Period pieces have a way of sticking with us, don't they? Some of my favorite works of all time are period pieces. Little Women is my favorite book, so much so that when my mother bought me a special edition for Christmas 2019, I still haven't finished reading it because Louisa May Alcott's world is so pure yet realistic that I never want it to end.
Anyway, that's not what you came for! So let's get into it! This series of shots here was another one that inspired this entire series:
Now, before Daphne Bridgerton declared, "I burn for you," to her beloved husband, the Duke of Hastings, Darcy and Elizabeth were showing us how courtship is done. Mr. Fitzwillliam Darcy is a man of high society who, like his friend, Mr. Bingley, must take a wife because that's what you do in Regency England. (I'm aware Bridgerton and Pride & Prejudice occur in the same period, but I digress)
The shot where Darcy flexes his hand is a showstopper because the intimacy of Darcy's bare hand touching Elizabeth's bare hand isn't lost on either of them. Elizabeth staring after Darcy and the subsequent hand flex shows that the pair of them are deep in their feelings for one another, but of course, Lizzie has no way of knowing that for sure until much later in the film due to Darcy's overly reserved nature.
I also loved the impulsiveness of Darcy's gesture because it surprised both of them. The chemistry in this scene is palpable and one of many clues that their attraction has nothing to do with the societal pressures to marry; the two of them genuinely are attracted to one another. And while the chemistry between Daphne and the Duke of Hastings is electric in Bridgerton, I maintain that the Duke of Hastings could never.
I said what I said.
Here's what I wrote for the scene:
Unfortunately, I couldn't find the original script to compare it to, so what I wrote will have to do.
What are some of your favorite (romantic or not) period pieces? Let me know in the comments, and be sure to follow @dollyrheelproductions on IG!