Ahhhh, romance in the Regency Era. The foggy fields, the bonnets, anticipated proposals, a general misunderstanding of how a woman’s body functions. Wait, what?
Many of us have swooned over pages and pages of Jane Austen’s novels, but you will never look at her characters the same way again after seeing Julia Aks & Steve Pinder’s Oscar-nominated Live Action Short, Jane Austen’s Period Drama. By taking something not just familiar but beloved and injecting it with whip-smart humor and comedically cutthroat pacing, you realize you are witnessing one of the most unique films to ever crash the category. And, hey, what better way to learn about something than by laughing all the way through it?
**We have linked Aks & Pinder’s film below. Please watch it and then tune into our conversation.
Estrogenia Talbot cannot believe her luck when Mr. Dickley professes his love to her and suggests, with that score swelling behind him, that they join in holy…well…Before the proprosal successfully leave his lips, though, he notices that Essy has blood dripping down the front of her gown. Surely, she’s been hurt! He must come to her rescue! After he drops her off at her family’s home and departs, Essy informs her sisters that her period started early…and poor Mr. Dickley, while being valiant and sweet, is entirely ill-informed. Against her other sisters’ wishes, and her father’s confusion, she insists on telling her future betrothed the truth about what most women go through every month.
One of the most striking elements to Aks and Pinder’s film is how balanced it is. All of the characters have amusing names, but the film doesn’t dwell on them–I’ve spoken to audiences who realized the humor days later before being tickled all over again. The humor isn’t in place of the drama but enhances is, and the duo discusses how sprinkling in modernism was a constant conversation. The film leans into having uncomfortable conversations since so many of us bring our expectations and curiosity to the table. Even though Essy is informing Dickley about “women’s business,” she reveals that a lot of women in the audience are leaning things too.
Aks has one moment as Esst that admits that no one has honed in on. After her character is finished with her talk with Dickley, she says, ‘It is quite remarkable.’ She’s not looking at him, but you can tell how she is blown over the wonders of the human body. Amid all these jokes and silly jabs, there is real truth-telling at play. After she reveals herself, one might imagine that Essy and Dickley’s marriage will carry a sort of honesty that other pairings might not be steeped in. Curiosity and intelligence can lead to our sexiest discoveries.
