Ladies in Lavender

Audiovisual Reviews Robert E. Yahnke, PhD, Audiovisual Editor OLD AGE IN FEATURE-LENGTH FILMS This film is a delight for the eyes and the ears with beautiful seascapes, rolling hills, and a soundtrack that varies from piano to the haunting and plaintive notes of the violin. Viewers are also given a glimpse of life in a small Cornish village in the mid 1930s where social gatherings often revolved around the local pub. The film opens with a scene of two older sisters, Ursula (Judi Dench) and Janet (Maggie Smith), walking away from the camera on a rocky beach with the sounds of gently lapping waves and light piano music in the background. The impression is one of 418 The Gerontologist Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/gerontologist/article/46/3/418/2953208 by guest on 21 October 2023 Ladies in Lavender, 2004, 103 min. Dir. Charles Dance. Available on DVD from Sony Pictures. Vol. 46, No. 3, 2006 419 in the film. A folly is a decorative structure, popular in the 18th century, built to look like a ruin. It appears to be something other than what it is and is called a folly because it represents the foolishness of the builder. The doctor’s romantic interest in Olga—and, to some extent, Ursula’s for Andrea—are portrayed as the folly of those of advanced years. Indeed, the doctor is shown in his folly when, even in the face of Olga’s disinterest, he tries to impress her by claiming he has the energy of a man 10 years his junior. In another scene he drives to her house with flowers that go undelivered because he sees Andrea leaving her cottage. In yet another scene, he is spying on Olga like a lovestruck youth. The cumulative effect is the portrayal of a man who is denying the obvious (she has no interest) and is jealous and bitter about the unrequited attraction. Through both characters, the film communicates that it is a folly for the old to long for the romantic attentions of the young. Just as the doctor perceives the young Andrea to be a threat, so does Ursula perceive Olga to be a threat to her affections for Andrea. The young artist intrudes into the sister’s household in many ways. First, she was the stranger who commented favorably on Andrea’s playing (noted above) and then was rebuffed by Ursula. Another intrusion takes place when Olga walks into the private garden where Andrea is giving a violin concert for the two sisters. This unexpected visit is greeted by the sisters with minimal civility as Olga explains that she was drawn to the music and had heard Andrea play at the Harvest Festival celebration at the pub. While the sisters are discussing these intrusions, Ursula comments that Olga frightens her and reminds her of the wicked witch in a fairy tale. In one sense, this reveals Ursula’s recognition that she is living in a ‘‘fantasy’’ and is frightened by the reality (competition) of the younger woman. Ursula escapes reality in a dream sequence where the viewers observe Andrea and her embracing as they tumble affectionately in a field. But in that dream the woman in Andrea’s arms is a younger version of Ursula. As Ursula emerges from the dream, her dream face next to Andrea’s transforms into her rival Olga’s face. The camera offers a close-up of Ursula’s face as her eyes slowly open—and her expression is marked by sadness and concern. The fairy tale dream has become a nightmare. But that dream sequence ends with a curious cut to a photograph of Janet’s fiancé, Peter, killed in WWI. That photograph of her fiancé has an iconic value— signifying, we suspect, her one great love (and loss). In one respect, Ursula’s fixation on Andrea is her attempt to gain—for herself—a similar triumph of the heart. Janet has already had her great love; now it is Ursula’s turn. Thus, in the next scene, Janet brings up the subject of Peter. She wants to know, ‘‘Were you very much in love with Peter?’’ But Janet does not answer this question directly, and the scene ends with another shot of the photograph on the bedside stand. The introduction of Janet’s lost love is consistent with an important, underlying theme: the friendship between the two sisters. Both women share a deep sibling bond; Janet’s role is to protect her sister from the Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/gerontologist/article/46/3/418/2953208 by guest on 21 October 2023 comfortable companions who have forged satisfying lives in their later years. This lighter mood contrasts with the following scene of an evening storm with large waves crashing violently against the rocks and sets the stage for the emotional roller coaster waiting for the sisters when they find an unexpected guest washed up on the shoreline near their house. The sisters find a young man lying lifeless on the beach and take him in and nurse him back to health over a period of several weeks. Because he speaks no English, communication is a challenge, but Janet discovers that he speaks German and learns that his name is Andrea and that he is Polish. While Janet introduces herself as Miss Widdington, Ursula is quick to introduce herself by her first name. Her response is a hint that Ursula might become smitten with this attractive, young man. But even earlier, when the sisters found him washed up on the beach, the camera focused on Ursula’s lingering response. Something of significance has happened to Ursula. In later scenes, Ursula sits by his bedside while he sleeps; she turns the radio low to avoid disturbing him; she places a flower on his breakfast tray; and she works hard to teach him English. She finds ways to express her interest and to spend more time with him. In a key scene, when the sisters learn he loves the violin, they ask an old friend from town to bring his violin and play it for him. What they did not know is that Andrea is an accomplished violinist. When he plays the man’s violin, and makes the instrument sing with passion, the reaction shot of Ursula is shown in slow motion—as if to signify that time has stopped for her in this moment of bliss. Is Ursula in love? After he plays, a young woman, an artist, calls out from the yard to acknowledge her gratitude at hearing such beautiful music. Ursula turns her away abruptly and shuts the window. Is Ursula jealous of a younger rival? One obvious theme running throughout the movie is that romantic emotions do not have an expiration date. Ursula embraces the feeling of love that she develops for Andrea—something denied her as a younger woman. For Ursula, this is the first great love of her life. Andrea responds to her attention with genuine affection (but no romance). In one scene, while walking on the beach, Andrea stoops and picks up a shell and gives it to Ursula. Sitting on a nearby rock formation, Andrea leans his head on her lap. Ursula hesitantly reaches down and strokes his head and then puts her hand to her breast as if awash with emotion. Her look is one of fear and excitement. She can barely believe the bliss of this moment. This theme of romantic interest in older adults is also represented by the aged doctor who is enamored of a visiting young painter named Olga. He stops to talk with her while she paints a landscape. Olga barely tolerates his visit. She prefers not to have an audience, but the doctor persists in his futile courtship. He points to a distant stone structure and refers to it as a folly, explaining that it was built by the landowner to escape his wife. Unfortunately, the viewer is never given a definition of this term, which is the filmmaker’s only ‘‘folly’’ because it is a significant and understated symbol 420 in love with him. In the next scene Andrea does seek out Ursula and apologizes to her for not being more sensitive to her feelings. Andrea eventually leaves unannounced to accompany Olga to London where she promises him a career as a violinist (not as her lover). Ursula is crushed and falls into her sister’s arms sobbing. She seems listless in following scenes, keeping to herself and not eating. Her sorrow is conveyed as she sits in Andrea’s bedroom, lit by cold blue moonlight, and then crawls up on the bed curling into a fetal ball. It is the deep chill of a soul that has lost a dream, where hope and happiness have vanished. We are watching a woman who has lost her first great love. But a turning point occurs with the arrival of a letter from Andrea; he apologizes to the sisters for his hasty departure and reassures them that they are always in his thoughts. He also sends a painting of him done by Olga, and Ursula places it in a prominent place on the wall. Now she has an image of her first great love, akin to the photograph of Janet’s great love. In the letter Andrea invites them to listen to him on a radio broadcast where he will be the featured violinist. On the evening of the concert, the villagers are shown gathering at the sisters’ house to listen to the performance, but the sisters are nowhere to be seen. Then the scene changes to show the audience at the concert hall; there in the audience are the two sisters. They watch the performance with rapt attention. During his piercing and passionate violin solo, Ursula flashes back on memories of Andrea as if she is filing them away and letting go of her romantic attachment. The facial expressions of Janet and Ursula now convey a look of pride in having saved Andrea’s life and provided a foundation for his current success. At the end of the film a third and very subtle theme emerges, that of reaching elderhood, a state of acceptance of oneself in old age. As we witness Ursula at the violin concert, and the vibrancy of the music and colorful clothes worn by the audience, there is a sense of a liveliness returned to her life. The flashbacks of her time with Andrea suggest that she has achieved a new level of self-understanding or integrity from embracing her experience as one of learning rather than foolishness. But she could not have attained this self-knowledge if she had not loved Andrea deeply and thus experienced her first great love in her life—even in old age. This identify transformation is further reinforced at the reception when Andrea is surprised to see them in attendance. He kisses them both affectionately on the cheek, but Ursula responds now as a mentor or a loving parent. Andrea even seeks their reassurance (as an adult child might of parents) as he reveals his concern that his nervousness showed in his performance. When he is pulled away to meet other guests, he resists, but Ursula urges him to ‘‘just go.’’ Rather than cling to him as she had in prior days, this moment symbolizes her willingness and her understanding of the necessity and the rightness of letting him go. She seems to accept that her active participation in his life is over. Her realization is also reflected when Ursula turns to Janet and simply says, ‘‘Let’s go.’’ Now Ursula, rather than Janet, is in charge. The Gerontologist Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/gerontologist/article/46/3/418/2953208 by guest on 21 October 2023 folly and pain of a romantic love that will never be consummated. The sisters are very open with one another but also careful to avoid stepping too harshly on each other’s feelings. Many scenes in the film capture the deep and caring relationship between these two women. One scene involves the decision to buy new clothes for Andrea to replace those he had worn when first washed ashore. In this scene Janet grasps the extent to which Ursula is taken with Andrea. When deciding how to pay for the clothes, Janet offers to use her personal funds, but Ursula insists they use mutual funds and finally claims the right to decide by saying, ‘‘I was the one who saw him first.’’ Replying sharply to this childish claim of possession, Janet says, ‘‘Don’t be ridiculous.’’ Realizing Ursula’s infatuation, she adds, ‘‘Don’t you think you’re being rather silly?’’ This is the only scene in which Janet seems scornful of Ursula’s emotions. Later, Ursula demands an apology and criticizes Janet by saying, ‘‘You can be so insensitive.’’ Janet’s quiet and heartfelt reply, ‘‘On the contrary,’’ indicates that she is very sensitive to her sister’s attraction to Andrea, and it is evident that she responds with compassion and regret for the pain that is sure to follow. Janet grows increasingly concerned about Ursula and what she views as the latter’s untenable romantic interest. Her love for her sister is revealed in a poignant scene when the sisters are talking upstairs in their shared bedroom. The night before Janet found Ursula alone in Andrea’s bedroom touching his hair with her hand. Now she is concerned that Janet’s interest in Andrea is out of control, and she advises caution and remarks, ‘‘Andrea’s a boy.’’ Ursula snaps back, ‘‘Yes, and I’m an old woman—silly and ridiculous and foolish.’’ Janet sensitively modifies her sister’s selfcondemnation by simply saying, ‘‘Naive.’’ Here we see the caring sister who wants to protect Ursula from pain by helping her rid herself of a romantic fantasy. But earlier in the scene, Janet asked, ‘‘You were happy with Peter, weren’t you? It wasn’t all pain.’’ For the second time in the film Janet does not respond to her inquiry. What secret is Janet keeping from Ursula about her own relationship with the man she once loved? Does Janet empathize with Ursula’s desire to have a great romantic love just as she had experienced with a man she had loved and lost? Or is Janet responding to Ursula’s genuine devotion to Andrea as an example of a heartfelt commitment she herself did not feel for her own fiancé? Olga once again intrudes into their lives by sending the sisters a letter clarifying that her interest in Andrea is related to his musical talent and her desire to introduce him to her brother, who is a violin maestro. The sisters are suspicious of Olga’s intent and conceal the letter from Andrea. When Olga arranges to paint Andrea in the privacy of her cottage and informs him of the letter, he is furious about the deception. That evening he angrily confronts the sisters. Again, Janet attempts to shield her sister by accepting all blame and claiming that Ursula did not know. Ursula, upset by the confrontation, rushes from the room, and Janet turns on Andrea and shouts, ‘‘Now do you understand?’’ as if he will realize with those simple words that Ursula is Bradley J. Fisher, PhD Professor of Gerontology and Psychology Psychology Department—Gerontology Program Missouri State University 901 South National Avenue Springfield, MO 65897 [email protected] Vol. 46, No. 3, 2006 421 Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/gerontologist/article/46/3/418/2953208 by guest on 21 October 2023 Now Ursula and Janet are at least equals because of their shared life experiences. The sisters depart, walking side by side down a long stone archway and fade at the end of the hallway to reappear on the shore of the rocky beach where the story first unfolds. Identical to the beginning, the sisters walk away from the camera. There is a liveliness and playfulness to Ursula’s steps. She bends, picks up a stone, tosses it in the air, and scampers around a rock formation to the water beyond. We know these two old women now in ways we did not know them when we first saw them on the shore. The final scene, accompanied by gentle piano music, suggests a sense of returning, of life renewal, and an inner peace restored.