The Bronte Sisters
| The Brontë Sisters | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | André Téchiné |
| Produced by | Yves Gasser Klaus Hellwig Yves Peyrot Alain Sarde (executive) |
| Written by |
Pascal Bonitzer André Téchiné Jean Gruault |
| Starring |
Isabelle Adjani Marie-France Pisier Isabelle Huppert Pascal Greggory |
| Music by | Philippe Sarde |
| Cinematography | Bruno Nuytten |
| Edited by | Claudine Merlin |
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Production
company |
Action Films
Gaumont FR3 |
| Distributed by | Gaumont |
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Release date
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Running time
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115 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
The Brontë Sisters (French: Les Sœurs Brontë) is a 1979 French drama film directed by André Téchiné. It tells the story of the famous Brontë siblings.
The film was written by Téchiné with the collaboration of Pascal Bonitzer and Jean Gruault. The cinematography was by Bruno Nuytten. It was a project that Téchiné wanted to make since 1972, but only after the favorable reception of Souvenirs d'en France (1975) and Barocco (1976), he was able to find the necessary financing. Produced by Gaumont, the film's originally running time was cut from three to less than two hours upon its release at the 1979 Cannes Film Festival.
The film stars Isabelle Adjani as Emily, Marie-France Pisier as Charlotte and Isabelle Huppert as Anne. Pascal Greggory plays their brother Branwell Brontë. The plot centers on the sisters' sombre relationship with Branwell.
Set in a careful recreation of the period, the film follows the bleak lives of the four siblings in less than a ten-year span. It begins in 1834, when, at the age of seventeen, Branwell painted the famous portrait of his three sisters, in which he originally included his own image, and ends around 1852 when Charlotte, now a famous author, is the only surviving sibling.
Four young siblings: Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne, live a stoic existence in a small village in the English country side. Their old father, an Anglican minister, a rigid spinster aunt and Tabby, the maid, complete their household. The siblings have artistic ambitions and rely upon each other for companionship. Branwell is a painter and a self-portrait with his sisters is worthy of the general admiration of the family. He wants to pursue a professional career, but only goes as far as to establish a friendship with Leyland, a sculptor. Emily's favorite pastime is to walk across the bleak moors that surround the village dressed as a man. Anne, the youngest of the siblings, is her companion. Charlotte, more ambitious than the others, convinces their reluctant aunt to give her money to go to Belgium in order to study French. Her idea is to eventually come back and open a school. With their aunt's money and permission, Charlotte and Emily go to Brussels. Once there, Charlotte falls secretly in love with her teacher Monsieur Heger, who is already married. Emily plays the piano at school, but has a hard time there and is teased by her classmates for being English and Protestant in a Catholic country. Meanwhile, in England, Anne finds employment as a governess, taking over the education of the daughter of a wealthy family.
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Wikipedia