Girl with a Pearl Earring (film)

Infobox Film
name= Girl with a Pearl Earring


caption= Poster for "Girl With a Pearl Earring"
director= Peter Webber
producer= Andy Paterson
Anand Tucker
writer= Olivia Hetreed (screenplay)
Tracy Chevalier (novel)
starring= Colin Firth
Scarlett Johansson
Tom Wilkinson
Essie Davis
Cillian Murphy
Judy Parfitt
music= Alexandre Desplat
cinematography= Eduardo Serra
editing= Kate Evans
distributor= flagicon|CAN Lions Gate Films
flagicon|UK Pathé
released= flagicon|US December 12, 2003
flagicon|UK January 16, 2004
runtime= 95 min.
country= United Kingdom
Luxembourg
language= English
budget= $12,000,000 [cite news|url=http://www.filmfestivals.com/cgi-bin/fest_content/festivals.pl?fest=dinard2002&year=2002&lang=en&partner=&page=daily|title= Dinard Awards Two Top Prizes to 'Girl' (Pathé film budget)|date= 2002 October 3-6|work=Dinard British Film Festival|publisher=FilmFestivals.com|first=Olivier|last=Delesse]
website= http://www.girlwithapearlearringmovie.com/
amg_id= 1:285787
imdb_id= 0335119

"Girl with a Pearl Earring" is a 2003 United Kingdom/Luxembourg drama film directed by Peter Webber. The screenplay was adapted by screenwriter Olivia Hetreed based on the novel by Tracy Chevalier. The film stars Scarlett Johansson, Colin Firth, Tom Wilkinson and Cillian Murphy. The film is named after a painting of the same name by the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer.

Plot

).

In the course of their interactions as master and servant, Vermeer and Griet become casually acquainted and he learns of her interest in painting and her knowledge of color and artistic composition. Vermeer subsequently begins giving her lessons in mixing paints and other tasks, taking care to keep their meetings secret from his wife Catharina (Essie Davis). On a routine trip outside the house, Griet also befriends a young man named Pieter (Cillian Murphy), the Vermeers' butcher's son, who is quickly taken with her, though she is slow to return his affections. Vermeer's patron van Ruijven (Tom Wilkinson) sees Griet on a visit to the Vermeer household and asks the painter if he will give her up to him to work in his own house. When Vermeer refuses, Van Ruijven commissions him to paint a portrait of Griet for him. Vermeer accepts the commission, both to remain in Van Ruijven's good graces and because of his own fascination with Griet.

As Vermeer secretly works on the eponymous painting, he and Griet grow closer, while his relationship with his wife declines. Griet suffers with her feelings towards Vermeer, and has to fend off Van Ruijven's attempt to rape her (which is thwarted when Catharina calls for Griet). After a painting session filled with unrequited sexual tension where Vermeer pierces Griet's earlobes so she can wear his wife's pearl earrings for the portrait, Griet runs to Pieter to make love. In the afterglow, Pieter proposes marriage, but she does not answer and leaves him with a kiss. Vermeer's daughter discovers Griet is modeling for the painting, and tells her mother. Filled with jealousy, Catharina demands to see the painting. Vermeer responds that she does not understand art like Griet does. Insulted at being considered more ignorant than a common servant, she orders Griet to leave their household. At the close of the film, the pearl earrings are mysteriously delivered to Griet who has moved back to her home. Unlike the novel, the audience is left wondering whether or not she marries Pieter.

Cast

* Colin Firth as Johannes Vermeer
* Scarlett Johansson as Griet
* Tom Wilkinson as Piet Van Ruijven
* Judy Parfitt as Maria Thins
* Cillian Murphy as Pieter
* Essie Davis as Catharina Vermeer
* Joanna Scanlan as Tanneke
* Alakina Mann as Cornelia Vermeer
* Chris McHallem as Griet's father
* Rollo Weeks as Frans
* Anna Popplewell as Maertge
* Anaïs Nepper as Lisbeth
* Melanie Meyfroid as Aleydis
* Nathan Nepper as Johannes

Awards and Nominations

Wins

* 2003 - Camerimage Bronze Frog - Eduardo Serra
* 2003 - Dinard British Film Festival Audience Award - Peter Webber
* 2003 - Dinard British Film Festival Golden Hitchcock - Peter Webber
* 2003 - San Diego Film Critics Society Award - Best Cinematography - Eduardo Serra
* 2003 - San Sebastián International Film Festival - Best Cinematography - Eduardo Serra
* 2003 - C.I.C.A.E. Award - Peter Webber
* 2004 - Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award - Best Cinematography - Eduardo Serra

Nominations

* Academy Award for Best Art Direction
* Academy Award for Best Cinematography - Eduardo Serra
* Academy Award for Costume Design - Dien van Straalen

oundtrack

The soundtrack was released in 2004 and composed by Alexandre Desplat.

Differences between the novel and the film

* In the novel, when Griet is attacked by van Ruijven, the one who stops him is Cornelia, Vermeer's daughter, by asking them what they were doing. While in the film, the one who stops the incident is Catharina, by calling out for Griet.
* Griet's younger brother and sister are absent from the film.
* Griet's friendship with Maertge, the Vermeers' oldest daughter, is not shown in the film.
* Most of the events of the epilogue, such as Griet's marriage to Pieter, are absent from the film.
* In the novel, van Leeuwenhoek warns Griet not to get too close to Vermeer, but he is absent from the film and his lines are given to Pieter.
* In the novel, Griet pierces her own earlobes. In the film, Vermeer pierces it for her.
* In the novel, Griet is given the pearl earrings ten years later, after Vermeer's death. In the film, it is implied that not much time has passed.

References

External links

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