Comments on: The lustre had gone out of her

By: Tim

Tim — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:37:59 +0000

“Is Woolf even filmable?”

I have never seen this film and didn’t watch the clips, for the very reason that I don’t think that Mrs. Dalloway is filmable at all.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:13:13 +0000

I agree with you somewhat re: the movie clips, Stella. Vanessa Redgrave makes a persuasive enough Clarissa Dalloway in the second clip, but she is 5’9″ (and was once 5’11″!), after all. Natascha McElhone is gorgeous, but not birdlike in the least, and didn’t quite have the acting chops for the role when this film was made.

Is Woolf even filmable?

By: Stella

Stella — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:06:04 +0000

I loved this so much, it’s brilliant. The promise is often so much greater than the fulfillment. And the memory of the promise is the greatest of all.

But I have to say I loathed the film clips, well the first one, I couldn’t bring myself to the second. Clarissa is so much more than that silly portrayal. And isn’t she small? Birdlike?

By: J-Man

J-Man — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:58:58 +0000

8. I second that emotion of the second paragraph.

To Swells I say (and to quote an oft maligned, but beautifully photographed movie) “Now why don’t she write?”

By: Rachel

Rachel — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:00:45 +0000

Thanks for commenting, Andrea (and everyone). It was very strange to write this–like smashing up antique furniture to throw on the fire.

swells, you’re brilliant. Your allusion to Woolf’s description of others “blackberrying in the sun” while Clarissa is up in her tower is magnificent. (I think you’ll find, though, that most of this crowd uses iPhones instead.)