Bright Star

Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art —

Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night

And watching, with eternal lids apart,

Like Nature's patient, sleepless Eremite,

The moving waters at their priestlike task

Of pure ablution round earth's human shores,

Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask

Of snow upon the mountains and the moors —

No — yet still stedfast, still unchangeable,

Pillow'd upon my fair love's ripening breast,

To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,

Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,

Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,

And so live ever — or else swoon to death.

John Keats, 1818

This is my most favorite poem ever. Alongside 'Annabel Lee' by Edgar Allan Poe, I believe this is one of the most heart-breakingly beautiful poems ever writ.

Now, I'm a sucker for poetry. It all started back in high school when my english teacher, Mr. Tidey, introduced us to the topic. Most people hated it, but I fell in love with the lyrical rhythm, etc., etc.

In grade 11 we studied Romantic poets, and Keats' Bright Star was the first. I was hooked. Since then I have been, for want of a better term, mildly obsessed with his life and poetry. Sure, there have been others (Edgar Allan Poe, Tennyson, you know the rest...), but Keats has always been my favorite.

So with that in mind you can imagine how I jumped for joy after reading an article about how Jane Campion was making a film about him and his love, Fanny Brawne. (I was in class at the time, so my exclamation did cause quite a scene). Even more so when I found out that Ben Whishaw and Abbie Cornish would be playing Keats and Fanny.

For those who don't know who Ben Whishaw is, a quick introduction. The 2008 film reproduction of Brideshead Revisited (for those who haven't read the book, read it, or at least watch the 1981 BBC series), he played Lord Sebastian Flyte. Grenoille in Perfume (A film rendition of Patrick Suskind's book, which is absolutely brilliant), and one of the Bob Dylans in the 2007 biopic 'I'm Not There'. Basically, he is a brilliant actor who deserves more credit than he gets. It should also be noted that he is probably my favorite actor.

So, for those who can add one and one (and another one) together would see that a film about John Keats, with Ben Whishaw, titled Bright Star is bound to be a favorite film. Correct! Also note, Abbie Cornish is divine, and Australian, so extra points for that, too.

Being in Australia, we had to wait a whole EIGHT months from it's debut at the Cannes Film Festival in May. This almost killed me. You could almost have a child in that time. I did yell out a few unpatriotic things when I found out Australia would be basically the last country ON EARTH to get it. At least I didn't cry. Okay, I cried. You would too.

It is such a beautiful film. And the overlay of poetry and I could go on about this for hours. Days even. But I won't. Just watch it. Listen to the soundtrack. Look at these pictures from the filming. Go onto Jane Campion's production website. Be obsessed.

Don't try tell me it's not heavenly.

Until next time, my dears, fall in love.

Photographs from Jane Campion's production scrapbook, www.brightstarthemovie.com/default.aspx