Displaying items by tag: Bille August

THE PACT/ PAGTEN

Denmark, 2021, 117 minutes, Colour.

Birthe Neumann, Simon Bennebjerg, Nanna Skaarup Voss, Asta August, Anders Heinrichsen, Marie Mondrup.

Directed by Bille August.

A pact can signify some arrangement for peace. There can also be Faustian overtones, a pact with the devil. This film emphasises the latter.

The central character is Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen her pen name), Danish, living in Africa, writing about Africa, her book, Out of Africa very well known from the Oscar-winning film by Sidney Pollack, 1985. She was also the author of another Oscar-winning film story, Babette’s feast.

This film is directed by veteran Danish director, Bille  August, noted for such films as: Pelle the Conqueror, House of the Spirits, Best Intentions, Les Miserables.

This is the story of a young poet a talented writer, married with a young child, possibilities for future success. He is played by Simon Bennebjerg (who was convincing as a violently smug villain in The Promised Land). He is taken up by Karen Blixen, now returned from Africa, unwell, moving in a literary set, but wanting to become a patron of a successful writer. She proposes an arrangement whereby she finances him, gives him opportunity is one for writing. She calls it a pact and requires absolute mutual trust. Complications arise because of his love for his wife and small child. The Baroness also manipulates his absences from his wife whom she dislikes. She also arranges for him to go to study in Bonn, setting up a possible affair with the author and one of her friends.

Birth e Neumann is powerful as the Baroness. She is self-absorbed, has a certain ruthlessness, enjoys exercising her domination of the author.

This is a strong Danish story but also a story about writing and creativity, patronage, and manipulation and mutual dependency.

1. Audience knowledge of Karen Blixen, about Africa, her life, relationship, writings?
2. The title, the young writer, his being chosen by the Baroness, the patronage, her control, the pact and its terms, her need, the effect on the author, on his wife? Growing sinister? Faustian?
3. The character of Karen Blixen, the references to the past, her experience of Africa, Out of Africa, its success, her relationship with Dennis, pilot, love, his death? Her writings? Retirement home, affluence, lifestyle, her friends, the art world, hosting dinners? Age, health?
4. The introduction to Thorkild, his age, relationship with his wife, the baby? His writing, poetry? Some acclaim? The encounter with the Baroness, being floated, her circle, Benedicte and Knud? Benedicte allegedly reading the manuscript and recommending it? His not being comfortable in this circle? Riding his bike?
5. The impact of the mansion, the facade, the grounds, interiors? Riding his bike? The contrast with his ordinary home and street?
6. The pact, the Baroness and her intentions, her needs, power, the touch of Svengali? Thorkild, his response, being flattered, the temptation, the conditions, the demand for mutual trust? His wife and her hesitation? His having to go to live with the Baroness, seclusion, his writing? In fact his succeeding? Writing better, the Baroness and her response? The meals, his wife coming to the meals, the Baroness, some friendliness, yet disdain?
7. The Baroness’s companion, her influence, presence?
8. The Baroness, the greater control, her vision for his life, without his wife, her keeping him down? The advice to have an affair? The desire to move him, opportunities, going to Bonn, discussing with his wife, his going, the communications, the Baroness sending Benedicte? The company, touring together, talking, the sexual encounter, the consequences? Benedicte, her relationship with Knud, the break, her eventually going to England?
9. Thorkild, his return, the tensions with his wife, the injury, hospital, recovery?
10. The Baroness, the effect of her control, her protégé, amoral/immoral? Taking the role of the devil in the Faustian pact? Her health, the aftermath?
11. Thorkild, his success in writing, being tempted, the effect of the pact, it is yearning for wife and child? A final resolution?

EHRENGARD: THE ART OF SEDUCTION

Denmark, 2023, 93 minutes, Colour.

Alice Bier Zanden, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Mikkel Boe Folsgaard, Emilie Kroyer Koppel, Emil Aron Dorph, Kit Eichler, Jacob Hojlev Jorgensen, Alban Lendorf, Jacob Lohmann, Christopher Laesse, Lone Rodbore, Sarah-Marie Maltha.

Directed by Bille August.

While the title is accurate in its way, it is also misleading. This is more of a European costume fairytale rather than an erotic story. It has been directed by the eminent director, Bille August (The House of the Spirits, Pelle the Conqueror).

The film is very picturesque, costumes and decor, palaces, space and grounds, the interiors. It is very pleasing to look at.

We are introduced to Ehrengard at the beginning of the film, skilful with the rapier, duelling with her fiance. Then the action moves to a painter with the Grand Duchess sitting, impatient, flirtatious. This leads us into the story of the ruling family, preserving their heritage from jealous rivals, the Duchess concerned about her son, the only heir, who shows no interest in marriage. She entrusts the painter with the task of grooming her son – which he does when he goes to paint a family portrait, choosing the youngest daughter, the son falling in love, the girl becoming pregnant before the wedding.

Ehrengard enters the narrative again, making critical comments of the painter’s portrait of the Duchess, accompanied by her stiff military father.

The main part of the story is the protection of the heir and his wife, her pregnancy kept secret, the artist again controlling everything, a remote mansion, servants, ultimately a wet nurse, and the choice of Ehrengard as the young woman’s companion. She fulfils the role perfectly – and is always strikingly dressed in white.

The artist has expressed his attraction to Ehrengard to the Duchess and she has made a wager that he will not be able to win her affections. In his many attempts, Ehrengard disdainful, he paints her bathing in the mornings of the lake, but she overhears his conversation with the Duchess and is determined to thwart him.

Many touches of farce in the proceedings, the rival family spying, the husband of the wet nurse revealing the truth, an outdoor picnic, Ehrengard’s fiance challenging the artist to a duel (and his accidentally shooting himself in the foot), and a generally happy ending for all, the Duchess having a liaison with the artist, winning a bet – and he going off thinking that he is Casanova.

Enjoyment of this variation on a fairytale will depend on taste.

1. Period costume drama? Overtones of fairytales? Overtones of romances? Comedy and farce?
2. Danish perspective, Danish story, the work of the director over the decades? Dramas, epics, the light touch? The cast?
3. The title, emphasis on art, on seduction, the underlying serious theme, but the light and farcical touch and exploration and dramatising it? And, at the end, the artist as Casanova?
4. The location photography, the Queen of Denmark and her work in cutting out scenes, putting them together, studio bound locations? Castles, the interiors, the countryside, the mountains? Costumes and decor? The musical score?
5. Ehrengard, the opening, skilling fencing, turning the tables, relationship with Kurt? Her strong character? As background for the later story?
6. The Grand Duchess, posing for the portrait, the artist, fastidious, her keeping still, her dress, her amorous attack on him? Her relationship with her elderly husband? Concerned about her son, seeing him at play with the women? His lack of interest in marriage? The situation, her husband outwitting his rivals, the rival family and their wanting power, her commissioning the artist to open up her son’s horizons?
7. The pomp and circumstance of the family, yet a small Duchy, the fairytale aspects, the realistic aspects of power and intrigue?
8. The artist, his background, his skills, flirtatious? Owing money, the landlady, paying, the commission by the Grand Duchess? His accepting the task, his wager about the seduction of Ehrengard?
9. His being invited to the party, the portrait, people admiring, Ehrengard her father, liking the painting but not liking it? The artist reaction? The later encounter with her, pretending that he did not remember her? His infatuation, the decision for the seduction, methods and tactics, patient, the wager with the Grand Duchess?
10. Taking the Prince with him, the family, the portrait of the daughters, his building up the image of his assistant, Ludmilla, her age, attracted to the Prince, their time together, falling in love? The wedding, the rival family upset? Then the discovery that she was pregnant?
11. The plan, going into seclusion, the mansion, hiring the cook, the gardener, the artist supervising everything, the request to Ehrengard to be companion, her father acceding to the request? The prince, secrecy? Ludmilla and the secrecy? The going to the mansion, enjoying the time away?
12. Ehrengard always in white, strength of character, wary of the artist, bonding with the Princess, paving, the artist seeing her, the painting, ambitions, his watching her in the lake? Her overhearing his conversation with the Grand Duchess, the plan, the seduction, her going to his room, finding the nude sketches, taking them, Ehrengard using them against him?
13. The pregnancy, the birth, Matthias and Lisbeth, in the village, the wet nurse? Matthias, his drinking, upset? The rival couple, being excluded, going to the inn, paying the innkeeper, returning, getting the information?
14. The rival couple, insisting on visiting, the Grand Duchess, continually receiving letters from the artist? Deciding on the picnic, pretending the Princess was pregnant? Out in the open, the dinner, the toasts, suspicions?
15. Matthias, with the couple, the information, the encounter with Ehrengard, her controlling him? The final confrontation, the artist bewildered, Ehrengard claiming the baby was hers, the artist and his disbelief, his sketches in his pocket, the proof?
16. The buildup to the baptism, everybody happy?
17. Ehrengard, Kurt in the town, his visit, concealing the truth, the challenge to the artist, the duel, the artist or with the gun, literally shooting himself in the foot?
18. The happy ending, the artist going on his travels, his Casanova behaviour?
19. The Duchy saved?
20. Ehrengard and her love for Kurt?