendental or spiritual, campions film is far more downtoearth. Listen to and download the music, ost, score, list of songs and trailers. The tone changes quite abruptly at the sonnets volta, the point where the octave ends and the sestet begins. The romantic era of keats and bright star essay keats poetry explores many issues and themes, accompanied by language and technique that clearly demonstrates the romantic era. This film curriculum for bright star is structured for use in conjunction with reading one or. Bright star by john keats by sean arrietakenna on prezi. Dec 21, 2017 all 27 songs from the bright 2017 movie soundtrack, with scene descriptions. Bright star reflects many of the aesthetics of keats poetry through its long shots of pastoral scenes, and aweinspiring natural landscapes. The elizabethan sonnet has fourteen lines which consist of three stanzas with an abab rhyme scheme followed by a rhymed couplet. Bright 2017 soundtrack complete list of songs whatsong. It is rare that a film separates potential viewers into two camps so easily as bright star, director jane campions ode to the relationship between john keats, the great 19th century romantic poet, and fanny brawne, an independent, opinionated englishwoman whose intellectual curiosity and appreciation for poetry won keats heart. Imagery, symbolism and themes john keats, selected. It had its world premiere at the old globe theatre san diego on september 28, 2014 and ran to november 2, 2014.
Bright star, would i were stedfast as thou art poetry. A few memorable scenes from the film bright star starring abbie cornish and ben whishaw along with the promise, musical theme composed by michael nyman fro. Director jane campions film bright star is a depiction of the romance between the doomed young poet john keats ben whishaw and his neighbor, fanny brawne abbie cornish in england in the early 19th century, and this short soundtrack album contains composer mark bradshaws appropriate musical cues, played by him on keyboards with a string quartet. The musical opened at the kennedy center in washington, d. Set in the early set in the early 19th century, this movie gives a glimpse of some aspects of life in england just after the turn. Find release information for bright star 2009 jane campion on allmovie.
Bright star it is rare that a film separates potential viewers into two camps so easily as bright star, director jane campions ode to the relationship between john keats, the great 19th century romantic poet, and fanny brawne, an independent, opinionated englishwoman whose intellectual curiosity and appreciation. It was directed by jane campion, who wrote the screenplay inspired by andrew motions 1997 biography of keats. This would be expected in a petrarchan sonnet but is less usual in keats chosen structure of shakespearean sonnet. She clearly emerged into one of the worlds leading female directors. And the films frank talk about mental illness, suicidal thoughts, physical abuse and family loss is so potent and necessary that it makes you wish fanning hadnt been saddled with a treacly narration at the end, summarizing the themes. Bright star, would i were stedfast as thou art themes love the clearest picture we get of love in bright star comes after line 9, when the speaker describes how he wishes he could spend all eternity with his head resting on his fair loves ripening brea. Would i were steadfast as thou art as it is sometimes known, is probably the most famous sonnet written by the romantic poet john keats 17951821. Bright star by john keats oh, were he as unchanging and permanent as a star, not in its loneliness in the night, sleeplessly watching the empty ocean or the mountains.