I must confess, I am not a massive fan of television, apart from Poirot, Sherlock and Downton Abbey of course, but I have recently found a few programmes with: well written and engaging stories, exquisite vintage clothing, amazing period sets, and so wanted to share them with you and implore you to watch!
First, Parade's End, which of course I began to watch due to Benedict Cumberbatch, tells the story of Christopher Tietjens, a government statistician, who ends up engulfed by the second world war, fighting for his principles. Christopher's predominant character trait is his strict moral code which endears and exasperates the audience and hinders his ability to follow his true feelings .At one point when explaining his fidelity to his promiscuous wife remarks: 'There used to be among families...a position, a certain...call it 'parade'.' Christopher is married to a flighty, witty and cruel woman, Sylvia, played by the incomparable Rebecca Hall, who one can not help but laugh with, cry with, be infuriated by and cause one to feel pain for her, in equal measure. In contention with the elegant, and quite ridiculous Edwardian wife, Sylvia is the modern intelligent, hard working suffragette Valentine Wannop, who bursts into Christopher's life, in the unlikely setting of a sedate golf course, loudly protesting for women's rights. One can not help but continuously compare the two female protagonists. Sylvia, in comparison, meets Christopher on a train, enticing him with her allure, leading to a rather raunchy scene in said carriage. Valentine instead on their first encounter, excites Christopher through her passion for the equality of women; a noble cause she is rallying to. In fact the discussion of women's rights, the suffragette infusions, is a very welcome addition to the plot, something which is frequently left out in period pieces situated in this epoch.
Even the purely visual differences of the female characters, in their clothing, marks them out as two very different characters. Sylvia presents herself in rich colours, and expensive heavy fabric forms the Edwardian ornate and cumbersome dresses. By comparison,Valentine is attired in streamlined, still beautiful but much more practical, new, lightweight clothing that does not intend to be fawned over or cause one to be conscious of its presence. She embraces the modern age into which Sylvia does not bother to learn anything about.
Furthermore one can't not mention one of my favorite characters: General Campion (Roger Allam), his witty turn of phrase and bafflement and bemusement directed at Christopher and his dislike and inability to curtail Sylvia, added a certain hint of Dad's Army to the programme, which was warmly appreciated. The series was adapted by Tom Stoppard from a series of books by Ford Maddox Ford, and I definitely intend to read the series to understand more about the characters and to relive the narrative.
All images of Parade's End are copyright of the BBC.
Adelaide Clemens as Valentine Wannop.
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Finally, I couldn't fail but to mention, being an art historian, the inclusion of the scene of the slashing of the canvas, which does not appear in the novel. I would argue that the action is not only a metaphor for the fracturing of society that the war brings, or the slashing through the old into a new age but that the action itself also, on a more personal level in relation to the plot, foreshadows the lack of thought, wanton destruction caused by Sylvia in opposition to Valentine, who is confronted with the action, a reasoned intelligent logical person, passionate in her rallying against patriarchal society but not wishing or reveling in destruction, which Sylvia, with her sharp tongue and mischievous appears to both instigate and practice This action that firmly cements the compatibility of Christopher, who are both pained by destruction, whether that be the wanton destruction of art or the destruction of lives and his ideals in the war. Sylvia acts without thinking of the consequence of her actions or the wanton destruction she causes.
The scene was probably inserted into the narrative not only due to its imagery, its visual representation of deeper emotions but, interestingly, actually occurred at the National Gallery in London on March 10, 1914, and was therefore contemporary to the setting of the book. Mary Richardson, a suffragette, entered the gallery and slashed Velasquez's Rokeby Venus, the pinnacle of the flawless female nude, motivated by her anger at the treatment of Mrs Pankhurst. For further information regarding this event, Richardson's motivations and the significance of the painting and therefore the reasons for its suggested destruction, I would direct you to Lynda Nead's 'The Female Nude: Art, Obscenity and Sexuality' specifically the chapter entitled 'The Damaged Venus', it's a book I referred to often during my History of Art degree and would recommend it to anyone interested in the History of Art and especially the depiction of the female figure in the canon of Art.
How amazing is this outfit, and how envious of it I am! A claret velvet belted jacket, red art deco tassel necklace with matching gloves and a stunning hat, all of which I'm adding to my wish list. I do own a velvet jacket but it lacks the beauty that one can observe in this garment.
Secondly, for my other recommendation, we must go forward in time to 1952, to a three part drama, The Bletchley Circle. The premise is: a group of seemingly ordinary women living rather mundane lives in post war rationing Britain are hiding a less ordinary past. They suppress their former heroism. They were code breakers during the second world war who deciphered German military messages, who decide due to a recent spate of murders, to utilise their expertise, of breaking patterns to identify a serial killer targeting young women on trains. Whilst the characters are fictional, Bletchley Park was the home of the code breakers during the second world war.It is believed that the top secret code breaking that occurred at the site helped shorten the war by as much as two years. For more information regarding Bletchley Park and the events that occurred here and if any one wishes to visit, go to this website- http://www.bletchleypark.org.uk/. It's an amazing part of our history, both as a nation and especially as women, so I was very glad that the crucial work of these women is being highlighted. In fact many of the women involved in secret activity during the war were sworn to secrecy and to this day have never fully explained the important part they played in saving lives.
The programme, shares with Parade's End female agency but in comparison to Valentine who is campaigning for Women's rights, these women have shown their intelligence and their crucial importance in a war situation but have returned to their pre-war lives, seemingly drowned in the dreary domestic situations they find themselves in, especially in the character of Susan, a housewife, left unfulfilled and intellectually under nourished by her duties as a housewife.
I love murder mysteries and period dramas and these combine the two in a way that previously only Poirot could placate my hunger. As with Parade's End, the costumes are so important because they inform the characters.The women are all very well written with unique and interesting characters and have very different lives which is reflected through their clothing. Susan played by Anna Maxwell Martin and Julie Graham as Jean, the clothing reflects and informs the characters personalities, enhancing our knowledge of the characters and representing a variety of women and personalities, for example Jean wears more simple silhouette dark colours, complimenting her no nonsense, abrupt attitude.
All pictures of The Bletchley Circle are copyright of ITV.
Millie's wardrobe is my favourite, it affirms her adventurous nature and showcases the influence her travels, had upon her fashion choices.
Rachael Stirling as Millie.
Sophie Rundle as Lucy.
Watching the second episode last week I found myself gasping, shouting, and crying, as you can tell I have become greatly invested in the series and the characters, especially Lucy, a truly brave woman with an incredible memory. She appears to be the sweetest and most innocent character, some one who you can't help but become protective of! She has a shy temperament and due to her bravery endures a lot in the second episode ( I'm trying not to give away the plot!).
Yours staring at the screen avidly whilst watching a recording of the last Bletchley episode,
Evalily Harlow xxx
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