To Walk Invisible: 2016 BBC Brontë Biopic

The Life Of The Brontë Sisters, And How They Came To Write Their Famous Novels

Finn Atkins, Chloe Pirrie and Charlie Murphy as Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë

Hello!!!

This is Joyie and welcome back to my little bookish corner of the internet where I talk all things books!

Have you been reading anything this week?

This week I’m still reading The Count Of Monte Cristo, and I’m realising I love this book much much more than I remembered? And I also might have found the idea for my first tattoo. I really wanted it to be from Wuthering Heights, but as much as I love that book, it follows the ‘’DO. NOT. EMULATE.’’ model. So I don’t think I’d want to have anything from it inked on my body as a part of my identity. Does that make sense?

Now, coming to this week’s letter, it’s a little bit different. Because it’s not about books directly, but about a movie, about writers of books—the Brontë sisters.

So, it’s a movie called To Walk Invisible, directed by Sally Wainwright, with Finn Atkins, Chloe Pirrie and Charlie Murphy as Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë respectively.

To start off, I’ll say it’s a niched movie, unless you like the Brontë sisters’ works to some extent, I don’t think a lot of people will find much appeal in it. And it’s a respectful adaptation that actually adheres to whatever is known about them.

The sisters are portrayed as three ordinary women—struggling financially, watching their brother drinking himself to ruin and extorting money from their aging father—with very few options to secure their own future. I really love the way the movie shows them, having exhausted all other means (and being women, they never had many to begin with), finally deciding to publish their writings in the hope of making some money. They probably weren’t looking to become the legendary literary figures they ended up becoming, they were just trying to make sure that after their father’s death, they’ll still have a roof over their heads, and food on their plates. How heartbreaking it is that none of them outlived their father.

There’s a scene where Charlotte receives the reviews for their poetry book, which speak very favorably about Emily’s poems. She brings it to Emily. Emily takes it, reads it, and asks Charlotte, “Are they (their brother and father) still fighting?”

Like it’s supposed to be a moment of joy, but even that joy is overshadowed by their domestic problems.

And then, there’s another scene where they finally tell Patrick about the books. He is absolutely astounded that his daughter is the famous writer Currer Bell and Charlotte is very excited, telling him about how successful Jane Eyre has been. And she adds, “And I’ve made money. With the prospect of making more.” Because that shadow, even in their moments of joy and celebration, is always looming over them.

I love how this movie explores Charlotte, Emily and Anne’s relationship, and also their complicated relationship with their brother Branwell. I love the casting, the actors not only look their parts, they also play their parts beautifully. I love the set and costume designs (but of course I know nothing about their historical accuracy). And I love Chloe Pirrie’s (Emily) recitation of No Coward Soul Is Mine in a scene between Emily and Anne, set in the Yorkshire moors.

Overall, I really love this movie and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the Brontë sisters.

What about you? Do you like the Brontë sisters’ works? I'd love to know!!!

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That’s it for today, I'll be back in your inbox next week.

Until then,

Joyie 🌻