Being a film junkie, I tend to go through different genre mood swings. One month i'll see as many foreign films as i can, and then at the drop of a hat i'll switch to gangster flicks. I'll still see other movies during those times, but when I'm not at the theater catching up on the current movies, i'll tend to rent more films in the same genre. Right now i've been going through the Austen area of films, the beloved pre 20th century period piece. And although i've always been a fan of period pieces, a sudden resurgence of interest has caused me to rent any movie with an ascot-wearing man with mutton chops on the cover. I've tried to synthesize my love for period pieces in the list below, however non-sequitur it may be.
- the politeness and the manner of how the characters speak
- the light, flow-y dresses best worn while walking through a field
- the heavy victorian gowns with the corsets seen in pre 19th century pieces
- How they almost always end in complete tragedy (some of the best ones do, actually)
- any man wearing an ascot with a raised collar
- the simple and delicate beauty of the women
- the feral, yet uptight, look of the men (oh how they brood!)
- the pleasantly plump older servant who always means well
- the younger sibling who always manages to screw all the family plans
- the genuine romance between the characters
- "There is a holiness to the heart's affections you know nothing about."
- Mr. Darcy (not to mention the wet shirt scene)
- The elegant filming and muted colors usually seen in period pieces (non of those blurred pans!)
- the possessive love and the snappy dialogue
- just the general attractiveness of all the men (excluding the ones over 45)