One of the things my wife Stephanie and I love to do when we get away is go to see a movie. Last week, we had the opportunity to spend most of a week in Montréal, and we ended up seeing this movie. This is one of those movies that sneaks up on the viewer. The first half of the movie, while good, was not terribly engrossing to me. However, as I got to know the characters better and story began to evolve, I found myself quite moved by both the story and the struggle of the title character.
Belle refers to the main character in this story. She is a mixed race girl who comes into the care of a prominent justice in the English court, Lord William Murray (Tom Wilkenson). She is brought to Lord Murray by his nephew, an officer in the Navy who cannot care for her. Her full name is Dido Elizabeth Belle, and Lord Murray and his wife and family (they have a daughter as well) end up raising her as their own child. As she grows older, many things happen at once which end up causing great intrigue.
First, Lord Murray has a case set before him which is very much about the nature of slavery and its place in England at that time. It concerns the Zong Massacre, about which I have cited a wikipedia article here. Briefly, the case involved a slave ship which had been forced (according to the ship owners) to throw a cargo of slaves into the water, and now they sought insurance compensation for the slaves. Murray is given this case, and he has to weigh the merits of it, all the while having a slave's descendant as an adopted daughter.
Second, Belle herself is becoming more and more aware of the injustice of her situation. She is unable to sit with the rest of her family in society, and she feels awkward when she is in the company of slaves. She feels completely without a home. She is not a slave, but a free woman. She is not totally a free woman, because she is still subject to certain indignities due to her skin color. Finally, she is also a woman, and that by itself takes away from her many of the rights that women have come to gain in our modern society. All of this, coupled with Dido's awareness of the case that is before her adopted father, cause quite a mental crisis for Dido.
Third, Dido unexpectedly becomes a target for young men. While beautiful, she is still not an equal, and her prospects for marriage are not good. However, as she finds herself with a generous dowry, she suddenly merits the attention of young men seeking financial security. Oliver Ashford becomes "interested" in Dido, and things look as though Dido may find a husband after all. Ironically, Dido's adopted sister Elizabeth has no such prowess in the dowry department, and she is left to watch while Dido entertains suitors. Into this mix comes John Davinier, a vicar's son who is a passionate opponent of the slave trade. His idealism is a breath of fresh air for Dido, but her father thinks the match beneath her.
These three elements combine for a story with many layers. The story has a lot to say about racism, but it also reminds one of a Jane Austen tale, as women (and men) are forced to marry for reasons other than their wishes. Oliver Ashford, who becomes engaged to Dido in the movie, is an interesting character. While his scheming mother and lecherous brother barely tolerate Dido, Oliver seems to be caught in the crossfire. He might care for Dido, but is influenced by his family, who sees the match as profitable, despite the fact that his match is a black woman. As the film works toward its climax, all of the different layers of the movie come together skillfully, and the movie delivers a satisfying conclusion. This movie is a very satisfying piece of drama. As we continue to struggle with race and all its implications, the ideals of this movie give us something to strive toward, even though it takes place in a world where slavery is still legal in the US and Britain.
