The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, 9/21/12, Best Actress 1969
Hopefully I saved you all from The Private Lives of Henry VIII, you’re welcome. Now you can thank me for this: watch this movie. If you just think of Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagle from Harry Potter, you will be totally amazed at the transformation of Dame Maggie, although the voice is the same. I have seen a couple of the other nominees for Best Actress from this year, Anne of a Thousand Days with Genevieve Bujold and They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? with Jane Fonda (just an aside, it’s not about horses but a dance marathon and I suffered through it, but you don’t have to), and I think the best actress/performance won in this instance. Jean Brodie is a teacher at an all-girls school in 1930s Edinburgh who is ‘in my prime’ as she likes to say. She is unmarried (a spinster in 1930s terms), but not unattached, in fact, two fellow teachers vie for her affections, one a married man who is the Art Master (played by her real life husband, Robert Stephens), and the other, unmarried and the Music Master (the elegant Gordon Jackson). The movie follows Miss Jean Brodie through her relationship with ‘the Brodie girls’ – a group of select girls that go on special field trips, have tea, and are being ‘groomed’ by Miss Brodie; Jean’s relationships with Mr. Lowther and Mr. Lloyd; and her hate-hate relationship with Miss McKay, the headmistress. Jean Brodie does not lack for self-confidence, in fact, she thinks very highly of herself and her ability to ‘put big heads on little girls’. She is a very colorful character amongst the monotones of the school uniforms and her fellow teachers, especially with her red hair (notice how she will be the only person in color when she’s surrounded by the others). Brodie has this strange fascination with the Fascist personalities of the day, especially Mussolini. She also her own cult of personality that she has developed over the years. Sandy, one of the Brodie girls, is a great foil for Miss Brodie, and they have several great scenes together. I can’t imagine being a young actress going toe-to-toe with Maggie Smith, who even in 1969, was recognized as one of the best. The actress who played Sandy, Pamela Franklin, was incredible, and I was stunned to find out she wasn’t nominated as ‘Best Supporting Actress’, that was a crime.The movie bursts with sexual tension, but barely reveals a thing, there is only one brief shot of nudity and that is during an artist’s session; no foul language; just the incredible words of the writers and the great acting, but you can feel it. And if you think about it, this was released in 1969, the height of the sexual revolution (so I’ve read, I was only two), but set in the 1930s in Scotland – not what you think about when you think of illicit affairs and passion (I always think of John Knox myself, wrong century, but still). I am sure I will be recommending a lot more movies with vigor and enthusiasm, but until I do, check this out. There is so much more to say, but I don’t want to ruin it.
Just a note, I was writing this while watching Miss Congeniality (a laugh out loud movie); I find some irony in that. Coming soon: The Muppets and The Red Shoes. Stay tuned.
