Girl With A Pearl Earring Film Review

Girl with a Pearl Earring

Film Review

 The film Girl with a Pearl Earring is a wonderful example of life during the Northern Renaissance in Delft Holland in the 17th century.  What is poignant about this film is the fact that it captured the essence of how harsh life could be for people, especially women, during the 17th century.  Although the film is based on the painting, Girl with a Pearl Earring, by the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer, it follows a young woman named Griet, Vermeer’s subject for the painting, struggling to keep her family above water.

In the beginning of the film we see Griet getting ready to leave her family to find work due to money troubles, but, apparently, there is much more involved with her departure.  We see her father is ill, blind, as well as decrepit.  It was not unusual at this time for a family member to be ill from some sort of virus or disease.  The fact that the family is struggling due to the illness of a parent is a prime example of the atmosphere of the time.  As a result of her father’s illness, Griet is hired to work out in the city as a housekeeper, which was very typical for this era.  Many families struggled, therefore, sending out their children to work for wealthy families as a source of income was common.

Also, in the beginning of the film we see Griet's mother telling her to be weary of Catholic prayer.  I thought that this was an important aspect because we see the segregation of religious beliefs between the Catholics and the Protestants.  This scene showed the viewer what type of religious struggles were taking place in Northern Europe. 

The image that this film creates is a dreary yet striking one because, instead of following the life of a lavish character living in the 17th century, it followed the life of a typical girl who is trying to make money in the city to help her family.  Although we do see how people with money live, it is through her experiences that we get a real feel of every day life during the Renaissance.  We see that from the moment Griet woke up she was constantly working.  Also, as a housekeeper, Griet must deal with living under the rule of a master and a mistress, and, with that, she must know her place and act accordingly. Her sleeping quarters are awful and small.  She works even during the coldest days.  She takes care of household duties, such as washing the clothing, sweeping, making dinner and caring of the many children.  She doesn't have any privacy. Basically, her life isn't her own. The film did a great job showing the hardships hired help went through.  

The film reveals the relationship between artist and patron. Vermeer really didn’t have any say in the subject matter.  Artistic freedom was minimal. Convention, technique, and subject were governed by certain rules.  One expected a painting to maintain class schisms. Portraits usually were reserved for the higher class, and Girl with a Pearl Earring went against convention, and, since paintings carried great weight to the viewers in terms of how they represented certain aspects of society, Vermeer’s painting must have made most viewers feel uncomfortable with it. There was a brief mention in the film about the power an artist has to tap into the soul of a person.  This was sometimes viewed as an intimate experience between artist and subject, which was the case when Vermeer’s wife observed the painting.

What was also interesting was the fact that the film showed that sanitation wasn't that important, or thought about.  One of the maids tells Griet to use the water found in the canals.  This was a funny example that shows us that sanitation was not on the top of their list.

Overall, the film really encapsulates living standards, conventions, and conditions of the 17^th century. The way in which the filmmakers presented the 17^th century didn't feel over done or commercial.  I feel as though I have a better understanding of what life’s conditions must have been like for people struggling at that time.