Customer Reviews

Jefferson in Paris

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

Just finished watching Jefferson in Paris again for what seems like the upmteenth time and am amazed by how much more I undertood the movie this time around, and how much of its many nuancies I'd missed, or simply forgotten, from previous viewings. For example, the almost competitive nature of the relationship between the perpetually sickly and sullen looking Martha "Patsy", Jefferson's daughter and the enigmatic Mrs. Conway, played by the incomparable Greta Sacchi; Mr. Conway's inexplicable jealousy at the blossoming relationship between his wife and Jefferson, even in spite of his flagrant homosexuality (addressed in a sublte, yet clear fashion, another example of this film's classiness), and much more.

From the beautifully hypnotic and classical soundtrack (an escapists dream), to the movie's scenery and wardrobe that encapsulates the European decadence of the period, this movie is one of my all time favorites.

There is so much more to praise about this film: for starters, the historical accuracy of the portrayal of the events of France in that period, the director's ability to entertwine both the historical events of the time with a little poetic justice to fill in those gaps which history books have oft left unfilled (such as Jefferson's relationship with Sally Hemmings played with such nymph-like and utterly stunning talent by the amazing Thandie Newton), and much more.

Nick Nolte is perfect in his role as Jefferson, and lends a keen sensitivity (not to mention sexiness!) to the character; Gweneth Paltrow does a wonderful job of making Patsy one of my least favorite characters in the movie: her sullen, bitter, jealous, clinging and insecure nature comes shining through under Paltrow's characterization, helping us to understand just how plausible it might have been for an incestuous relationship to have existed between herself and her father.

The actor who plays James Hemming deserves much praise also in his rare portrayal of a young slave who is not only alert, smary (able to learn French and the art of French cusine without much help) and canny, but who is also endowed with the ability to reason and understand the liberties to which he is entitled as a human being, despite the clear absence of a formal education America's institution of slavery has denied him, his sister and the countless others of their position.

However, the bulk of my praise goes to Thandie Newton and her portrayal of the young Sally Hemmings. Thandie lends to Hemmings a naivete, innocence, virginity, vulnerability, good-natured childishness, beauty and myriad more qualities which at once make it easy to understand how Jefferon could so easily have engaged in an ongoing relationship with her. If the household in which he lived in true life was anything close to that portrayed in the film, then who could blame him for finding solace in the childish wit and the naively entertaining qualities and charm of a girl like Sally? It would appear that his household prior to her arrival was not entirely dissimilar to that of a dark hospital room- prisine, sanitary and markedly devoid of the sunlight and laughter which Sally Hemmings' presence was clearly able to illicit from the previously astute Jefferson.

An A-plus cast, an exquisite soundtrack, coupled with an excellent attention to historical events of the time, make this one of my favorite period pieces. Ivory fans will not be disappointed. A must see for all those who profess to be American history buffs and those who share a love for escapist flights into a period in American and French history not too often portrayed in movies.

Although some people may find this film boring, it may not be their type of film. For anyone who wants to see a film about one of our most fascinating Founding Fathers, this is the film to watch and own. Its my favorite film about any of the presidents and I wish they would make more of them. I especially loved the actress who played Marie Antoinette. She embodied exactly how I pictured Marie Antoinette to look and act when I only read about her. The same goes for Lambert Wilson, who played the Marquis de Lafayette...exactly as I had imagined him. My favorite performance though, goes to Thandi Newton as Sally Hemmings. Seeing her in this film when it first came out made me take notice of her and follow her career with interest. What I love most about this film is the glimpse it gives viewers of life during the pre-revolutionary period in France, and shows the absurdities of ritualized Court life and why the people demanded change. King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were simply out of touch with ordinary people, and our Ambassador to France Thomas Jefferson was a first hand witness to it all. The film ends too abruptly for me. I would have liked a greater resolution than that...but since films like these are rare, and I wish that Hollywood made more films about our Founding Fathers, I can't complain with what this film accomplishes. Its certainly a lot better than the made for TV, "Sally Hemings" mini-series.

If this movie doesn't get you to thinking about the conflicts of our society and how different people confront them, then the movie would fail! It doesn't,though.Jefferson is a man at odds with himself.What he believes versus what he actually does remains for all the world to see.Monticellian life was an undiscussed secret.Jefferson loved French society and yet loathed an aristocracy.Jefferson was an enigma and Nick Nolte plays the part to an absolute tee!The more I have watched this film the more I could never see anyone else playing Jefferson but him.The story line is quite engaging and Thandie Newton,Greta Scacchi and Gwyneth Paltrow are at their very best as supporting cast.The soundtrack is wonderful for the lover of Baroque music.This is an artistic film and has great appeal to those with an artist's sensibilities.

Jefferson in Paris didn't have the feel of a Merchant-Ivory production. Perhaps I was used to seeing the work of these two master craftsmen set in Edwardian drawing rooms instead of the parlors of late-Bourbon France, but nevertheless I was left feeling that this was a lightweight film that wimped out entirely in the Sally Hemings segment of the story, erroneously given central billing here alongside another relationship Jefferson, acting as his nation's envoy to the French court, undertook with a married Englishwoman, Madam Cosway. There was so much more that could have been focused on in the story of Jefferson's 1780's stay in Europe, so why this film went in the directions it did makes little sense. Also Nick Nolte was simply unconvincing and unwelcoming as Jefferson, even if there was a boldness to a filmmaker finally allowing him to speak with the Virginia drawl it has been noted he possessed. A bored and boring Gwyneth Paltrow was even more miscast as Patsy, the future President's daughter, and all in all by the halfway mark I was disenchanted with the entire movie. When Jefferson in Paris was over, I was stunned that we had been spoon-fed such a weak, watered down hack-job of a film. How anyone could mistake for a masterpiece this story of one of the great men of the Age of Reason defies, well, reason.

So I'm the first in 2009 to review this long dead movie. Well, it doesn't deserve to die, it should become a classic. I know a little bit about Jefferson and his beliefs and relationships and I say the film portrays this enigmatic man very much as he was, which should be something to cheer about. If the movie were done by anyone other than James Ivory, the makers would cast Leonardo Decapprio or some other unsuitable young turkey and turn him into a rake about town to sell more tickets to teenies.

A second cheer goes to Nick Nolte, who had the courage to underplay the quiet, seemingly unemotional Jefferson--who would write some of the greatest love letters history has given us. Go figure. And that is our task. If we try to understand the contradictions in Jefferson, perhaps we will make progress in understanding ourselves. One of history's greatest exponents of individual freedom owned slaves. The man who believed religious freedom should be a basic right kept his daughter from following her conscience and becoming a Catholic. The man who vowed to remain true to his departed wife had a long term relationship with a slave girl.

I thought Jefferson's love of Maria Cosway was perfectly played. Can our oversexed, jump-into-bed-at-the-first-hint-of-attraction society comprehend a platonic love relationship? Here is another dimension to human nature that is never explored in the popular culture.

The sets, costumes and general ambience deserve the third cheer. You really get the feeling of being in Paris was in those trying times.

If you want your movie fantasies to contain chases, explosions and sex scenes, head on down to the local multiplex. If you want history and human nature as it really was and is, buy this movie.

Merchant and Ivory productions, whose first film appeared in 1957, has a reputation for lavish sets, beautiful cinematography and the "period piece" masters of the film industry. It is certainly true that they set a new benchmark in adapting literature to the screen with such films as The Golden Bowl and The Bostonians by the American master, Henry James. They have also produced a magnificent adaptation of E.M. Forrester's groundbreaking novel of a gay man living in England in the 19th century battling with his conscience, Maurice. The list goes on as they continue to make incredible films to present day.

My favourite film by the famous duo would have to be Surviving Picasso, about the numerous women who would self-destruct after a relationship with the mad genius. This film was controversial as the Picasso Estate attempted to stop its production. More controversial still, is their 1995 film, Jefferson in Paris.

As the title suggests, the film is about the time, (1784-1789) where the 41-year-old Jefferson held the post of Ambassador to France. This important time marked the beginnings of Frances revolution. Jefferson walked the magnificent halls of Versailles, dined and danced with aristocracy and attempted to maintain good relations with the French government and Monarchy, as they had been key, in terms of monetary and military support, during the American Revolution.

President Jefferson, played with surprising aplomb by Nick Nolty, establishes himself in Paris and as history has shown, fell in love with a beautiful artist, Madam Cosway, (Greta Scacchi) and begins an innocent affair, (a deep and lasting relationship if one reads the letters), writing his famous ode to love, My Head and My Heart.

American historians and biographers (aside from Fawn Brodie in her entertaining biography of Jefferson) had utterly dismissed Jefferson's alleged relationship with his slave, Sally Hemings. This film focuses on the beginnings of this relationship, which began in Paris, and continued through Jefferson's Presidency. The film was scathingly criticised by established historians until the later DNA results revealed the Jefferson paternity through the Hemings line. Interestingly, however, the debate still continues despite evidence to the contrary and the arguments are compelling.

Jefferson in Paris has been created to the standard that we expect from Merchant and Ivory Productions. The depiction of Paris during the late 18th century at a time leading up to the revolution is done with reality and tragedy. The famous women's march from Paris to Versailles, taking Louie XVI and Marie Antoinette back to Paris as prisoners is done extremely well. Merchant and Ivory must be perfectionists, as there seems not to be a single flaw in the entire film.

Having read Jefferson and many biographies, this film deserves to be amongst the best of them. If you like American history, you'll like this film.

I loved this film. It is incredibly accurate from an historical point of view. The events. people, and places depicted were 100%. If you are a Jefferson scholar, historian, or fan; you will appreciate the detail this film contains. It has been criticized for being slow and overly long. It is true that some scenes dragged and frankly it took me a while to buy Nick Nolte in this role, but overall it is a very fine period piece which tells a very romantic story with extreme clarity. If you are viewing this film as a lover of history - you will not be disappointed.

Since Thomas Jefferson was a man of controversy, it is only fitting that a film about him would be almost as controversial as himself. James Ivory has crafted a magnificent glimpse into French aristocratic life on the edge of the Revolution. Jefferson is portrayed as the man of genius,as infatuated with the talk of liberty as the aristocratic clique he recreates with, while at the same time keeping slaves. He is torn between lovely Maria Cosway and one of his slave girls. Slavery is illegal in royal France, which adds a dilemma to Jefferson's well-ordered life. He is also tyrannical over his daughter's conscience, refusing to allow her to become a Catholic. What struck me is the France under King Louis XVI had more liberty than Jefferson's new republic. Superb performances, authentic sets and costumes, and beautiful, haunting score. Highly recommended!

"jefferson in Paris" is a realistc historically based film about the third President of the United states. It traces carefully, without overdoing it, his humanistic affairs with Maria Cosway from which the famous "Head and Heart" letters were written. Most importantly, it shows the skeptics that Mr. Jefferson did fall in love and enjoy a fruitful life with the woman of his choice. And not the one "people" may have wanted to choose for him. I believe the movie also dpicted what could be called an "almost too close" relationship with his daughter Martha. But, with nothing concrete, that relationship is left to the viewers discretion. Al in All, worthwile viewing.

An engaging and thought-provoking movie; one of the best movies I've seen in a while. I didn't find it boring at all, the human drama unfolding in front of me had my full attention. I'm not judging it from the historical point of view, I'm sure history buffs can find plenty things wrong with it. But to me it wasn't about the facts; it could be set in any historical period, as far as I'm concerned. It is a story about human emotions, and, like the real world, it has an ambiguous feel to it; lots of grey, lots to think about. So if you're into "soap opera" love stories with a happy (or unhappy) ending, don't waste your time, you'll be bored.