A woman may or may not be mysterious.
But in most films if the woman is mysterious she is almost certainly going to be beautiful in turn. And this film is no exception.
It reaches the point where most of us can’t even imagine a film like this where the woman is mysterious and [instead] is singularly unattractive.
Then you begin to wonder about the part where the genes segue into the memes. Is this reaction “natural”? Or [instead] is it derived more from a “sexist” historical narrative imposed upon us by a “patriarchal” culture?
Here though the beautiful mysterious woman may also be a beautiful mysterious murderer. And the first thing our protagonist Philip aims to do when she returns is to strangle her: “Whatever it cost my cousin in pain and suffering before he died I will return with full measure upon the woman that caused it.” That is until he is “stunned to discover a woman not only beautiful but elegant, intelligent and sensitive.” Will he perhaps fall in love with her?
And this was “back then”. Long before the advent of one or another rendition of “feminism”. An attempt to imagine the “plight” [and the options] of women in a world very much different from our own.
That is, not counting the part really very much the same.
It’s one of those mysteries in which we are never entirely sure if she did it or not. But what counts is not whether she did it but whether or not others think that she did.
Look for the part about class. If you can find it.
at wiki: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Cousin … (2017_film
trailer: youtu.be/vVaPJxe0Qxs
IMDb
The white horse Rachel Weisz rides in the film had been trained for the TV series Game of Thrones (2011) and was taught to ‘play dead’ when its rider tugged hard on the left rein. Being unaware of this, at one point Rachel got partially trapped under the horse’s left flank for a brief period after it rolled over onto its left side.
MY COUSIN RACHEL [2017]
Directed by Roger Michell
[b]Philip [voiceover]: Did she? Didn’t she? Who was to blame? He was my cousin. But I loved him like a father.
…
Philip [voiceover]: They say a boy needs as mother. But the only women allowed in the house were the dogs.
…
Louise: She must be extremely charming for Ambrose to have noticed her.
Philip: What do you mean?
Louise: Oh, I’ve never heard of him admiring a woman before.
Kendall: She’s right. Your cousin never had much need for women.
Philip: Why should he? He had me.
…
Philip [reading aloud a letter from Ambrose]: “I have written to you several times, but she watches me like a hawk and there is no one that I can trust to take my letters to the mail. She is away from the house today. That’s why I am able to write this. For weeks I’ve been ill, feers, terrible headaches. I am sick at the sight of the sun.”
…
Louise [noticing a message penned on the envelope flap]: “She has done for me at last. Rachel, my torment. For god’s sake, come quickly.”
…
Philip: How did he die?
Rainaldi: It was a tumor. In the head. The doctors are in no doubt it affected his brain.
Philip: How?
Rainaldi: Shouting. Violence. Terrible distrust.[/b]
We know where this takes us.
[b]Philip: I believe nothing of what you have told me. I believe that had I been here, my cousin would still be alive. And whatever it cost my cousin in pain and suffering before he died I will return with full measure upon the woman that caused it.
…
Kendall: It’s the same will I drew up ten years ago. No provision to be made for a wife.
Philip: Are you sure?
Kendall: Quite sure…and there’s no mention anywhere of a claim on the part of Mrs. Ashley.
Philip: I’m amazed.
Kendall: Why?
Philip: We know perfectly well she drove him to his death.
Kendall: We know nothing of the sort. If that’s the way you are going to talk about your cousin’s widow, I prefer not to listen.
…
Philip: Surely you don’t believe all this nonesense about the tumor?
Kendall: Here is the death certificate and an account of the post mortem. And what possible motive could she have with nothing to gain from his death? So yes, why wouldn’t I believe?
…
Louise: What are you going to do with her?
Philip: Confront her. Of course she will try to bluster her way out of it…I want justice for Ambrose.
…
Philip: Where the devil are the dogs?!
Seecomb: I think they followed her up the stairs.
…
Rachel: How pernickety you are.
Philip: I thought you lot worried about things like that
Rachel: You lot?
Philip: Women.
Rachel: Only when they have nothing else to worry about.
…
Rachel [to Philip of Ambrose]: All of this was his passion…so I made it my passion too.
…
Rachel [at the dinner table]: Who would like to join me in drinking this delicious port wine. Unless of course the men wish to retire to the next room while we smoke our pipes.
…
Philip: The Vicar finds you feminine. “Extremely feminine” were his exact words.
Rachel: I wonder in what way?
Philip: I suppose in a way that’s different to Mrs. Pascoe.
Rachel: Mmm. And how would you define the difference…our femininity? Mrs. Pascoe’s and mine.
Philip: God knows. All I know is I like looking at you…and I don’t like looking at Mrs. Pascoe.
…
Kendall: What shall we give her?
Philip: Think of a number that is fair and reasonable…then double it.
…
Louise: The Pascoe girls are far too busy remarking on something else.
Philip: What?
Louise: How easy it must be for a woman like your cousin Rachel to twist you around her little finger.
…
Rachel: You made him write this!
Philip: What…did you…I did nothing of the sort.
Rachel: If you had set out to humiliate me, Philip, you really couldn’t have got off to a better start!
Philip: Why?
Rachel: Why?! Because now it looks as if I came begging to you!
Philip: But you haven’t. You didn’t.
Rachel: Can’t you let me be a person in my own right? A woman who is making her way in the world as she wishes to.[/b]
Beautifully played? She accepts the allowance. And agrees to stay.
[b]Rachel: Why should women suffer in childbirth? Is it simply their destiny to do so?
Philip: Never thought about it.
Rachel: No, of course you haven’t. You know nothing about women.
…
Kendall [to Philip]: I’ve had some news from the bank. Some rather disturbing news, in fact…Your cousin is already severely overdrawn on her account. I can only think she’s been sending money out of the country.
…
Kendall: I’ve been doing a little asking around. Did you know that the duel in which her first husband died was fought over one of her lovers?
Philip [scoffing]: I don’t believe that.
Kendall: They were notorious. Both him and her, for unbridled extravagance, and apparently limitless…appetite.
…
Kendall: Does she have any knowledge of this?
Philip: None whatsoever.
Kendall: And you’re quite determined on this course?
Philip: Quite.
Kendall: You’re completely infatuated with your cousin are you not?
Philip: I’m just doing what I believe is right.
Kendall: You realize that you could lose everything?
Philip: I’m willing to take that risk.
…
Rachel [to Philip]: Had I known I was coming into a fortune, I would have given you a considerably larger pearl.
…
Servant: Mistresses compliments.
Philip: What is it?
Servant: Twig soup…Special brew she says. Birthday brew. She says you’ve got to drink the lot.
…
Philip: Didn’t you enjoy it?
Rachel: Well, didn’t you?
Philip: You know I did.
Rachel: I wanted you to enjoy it. I wanted to thank you.
Philip: For what?
Rachel: For what? For everything. For being so kind to me. For the jewels. What did you…did you…did you think that you had bought me?
…
Philip: You know nothing about her?
Lousie: Or is it you who know nothing?
…
Philip: I thought she said yes but in fact she meant no.
Louise: Was this before or after she read the document?
Philip: Before. She read it the morning after.
Louise: And wasted no time in driving over to see us.
Philip: She said she didn’t fully understand it.
Louise: Well she understood it pretty damn well by the time she left.
…
Philip: How long was I out?
Servant: Five days.
…
Philip: Are you leaving me?
[Rachel says nothing]
Philip: You should have left me to die.
Rachel [abruptly]: Don’t. Soon none of this will seem quite so bad. You belong here. In a little while you’ll be strong again and everything will be just as it was before I came. You are at the beginning of everything. A boy. How can I live with a boy? However lovely. A glorious puppy, wandering around, mireable and wet-nosed, looking for its mother.[/b]
She nailed him.
[b]Philip: Why is Rainaldi here?
Rachel: Because I asked him.
…
Rachel [with a tray of tea cups to Louise]: Oh, no, not that one, it’s for Philip.
[she walks over to Philip]
Rachel: Here.
Philip: No, thank you.
Rachel: Oh, but this is a special batch. I’ve made it double strength.
Philip: Well, then you drink it for me.
…
Philip [to Rachel who is about to go riding]: You might try the cliff path.
…
Louise: The jewelry. She’s giving it back.
Philip: Keep looking.
Louise: I don’t know what we’re looking for.
Philip: Keep looking![/b]