The Duchess steps out of Diana's shadow

Saturday 6th September 2008 - 08:15:09

'The Duchess', a film based on the life of Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire, caused controversy long before it was released.Starring Keira Knightley as the title character and Ralph Fiennes as her husband the Duke of Devonshire, with co-stars including Hayley Atwell as the Duke's mistress Bess and Dominic Cooper as Georgiana's lover Charles Grey, the film adaptation of Amanda Foreman's critically-praised book was always sure to be a hit.However, the marketing campaign's comparison between the life of Georgiana and that of the late Princess Diana (who are distantly related) is causing a stir.While there are undeniable similarities - the two women in question were beautiful, fashion icons, politically aware and reportedly the victims of their husband's affairs - it is claimed the advertisers decided to employ the comparison in a bid to encourage viewers to watch the movie.Director Saul Dibb explains the decision was out of his hands, but may result in higher box office numbers in a world which is still obsessed with the death of Princess Diana - more than 10 years after the tragic event. "It would be naïve to say that no-one's aware of them, Amanda Foreman's book - which never referenced Diana specifically - every review of that book drew those parallels," Saul said."The reality is there are the filmmakers which is all of us making the film, and then there's the marketing of the film afterwards. They're two different things. We had the freedom to make our film and they have the freedom to market the film. It cost them a lot of money and they want to get as wide an audience in."What they've done, I think, is made explicit what would have been written about by everybody anyway. In a sense they've cut out the middle man and gone directly to it. It doesn't represent us and our approach to the film but for them to make their choice is up to them. If it gets more people in to see the film which stands on its own then perhaps they're right."

Keira - who arguably puts in the best performance of her career in the period drama - insists she never wanted to point out the link between the two women.

"I was 11 when Diana died so I really don't know what the actual story was, so I don't think I can comment on the parallels," she said. "I was definitely aware of the images. I knew when I was going into it that she was a distant relation, but that's as far as my knowledge goes.

"As Saul said, I was very much making a film about Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. I think that she's an interesting enough person to warrant a film completely about her, without comparison."

And Keira is right. Without having to rely on the reference to Diana, 'The Duchess' is an absorbing piece of cinema in its own right.

The life of Georgiana was troubled. After marrying the Duke of Devonshire at the tender age of 17, the couple's relationship started to decline when she was unable to produce a male heir for the Duke - one of the conditions of their marriage.

After Georgiana built up a friendship with Lady Elizabeth Foster, nicknamed Bess, the Duke started having an affair with her, pushing the Duchess into the arms of Charles Grey - the man she was truly in love with. When the Duke found out about the affair, he threatened to take Georgiana's three daughters away from her unless she called it off.

After ending the illicit affair, Georgiana found out she was pregnant with Charles' baby, and was forced to give up the little girl, Eliza, to Charles' family - one of the most poignant and emotionally distressing scenes in the film.

Boasting amazing costumes, fantastic locations and emotional dialogue - the movie makes viewers cry and laugh in equal measures, with Ralph Fiennes' comic timing as the Duke providing some of the funniest moments in the film.

Using authentic UK locations of the time, including Norfolk's Holkham Hall, Derbyshire's Chatsworth House - where the current Duke and Duchess of Devonshire live - and Ashbourne's Kedleston Hall add not only to the overall aesthetic of the film but also enabled the actors to tap into their characters' lifestyles at the time.

"I think it helps us, as actors, just being in those enormous houses - particularly for me - it helped with the sense of isolation that I thought Georgiana was going through," Keira said. "And the sheer scale of them and the beauty of them is quite astounding."

"I always think when you enter those buildings it's the feeling of what those walls have seen and what those buildings have been through," Dominic added. "When you go into the building you really get a sense of them and a feeling of it. It's like the research of going into the Houses of Parliament and really feeling the history there and the changes in that building that have been made to our country, the decisions that have been made in there.

"Those buildings in a way give you what a costume does, after you've done all the research and all the work on the scenes, you then suddenly enter all these incredible spaces. It's like when you've finally talked your costume through and you slip that on and you put the shoes on after the work has been done you really feel the part. It's an incredible sensation."

The costumes are also incredible - and will undoubtedly be one of the most attractive features for eager fashionistas.

However, while the towering wigs, elaborate dresses and decadent jewellery looked gorgeous on screen, Keira admits maintaining her composure on set in the outfits was difficult.

"It took about two and a half hours to get into the dresses. We had to be sewn in to some of them, which they would have been, they would have been sewn in and cut out," she said.

"Also, I didn't fit into the toilet in the trailer, which was quite difficult in itself. Or in the car, with the wigs on."

Hayley, who also wore a variety of marvellous costumes in her role as Bess, added: "They were very heavy as well, with so many layers to them and so much detail. We had to find different gestures and postures for standing and sitting that we could sustain for long periods of time without hurting ourselves.

"But it was absolutely extraordinary to think that's how they dressed every single day, with that kind of preparation."

While the comparison between Georgiana and Diana in the advertising campaign is a true one, it seems to be distracting from what is an amazing, stand-alone movie.

The acting is incredible - with Keira's portrayal of the Duchess sure to turn even her harshest critics - and 'The Duchess' is sure to be a period drama which will stand the test of time.

By Sarah Bull.