Girl with a Pearl Earring
Directed by Peter Webber
Girl with a Pearl Earring is an almost fairy-tale
journey into the past.
The film is beautifully filmed by cinematographer Edouard Serra (Unbreakable, Jude). Each scene is skilfully framed and shot as though we were in a Vermeer painting. Subtle and rich tones of brown and blue permeate each scene giving the film a dreamlike quality without detracting from the sense of reality needed for the characters to be believable.
The highlight of Girl with a Pearl Earring is the superb performance of Johansson as the shy, softly spoken, but self-possessed Griet. We follow the life of young Griet (Scarlett Johansson) as she leaves her family home to become a maid in the household of Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer (Colin Firth). One of her special duties is to clean the studio of the already-famous painter.
Through their first brief interactions Vermeer recognises that the girl has an artistic eye and begins to elevate her to the more privileged position of artistic confidant and student. Along with this artistic relationship there exists a deeply sensual relationship fostered by the profound connection that the two share through the understanding of paint and colour.
Vermeer is portrayed as a man struggling to churn out paintings for rich benefactors to support his ever-increasing family. He is a man surrounded by a people who do not understand or share his talents. He is also a fair and decent man who finds himself forced into a difficult situation when his rich benefactor demands that he paint a special portrait of Griet — the painting that will eventually become known as “Girl with a Pearl Earring”. The execution of this painting requires sacrifice on the part of both painter and model and culminates in the turning point in Griet’s life.
The ReelBuzz: Girl with a Pearl Earring is a beautiful and wondrous journey into the past.
Esther
