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131 of 137 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gives new dimension to the term "art film", December 3, 2003
Hanging in the Royal Cabinet of Paintings in The Hague is a 17 1/2 by 15 3/8 inch oil on canvas by Johannes Vermeer, "Girl with a Pearl Earring". Perhaps you've seen it, either the original or a reproduction. Against a dark background, it depicts a young girl, wearing a blue turban from which falls a yellow scarf, gazing over her left shoulder towards the viewer. From her visible ear dangles a large, tear-drop shaped, pearl earring. The painting is exquisite.There are a couple of questions still surrounding the work. Are the pearls real? Who was the model? Vermeer's oldest daughter, Maria? Or perhaps Magdalena, the daughter of Vermeer's principal patron, Pieter Van Ruijven? GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING, a film based on the novel of the same name by Tracy Chevalier, does something I've not seen done before, and which would enhance art appreciation considerably if a series of such productions were made focusing on publicly recognizable works of art, e.g. the "Mona Lisa" and her enigmatic smile. The film creates a fictional story around the genesis of the painting, and we watch as the artist creates it. It's the Dutch city of Delft in 1665. A young girl, Griet (Scarlett Johansson) is employed as a common maid by Catharina (Essie Davis), the artist's haughty wife. At first, the viewer might be forgiven for being led to believe that the household is run by a matriarchy, Johannes (Colin Firth) himself being reclusive. Apparently presiding over everything is Maria Thins (Judy Parfitt), Catharina's severely parsimonious mother. Providing tension from a lower level is Cornelia, the artist's 6-year old daughter, who resents Griet from the very start. Assigned to clean Vermeer's studio, Griet becomes enthralled by the work in progress. Noticing this, the artist emerges into the audience's view, and involves Griet in the mechanics of his art's creation, especially the selection and purchase of coloring materials, and the preparation of the oils. Griet fills a void in the artist's life. His wife doesn't "understand" his art, and, indeed, hasn't even set foot in his studio since some past quarrel. Johannes becomes (platonically) obsessed with Griet, and, unknown to Catharina, the girl fearfully becomes, perhaps realizing the potential repercussions, his model. Johansson's performance is brilliant and worth an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. Colin Firth, whose taciturnity and stone-facedness in his roles I usually find unappealing, is perfect as Vermeer. His smoldering passion for art and Griet, along with the other subsurface family tensions, keeps the viewer waiting for something to explode. Parfitt is terrific as the intimidating Maria Thins, who sees what's happening between her son-in-law and the maid, but says nothing to her daughter. Maria knows on which side the family's bread is buttered, and realizes that without the income generated by Vermeer's oils, the household would be thrown into the street. A somewhat discordant note is the character of Van Ruijven, well-played by Tom Wilkinson. His growing lust for Griet becomes a distraction best left on the cutting room floor. However, his character is necessary to the story for the audience to understand an artist's financial precariousness. Finally, the pearl earrings take center stage when the explosive confrontation between Johannes and Catharina finally occurs, and the latter's term for her husband's latest work is indeed curious. The audience is reminded of the symbolic power of material things. GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING will not likely make it out of the art houses into wide release. But it's a clever and beautiful film that grows on me the more I think about it. If you've ever stood entranced in front of a painting, go see this movie.
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by Tracy Chevalier
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