Project Detail

The Duchess

Synopsis

Like Princess Diana, her direct descendent, Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire was beautiful, glamorous and adored by the public. But while her beauty and charisma made her a household name, one thing always seemed to escape her: love.

Beneath Georgiana's glamorous façade lay an intelligent, vulnerable woman stranded in a loveless marriage to the Duke, one of the richest men in England. Frustrated by the limitations imposed on her by virtue of her sex and her class, she rebelled, entering into an intense
relationship with the beautiful Lady Foster, thereby setting up a complex ménage a trois with the Duke. Georgiana's rebellion extended to the
public sphere where she tore down the conventions, becoming a
political campaigner for the liberal party. In so doing she fell for Earl Grey, the future Prime Minister, finally discovering the meaning of true love. But could true love survive the strictures of the Duke, of Bess and of Society - the pressures of marriage and motherhood, of friendship and loyalty, of class and celebrity?

What followed was tragic, but Georgiana's unquenchable spirit sustained her and, unlike Diana, she ultimately found peace.

Details

Year
2009
Type of film
Features
Running time
150 mins
Format
35mm
Director
Saul Dibb
Producer
Carolyn Marks Blackwood, Amanda Foreman, Christine Langan, David M Thompson, Francois Ivrnel, Cameron McCracken
Editor
Masahiro Hirakubo
Screenwriter
Jeffrey Hatcher, Anders Thomas Jensen, Saul Dibb
Director of Photography
Gyula Pados
Production Designer
Michael Carlin
Music
Rachel Portman
Principal cast
Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Charlotte Rampling, Dominic Cooper, Hayley Atwell

Genre

Categories

Production Status

Production Company

Magnolia Mae Productions

Qwerty Films Ltd

Waverley House
7-12 Noel Street
London W1F 8GQ
UK

T +44 (0)20 7478 0930

info@qwertyfilms.com

Sales Company

Pathé International

Kent House
14-17 Market Place
London W1W 8AR
UK

T +44 (0)20 7323 5151

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