Berthe Morisot is a historical drama (based on a true story) which premiered on French television (France 3) in 2013.
It is about the famous French artist Berthe Morisot (1841-1895); one of the few female members of the French art movement which is known as the impressionists.
Here is some basic information about this drama:
** Directed by Caroline Champetier
** Screenplay written by Sylvie Meyer and Philippe Lasry
** Based on the English book Manet: A Rebel in a Frock Coat by Beth Archer Brombert (1996) – translated into French by Jean-François Allain
** Released on DVD in 2013
** Language: French
** Subtitles: French (turn on – turn off)
** Run time: 94 minutes
The cast includes the following:
** Marine Delterme as Berthe Morisot (1841-1895) – a French artist – she is married to Eugène Manet 1874-1892
** Alice Butaud as Edma Morisot (1839-1921) – her older sister – she is married to Adolphe Pontillon 1869-1894
** Jeanne Gogny as Yves Morisot (1838-1893) – her older sister – she marries Théodore Gobillard in 1866
** Patrick Dechamps as Edmé Tiburce Morisot – her father
** Bérangère Bonvoisin as Marie Cornélie Morisot – her mother
** Malik Zidi as Edouard Manet (1832-1883) – a French artist – he is married to Suzanne Leenhoff Manet 1863-1883
** François Dieuaide as Eugène Manet (1833-1892) – a French artist – brother of Edouard Manet – he is married to Berthe Morisot 1874-1892
** Julien Balajas as Henri Fantin-Latour (1836-1904) – a French artist
** Jean-Marie Frin as Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (1795-1875) – a French artist – an art teacher for Berthe and Edma
** Jean-Paul Daniel as Alfred Stevens (1823-1906) – a Belgian artist
** Alexandre Josse as Adolphe Pontillon (1832-1894) – a French sailor – he is married to Edma Morisot 1869-1894
** Serge Reineix as Charles Auguste Emile Durand (known as Carolus-Duran) (1837-1917) – a French artist
** Maud Wyler as Eva Gonzalez (1849-1883) – a French artist – a student of Edouard Manet
** Gilles Favreau as Theodore Gobillard – he marries Yves Morisot in 1866
** Pascale Consigny as Suzanne Leenhoff Manet (1829-1906) – a Dutch pianist – she is married to Edouard Manet 1863-1883
** Laure Lapeyre as Jeanne – the maid in the Morisot family
** Vladimir Barbera as Frederick – a French soldier in the war of 1870
THE BACKGROUND
Berthe Morisot was born in 1841. She had two older sisters and a younger brother:
** Yves = born 1838
** Edma = born 1839
** Tiburce = born 1848
The family was quite well-off. The family had no economic problems.
Her father Edme was a government official. Her mother Cornelie was the daughter of another government official.
In 19th century France, a young woman who was a daughter of a rich family could not go out alone. If she wanted to go out, she had to be accompanied by a chaperone, for instance her father, her mother or her brother.
If she did go out alone, and if she talked to a man while she was out alone, it could cause a scandal. It might ruin the reputation not only of the young woman but of the whole family!
A young woman who was a daughter of a rich family had to focus on one thing: finding a suitable husband. Once she had found him and married him, she had to devote herself to her new role as a wife and a mother for his children.
If the young woman had a hobby or some special interest before she was married, she was expected to forget about this hobby and to focus her new position as a wife and a mother.
As a young woman, Berthe’s mother Cornelie had been interested in art; for a while, she had worked as an artist (she was a painter). But when she married her husband, she had to give up her interest in the world of art in order to focus on her new role as a wife and a mother.
Cornelie could not forget the past. She missed the painting and the world of art. She was sad because she had been forced to give it up. When she noticed that Berthe and Edma were interested in art, she allowed them to pursue this interest, at least for a while.
They were given private tutors and they were allowed to work on paintings in the home.
The sisters Berthe and Edma were very close. When they were around 20, they made a secret pact with each other. They promised not to get married. They promised to be together and to focus on their paintings.
A few years later Edma broke the pact. She got married and moved away and when she had a child, there was not much time left for painting. From her letters, we know she regretted that she had to give up this hobby which she had enjoyed and which had been an important part of her life.
Eventually, Berthe also broke the pact. But she managed to find a husband who respected her personal interest so much that she was able to continue her work as an artist, even when she was a married woman.
Here is a timeline for Berthe Morisot and some of the people who were close to her:
1841 – Berthe is born in Bourges
1852 – the family moves to Paris – Berthe is 11
1857 – Berthe and her sister Edma are taken to the Louvre by their art teacher – this is a marvelous experience for them
1858 – Berthe and her sister Edma are busy copying famous paintings in the Louvre – this is a training exercise
1861 – Berthe and her sister Edma meet the French artist Corot who becomes their art teacher
1863 – Berthe and her sister Edma are students of the French artist Achille Oudinot
1864 – Two of Berthe’s paintings are accepted to be displayed at the annual exhibition of famous art known as the Salon – this is a great honour - Berthe sends a painting to this exhibition every year until 1873 and her work is accepted each time
1865 – Berthe and her sister Edma visit the Salon where they look at a painting painted by the French artist Edouard Manet
1866 – Berthe’s sister Yves marries Theodore Gobillard
1868 – Berthe and Edma are introduced to Edouard Manet – they also meet his brother Eugene and his friend Adolphe Pontillon - Berthe and Edouard become close friends – he asks her to sit for him – she accepts and over the following years he paints several portraits of her
1869 – Edma marries Adolphe Pontillon who is a sailor – the couple move to Lorient on the western coast
1870 – Berthe visits Edma in Lorient – Berthe paints several paintings during this visit
1870 – The war between France and Prussia – France is defeated by Prussia
1871 – The Paris Commune
1874 – Berthe’s father dies – Berthe marries Eugene Manet – Berthe joins a small group of rejected artists in a separate exhibition – Berthe is the only woman in this group which is known as the impressionists – Berthe sends a painting to the annual exhibition of this group every year (except 1878) until the end in 1886
1878 – Julie is born - the first and only child of Berthe and Eugene – when she grows up, the daughter becomes an artist like her parents (Julie lives until 1966)
1883 – Edouard Manet dies
1892 – Eugène dies
1894 – Adolphe Pontillon dies
1895 – Berthe dies (age 54) – her daughter Julie is now an orphan (age 16)
THE PLOT
While this drama is about the life and career of Berthe Morisot, it does not cover her whole life from the beginning in 1841 to the end in 1895. It covers only six years. The story begins in 1865 when she is 24 and ends in 1871 when she is 30.
The beginning of her life (the first 24 years) is not covered. The end of her life (the final 24 years) is not covered, either. All we have is six years from 1865 to 1871.
When the story begins, we see Berthe and her sister Edma in a crowded room. An on-screen message tells us that we are in Paris where the sisters are visiting the annual exhibition of famous paintings known as the Salon.
Like everybody else, the sisters are eager to see a painting which shows a naked woman who is resting on a sofa. The artist is Edouard Manet.
From this moment the story follows a chronological line to the war with Prussia in 1870 and the Paris Commune in 1871. This is where the story comes to an end.
Within this time frame, we see Berthe in different situations and in different locations. She is often with her sister, sometimes with her parents, and occasionally with Edouard Manet.
RATINGS AND REVIEWS
What do reviewers say about this historical drama?
On IMDb it has a rating of 63 percent which corresponds to 3.2 stars on Amazon.
There are two user reviews on IMDb. One offers a rating of 80 percent, while the other offers a rating of 60 percent. The average rating of the two user reviews is 70 percent, which is close to the average on the website.
On Amazon there are at the moment 55 global ratings and 22 global reviews. The average rating is 4.1 stars, which corresponds to a rating of 82 percent.
The movie is not rated on Rotten Tomatoes or on Meta.
In my opinion, Berthe Morisot is an interesting artist. The story of her life and her career deserves to be told. But in this movie, it is not done very well. Sadly, this movie is not successful. What is wrong? There are several flaws. Let me explain:
# 1. The time frame is too short. It covers only six years of a life which lasted more than 50 years. The beginning of her life is excluded. Perhaps we do not need to see Berthe as a child or as a teenager. But the starting date 1865 is too late.
The movie should start at 1861 when Berthe is 20. In that year she meets Corot who becomes one of her teachers.
If the movie could not start in 1861, then it should at least start in 1864, when Berthe is 23. In that year, two of her paintings are accepted for the annual exhibition known as the Salon.
This is a great honour and an important recognition, but it is not mentioned in the movie, because it falls outside the time frame.
# 2. When the movie begins, we are in 1865. Berthe and her sister are visiting the Salon. Like everybody else, they are eager to see a painting which shows a naked woman who is resting on a sofa.
One of Berthe’s paintings is on display in that exhibition, but this painting is neither seen nor mentioned. The director focuses on the painting by Manet. This perspective is unfortunate.
# 3. All events after 1871 are excluded. The final years of her life are not covered, even though some of the most important moments in her life happened during this time, which is outside the time frame.
We do not see her in 1874.
What is so important in that year?
** Her father dies
** She marries Eugène Manet
** She joins a small group of rejected artists in an exhibition. This is the first exposition organized by the group which is known as the impressionists. She is the only female member of the group
Today Berthe Morisot is known and remembered as an impressionist, but in this drama the term impressionism is never mentioned, because it does not appear until 1874, which is outside the time frame.
We do not see her in 1878, the year when her only child - the daughter Julie – is born.
Some of her most memorable works were made during the final part of her life which is not covered in the movie. The decision to exclude the final part of her life is most unfortunate.
# 4. What about the six years which are covered in the drama? The time from 1865 to 1871. What happens during this period? How is the story of Berthe’s life and career presented in the movie?
The short answer is: not very well. It is often confusing. Why? What is wrong? It is difficult to find out who is who.
The characters seen on the screen already know each other, so they not always address each other by name. But the viewer does not know them. The viewer needs help, but in most cases no help is forthcoming.
There is at least one exception to the general rule. When Edouard visits the Morisot family, he brings a friend with him. This person is not known by the family, so he is presented to the family (and to the viewer).
His name is Adolphe Pontillon. His profession? They think he is an artist like Edouard, but this is not the case. He is a sailor, who is based in Lorient.
This is the proper way to present a new character. But in most cases, the director does not want to help the viewer understand who is who. This is odd. The director makes a great effort to find all the historical characters and to tell the actors what to say and what to do.
The actors know who they are, but the viewer does not know this, because the viewer was not present when the director told the actors - one by one - what they have to do and to say. The director does not bother to tell the viewer who is who.
A typical scene is a dinner party in the Morisot family where perhaps ten people are present. The camera moves around and shows us different faces speaking different lines. The viewer is totally lost here.
Who are these people?
And how are they connected with each other?
There is no information!
No help!
I blame the director for this flaw!
As stated above, an on-screen message is used when the movie begins, but after the first scene there is a long stretch with no on-screen messages to tell us where we are in time and place.
An on-screen message appears when Berthe visits her sister Edma who lives on the coast. It says: Lorient 1869.
In other words: the story has covered four years, but the director never bothered to tell the viewer which scene was in the year 1866, the year 1867, and the year 1868.
Towards the end of the drama an on-screen message says we are in March 1871 and the war with Prussia has come to an end.
I wish the director had used on-screen messages in a more systematic way. This would have been helpful. As it is, we often have to guess. We do not know the time or the place of many scenes.
# 5. I had high hopes for this historical drama. A female director makes a movie about a female artist. I hope this will be a great movie. I hope the director will cover all important events and include all significant details.
But having watched the drama, I have to say I am disappointed. I cannot understand how this director works. I cannot understand why she makes the following unfortunate decisions:
** The time frame is too short, far too short. Essential parts of her life and career are outside the time frame. Why?
** The movie is based on an English book about Edouard Manet in which Berthe Morisot is a secondary character! Why?
** There are several accounts (in English and in French) in which Berthe Morisot is the primary character. Why not use one of them instead of a book about a male artist?
CONCLUSION
In my opinion, the rating on Amazon is too high, while the rating on IMDb is more appropriate.
This movie is not great; it is not even good; it is average and this is why it cannot get more than three stars (60 percent).
PS # 1. Morisot: The Heart is a Rebel is a documentary film which premiered in 2018. Basic details:
** Writer and director: Klaas Bense
** Production company: Zeppers Film
** Run time: 69 minutes
My opinion: interesting and informative, but very uneven. Some parts are relevant, while other parts are not relevant at all.
PS # 2. The following article is available online:
Philip McCouat, “Julie Manet, Renoir and the Dreyfus affair,” Journal of Art in Society, posted in 2012 (updated 2013, 2014, 2020 and 2021).
My opinion: interesting and informative. But not so much about Berthe Morisot. The focus is on the time after her death, including the Dreyfus affair.
PS # 3. Julie Manet (1878-1966) wrote a diary which was later published. An English translation is available: Growing up with the Impressionists: The Diary of Julie Manet (1987)
BONUS MATERIAL ON THE DVD
** A conversation with Caroline Champetier (the director)
** A conversation with Marine Delterme (who plays Berthe Morisot)
** A conversation with four persons: Caroline Champetier, Marine Delterme, and the writers of the screenplay (Sylvie Meyer and Philippe Lasry)
[Please note: there are no subtitles for the bonus material]
REFERENCES
[All titles listed below are in English]
** Berthe Morisot: Impressionist by William P. Scott and Suzanne Lindsay (1987)
** Berthe Morisot by Kathleen Adler (1987)
** Berthe Morisot by Anne Higonnet (1990)
** Berthe Morisot: The First Lady of Impressionism by Margaret Shennan (1996)
** Women Impressionists: Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, Eva Gonzalez, Marie Bracquemond by Ingrid Pfeiffer, Linda Nochlin and Sylvie Patry (2008)
** Berthe Morisot by Marianne Mathieu (2012)
** Berthe Morisot by Jean-Dominique Rey (2018)
** Berthe Morisot: Woman Impressionist by Cindy Kang (2018)
** Berthe Morisot: Masterpieces of Art by Ann Kay (2020)
** Berthe Morisot by Josephine Bindé (2020)
[Look at the titles of the books listed here. It seems many authors and many publishers do not have much imagination when it comes to choosing a good title!
When you are writing a biography, the name of the person must be a part of the title. This is obvious, but if you want your work to stand out among other works about the same person, you need more than just the name of the person.
You need to add something else. Something which can explain your approach or your point of view. Something which can sum up the conclusion of your work.
I blame the authors and the publishers for a disappointing and surprising lack of creativity in this department.]
*****
Berthe Morisot
(1841-1895)
*****
A painting by Berthe Morisot:
Her mother Cornelie and her sister Yves
(1869-1870)
*****
A painting by Berthe Morisot:
Her husband Eugene and
her daughter Julie in a garden
(1883)
*****
Julie Manet
(1878-1966)
The daughter of Berthe Morisot
*****
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