The 7-Year Breakup: Persuasion, Netflix
Have I owned “Persuasion” by Jane Austen for almost four years now? Yes. I bought a gorgeous modern floral reprint at the Annual Harvard Bookstore Warehouse Sale in 2019. Have I read it, despite my love for Austen? Nope. Did I watch it on Netflix anyway, going film-first, committing the ultimate cardinal sin? Yes, I did. And I do not regret it.
This past July, Netflix came out with its own adaptation of the Regency Era classic, starring everyone’s favorite Green Kitchen Girl, Dakota Johnson. Netflix might feel like an odd choice to classic literature fans, but the media powerhouse has built up quite the portfolio of successful romance novel adaptations over the years, including several Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han books. And yet, unlike those adaptations, I noticed a lot more artistic liberties were taken in this film, creating a well-appreciated film-studio-quality movie with details like Anne’s frequent playful audience asides, breaking the fourth wall a la “Fleabag.” Knowing Austen’s writing style, it’s a clever way to translate diction.
We meet Anne in a bit of a depression, heartbroken over her ex-fiancé Captain Wentworth (Cosmo Jarvis), only to find out it’s actually been seven years. Quite the traumatic separation. Her family convinced her that she was young and would find something better—and she didn’t. It isn’t until her father (Richard E. Grant) is found to be in financial ruin that Anne and Wentworth happen upon each other again, visiting his aunt who’s renting Anne’s family home. And while it’s all very poetic, seeing one another seven years later after going off to sea and becoming wealthy in his own right, Wentworth is also near-inconsolable about their breakup. Whoever said time heals all wounds is an absolute liar with these two.
All the women in town have lost their minds over Wentworth’s visit, as most Regency women do in these types of scenes, their entire livelihood dependent on finding a husband as they cannot legally own or do anything by themselves. Louisa (Nia Towle) even asks Anne “Is it true he actually listens when women speak,” marveling at the thought. The bar is on the floor, though I do admit Wentworth wins me over throughout the movie, appearing to have genuine feelings for Anne.
The former couple finally meets as Anne makes fun of sailors at breakfast with her sister's children, wearing a bread basket on her head, smearing jam across her lip, and using a slice of bread as a telescope. It’s a modern-esque twist that I feel is another great artistic liberty for the film, adding personality and humor to a story that otherwise could have turned dull. It shows the natural chemistry and flirtation between them that encourages the audience to take an interest in their will-they-won’t-they relationship.
When asked by Mary’s husband (Ben Bailey Smith) if they had met before, Anne responds “fleetingly,” as if to brush it off, but Wentworth is confident, adding “and yet memorable in its fleetingness.” It’s goosebump-worthy. It’s the new Darcy hand-stretch, the oh-so-amazing silent awkward Regency sexual tension that Jane Austen is known for.
But as Wentworth finds a love interest to fill his time, so does Anne, neither saying what they truly want until it’s too late. When Wentworth gets engaged, Anne’s monologue is so powerful I had to watch it four times over, spoken over another montage of crying and depression baths from Anne: “I always imagined myself confronting this moment with grace. I would astonish myself and others with my quiet dignity, my ability to endure.” But it’s the old right-thing wrong-time trope. As soon as Anne starts being courted by Willam (Henry Golding), Wentworth has broken off from Louisa and is heartbroken himself. His face gave me physical pain, eyes red and eyes longing. He decides to go back to sea again, to try to work through the loss of Anne by drowning his sorrows in the sea yet again. He leaves a love letter behind and just walks toward the docks, Anne running after him, crying, kissing, holding one another, and falling in love all over again. They plan to travel together for his future work voyages, inspired by his aunt and uncle we meet in the beginning. It’s not traditional for the time period, but absolutely adorable. They just want to be with one another.
4 stars
This movie went by a bit slow at first, but it was easy to watch, giving all the classic romantic feels one expects from an Austen adaptation. I liked the modern creative liberties. I like this movie a lot. I just don’t love it.
