I saw this film some weeks past and I was most taken with its cinematic beauty and disturbing undercurrent of family relations in a 'privileged class' family.
As an American I can see this story as conflicts not just in this one family we see but in the entire class system found in Britain and to some degree here in the US. I believe the pivotal scene in this story is found when Christopher wants to invite the cook/housekeeper to eat dinner with them because it's the polite thing to do. His sister will have none of this and takes offense at the very suggestion. The mother is undecided but agrees with her daughter. Christopher asks why not and no valid reason can be given other than its inappropriate for staff to eat with family. When Christopher offers to help clean up the table and dishes the housekeeper ask "What am I suppose to do, this is my job". She too is an island.
The family here cannot communicate between themselves nor with those they see as beneath them. Like it or not there is a separation between classes in society and family members. Like an Archipelago it's all one unit but we are our own island.
Here we see just one interpretation of this human problem. And beautifully told.
As an American I can see this story as conflicts not just in this one family we see but in the entire class system found in Britain and to some degree here in the US. I believe the pivotal scene in this story is found when Christopher wants to invite the cook/housekeeper to eat dinner with them because it's the polite thing to do. His sister will have none of this and takes offense at the very suggestion. The mother is undecided but agrees with her daughter. Christopher asks why not and no valid reason can be given other than its inappropriate for staff to eat with family. When Christopher offers to help clean up the table and dishes the housekeeper ask "What am I suppose to do, this is my job". She too is an island.
The family here cannot communicate between themselves nor with those they see as beneath them. Like it or not there is a separation between classes in society and family members. Like an Archipelago it's all one unit but we are our own island.
Here we see just one interpretation of this human problem. And beautifully told.