Sense&Sensibility.

I watched the movie Sense & Sensibility for the first time Thursday night and couldn’t help but notice the connection to themes of the periods of The Enlightment and Romanticism. 

The two periods were being juxtaposed through the two sisters Marianne and Elinor.  (I know Elinor is usually spelled “Eleanor,” but I check IMDB and they said it was spelled the other way.)  Anyways, the Dashwood family consists of Mrs. Dashwood, Elinor, Mariann3, and Margaret, who are left poor when Mr. Dashwood dies at the beginning of the movie, by the rules of inheritance at the time.  This was Mr. Dashwood’s second marriage and his son, John, from his first marriage was left the inheritance, which left the girls with barely enough to live off of. 

Elinor is the oldest daughter and acts as the voice of reason.  She is very practical in her actions and very reserved in her words.  She acts as the “sense” in the family.  Although her emotions run deep, overall she is more in tune with what society asks of her than Marianne.  She finds herself having to conceal/suppress her emotions in order to appear decent in public.  For example, she must cover up her true feelings for Edward to keep her family in good standing with John and Fanny, Edward’s sister, since they possess their step-father’s riches.  She is very rational, which is a main ideal during The Enlightment; however, she does marry for love, which is irrational for the time.  

Marianne, as the title suggests, acts as the “sensibility.”  She loves spending time outside and is very spontaneous.  Unlike Elinor, she speaks her mind and her impulsive actions tend to get her in trouble.  She falls madly in love with Mr. Willoughby after he carries her back home when she hurt her ankle.  She has a romantic view of love.  She loves to read and memorize poetry as well.  The Romantic era was all about art, literature, and man’s connection to nature.  Elinor understand how her standing in society differs after Mr. Dashwood dies, but Marianne does not.  She wants to attain happiness with the right man, even though she is reaching for undesirable matches according to society. 

Additionally, I loved the set and costumes designs in the movie.  They were beautiful designs that flattered the characters on which they were worn. 

Plus, Hugh Laurie—who I love—was it in, if not only a couple scenes. 

(Let me know if I need to write more.)