BELLE (2013) – The Review

A few months after 12 YEARS A SLAVE took home the Oscar gold as Best Picture comes another historical drama centering on the issue of slavery, but from a very different perspective. For one thing, it’s set in England where slavery was abolished nearly a hundred years before we “yanks” got with the program. Oh, and the person instrumental, according to this film, was a woman of mixed race. Let’s emulate Peabody and Sherman and jump in our cinematic “way-back” machine and drop in an a great debate spurred on in part by the beauty named, appropriately enough, BELLE.

About 100 years before Solomon Northrup went back to his family, an officer of the British Royal Navy, Sir John Lindsay (Matthew Goode) pays a visit to his uncle and aunt, William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield and the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales (Tom Wilkinson) and Lady Mansfield (Emily Watson). Sir John must leave his illegitimate mixed-race daughter, Dido Belle, with the couple while he returns to active duty (the mother recently passed away). The Murrays take in the child, who they call Dido, and she becomes the constant playmate of her same-age cousin, Elizabeth (whose father has remarried and begun a new family). More than a decade passes as the two cousins have blossomed into young beauties and so Lady Mansfield arranges a dinner with two prospective husbands (they’re men of property, so it’s more of a business rather than romantic meeting). Because of her heritage, Dido (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is not allowed to be part of dinner (she dines alone in a separate room). As she waits to join the guests post-meal, Dido walks the estate grounds and is startled by a young man emerging from the woods. It is John Davinier (Sam Reid), young law student and son of a local reverend who will be aiding Lord Mansfield as he readies his ruling on a most important case concerning a slave ship that tossed their captives overboard when the drinking water supply dwindled. Can they (the slavers) collect on the loss from the insurers? Dido soon joins the after-dinner party where she meets Lady Ashford (Miranda Richardson) and her two sons, Oliver (James Norton) and James (Tom Felton). James and his mum are repulsed by Dido’s dark skin, but Oliver is smitten by the exotic woman. She becomes more attractive to him after the news of Sir John’s passing (Dido inherits all his holdings). While Oliver courts Dido, the sheltered woman becomes fascinated by Davinier who hopes to sway Mansfield into ruling that human beings are not property. Will Dido choose a life amongst the upper classes with Ashford or join Davinier in the fight to end slavery in Great Britain?

For the majority of the film Ms. Mbatha-Raw makes a most compelling (and beautiful) 1700’s heroine. Particularly effective are the sequences in which her eyes are opened to the injustices of the world outside her plush estate. It’s only in the romantic triangle sub-plot that she makes some debatable performing choices. Her wide-eyed, overdone fluster at meeting Davinier nearly veers into “silent movie-style’ emoting when a more subtle approach would have worked better. It’s a minor mis-step that almost takes the viewer out of the drama. The same could be said of the equally radiant Sarah Gadon as Dido’s blonde cousin Elizabeth as she goes from supportive confidant to jealous, petulant adversary. Over-the-top theatrics are also indulged by the actors, particularly Felton who seems to have retained the constant sneer from his days at Hogwarts and from abusing the primate heroes of RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. His look of distaste around Dido gives way to one of lustful avarice as it appears that she will be his sister-in-law. Reid often seems strident and condescending rather than determined as he expresses his beliefs to Dido and her uncle. Later he begins to loosen-up a bit, but he still seems to be more of a teacher than suitor to Dido. As for the elders, Watson is a sympathetic mother figure to both young women, but is pragmatic in arranging the courtships. Richardson is her flip side, only concerned about matching her sons for property rather than love. Penelope Wilton provides both comedy relief and a bit of tragedy as Dido and Elizabeth’s single aunt Lady Mary Murray who rejected society’s rules in order to stay true to herself and no pays the price. But the film’s rock is the always terrific Tom Wilkinson as the master of the house. He projects a keen intelligence while presiding over his court, while at home he can let his guard down to display a warm, fiercely protective fathely spirit towards his nieces. A follow-up feature focusing on the life and career of Lord Mansfield starring Wilkinson would be most welcome.

Actress turned director Amma Asante does a commendable job of moving the story along at an elegant pace. Unfortunately the script by Misan Sagay struggles to find the right mixture of historical drama and swooning romance almost becoming one of the paperbacks that Philomena Lee would recommend. The introduction of John to Dido comes perilously close to a “rom-com meet cute”. This forced whimsy never really meshes with the slavery debates. So soon after 12 YEARS and LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER, the film feels too timid and safe. Fans of the period romance will enjoy the magnificent sets and colorful costumes, but those wanting to know more about the reasons England ended the slave trade long before the states will leave the cinemas wanting. Yes, BELLE is quite the beauty, but it appeals more to the senses and much less to the mind.

3 Out of 5