I'm on a date with my Secret Girlfriend, or at least a Cynthia Nixon/Terence Davies rendering of her.
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A Quiet Passion is about faith, family, a woman's place in nineteenth-century New
England society. It is a series of meditations upon melancholia. It is a "pushing back" against the dictates and expectations of patriarchy, "within reason." It is filled with uncomfortable silences, beautiful gardens, exquisite cinematography, and, toward the end, scenes of illness and death.
But, primarily, the film is about the passage of time, which is explored in mostly "soft" and subtle ways.
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My favorite scenes are when just Emily (Cynthia Nixon) and her sister Vinnie (Jennifer Ehle) are on screen. They banter and cajole, pressing one another, scolding one another, forgiving one another, and loving one another. Their scenes together are filled with power and love—both familial and friendship. Yes, they may be sisters, but they are obviously also great friends.
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One of my favorite scenes is early in the film and involves a shot that circles (counter-clockwise and therefore "against" time) around the Dickinson living room at night, while the family members quietly read, sew, and sit in a room illuminated by candlelight, lamplight, and the fire in the hearth. It begins with young Emily reading and ends with her in tears, moved by what she has read.
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After our date, my Secret Girlfriend and I settle in at home for more intimate moments together.
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