MOVIES – OLD BUT STILL WORTH A WATCH: BELLE

 

The movie, “Belle" is based on actual events that tell the story of Dido Elizabeth Belle Lindsay. It addresses a topic not frequently addressed in period drama - the necessarily fraught position of a free black woman in proper British society in the late 18th/early 19th centuries. The movie directed by Amma Asante and based on a script by Misan Sagay, tells the story of an illegitimate mulatto child, the daughter of a Royal Navy man, who is raised in affluence, lavishly educated, and condescendingly doted on by her father’s extended family. 

Belle is the illegitimate daughter of a black slave and a British naval officer. Unlike many other children born in similar circumstances, she is fortunate, in that her father accepted her and paid for her support. When her mother died, her father brought her from the West Indies to England and entrusted her to the care of her uncle, Lord Mansfield, who was the Lord Chief Justice at the time. Later on, she inherits her father's fortune when he dies making her a desirable heiress. However, her race and illegitimacy make her an outcast technically. When the family is alone, she is allowed to dine with them but she is forced to eat separately when they have guests who might be offended by the sight of a black face.

Lady Elizabeth Murray, Belle’s friend and cousin is another niece and ward of Lord Mansfield. She is in a position that contrasts greatly with that of Dido’s and is treated differently because of her colour. Elizabeth is legitimate but has no money because she was disowned by her father due to the influence of his second wife. However, because Elizabeth is white, she is not required to dine separately from the family.

Oliver Ashford is the younger son of an aristocratic family who is interested in marrying Dido but his motivation was primarily financial. The match is fiercely opposed by his mother and elder brother; both of whom are opposed to the idea of a mixed-race woman marrying into their family. However, there is John Davinier, a clergyman's son, an aspiring lawyer, and an ardent anti-slavery campaigner, who greatly loves Dido without consideration of her wealth or colour.

Dido is placed in an unusual position at her uncle's stately home Kenwood House. Because of her fortune, she is an insider, a member of England's establishment nevertheless, because of her colour she is placed in an inferior position. Her Uncle also worries that if she accepts John, she will be "marrying beneath herself" because of the disparity in their financial positions. 

A subplot about what became known as the "Zong case" is set against Dido and John's love. When a slave ship's crew became ill, the captain ordered the slaves to be thrown overboard. The ship owners filed a lawsuit after the insurance company refused to compensate them for their losses. Lord Mansfield presided over the case in the Court of King's Bench. He is torn between the demands of justice, his inner decency, and the need to conform to the social proprieties of the time. In the "Zong" case, he is well aware that the insurers' refusal to pay out on the policy is motivated by commercial considerations rather than humanitarian ones; if they were motivated by humanitarian considerations, they would not have become involved in facilitating the slave trade in the first place. Nonetheless, he is well aware that a decision against the ship owners will be interpreted as a victory for the growing anti-slavery movement and a step toward the abolition of the slave trade. He later gives judgment against the ship owners contributing to the abolition of the slave trade and setting Belle who he adores; free to be who she is without fear. 

The movie focuses on Dido's emotional relationships and racial discrimination at its centre and it gives several excellent performances. It is beautifully layered with equality and slavery issues, but it is not preachy. It demonstrates how the colour of one’s skin cannot prevent matters of the heart. The film also demonstrates the parallels between the white and mulatto nieces: both women had a price on their heads and suffered as a result of their "place" in that society beneath men... This demonstrates that, while much has changed in 300 years, many attitudes have not. 

Other characters include Gugu Mbatha-Raw in the lead, Penelope Wilton as Lord Mansfield's sister, and Sam Reid as John. "Belle" - as one might expect from a British costume drama - is visually appealing but it is more than just an aesthetic movie as it explores the questions of race, social class, compassion, justice, and freedom. 

"Fiat justitia, ruatcaelum," Lord Mansfield said. Let there be justice even if heaven falls.