Emma. (2020) The director weighs in on Jane Austen's antiheroine

"I'm going to take a heroine. Nobody will like me," said Jane Austen his wife said of her most beautiful heroine. Two hundred years, and more than a dozen adaptations later, Emma's "incompetence" is what makes her such a powerful and powerful character.

Emma, published in 1815, tells the story of Emma Woodhouse, a naughty, wealthy young lady in a small English town who takes a poor orphan named Harriet under her wing as her new chair to protect her wealthy husband. It is a novel with a variety of elements, from Douglas McGrath & # 39; s Gwyneth Paltrow-led, pastel-toned 1996 version to You have nothing, a modern research set based in Beverly Hills, as well as in Sanson Allowed by Emma, thinking of Emma as an intelligent lifestyle. Each of these submissions transforms Emma into a lovable, erroneous, busy, crazy person. Sure, he can do annoying things, though you didn't mean!

This year Emma., Director Autumn de Wilde challenges the playmaker from a heroine with some undesirable traits to a complete antihero. Although Emma knows the true beauty – she patiently cares for her hypochondriac father – many of her lovely exterior feels like the bonds of her high position in society. But the physical tells the character exactly what he means, unlike most of his transformed bodies. De Wilde was attracted by the quality, and wanted to test it on screen.

Image: Focus Features

“Sometimes it's nice to see someone behaving badly and sometimes they open their eyes that a small part of you might want to do (like this). You are free to be that person at that moment, ”Wilde told Polygon in a telephone interview. “I think antiheroes are very important for us to see in men and women. I think we learned a lot on our side that always happened, namely the possibility of being selfish, the chance of betrayal. ”

There is a certain witchcraft in the new version of Emma, ​​a sorceress that has lost some of her on-screen colleagues. When Cher came in You have nothing concludes the talk about the plight of the refugees by “Not RSVP to Statue of Liberty!”Although we say the word" Haiti, "we look at her in the eyes, of course, it's unbelievable, but her good intentions are endearing. Two scenes appeared directly from each other Emma the book, played in various ways in the 1996 film and the summer of 2020, also shows the difference between how an Austen woman can be honored.

In the 1996 movie, Gwyneth Paltrow & # 39; s Emma listens to Harriet explaining who will be a writer, producer. Director Douglas McGrath doesn't dwell as much on what happens to Emma, ​​the face, or the tone as she and Harriet head to the garden. Instead, the film quickly decides to Harriet seeing Mr. Martin. Emma sighs and smiles heartily: Her new friend can do better than this.

The 2020 movie also finds Emma announcing that Mr. Martin is not high enough to care for her. Meanwhile, actor Anya Taylor-Joy is drawing the line without a smile. In the meantime, he goes through the room without his eyes; The glare pointing to the voiceless face moves Emma away from the rich and discerning girl to a sophisticated, human you get it it. He finds a social class and adorns himself very closely, and he knows how to use them. And why shouldn't he? In the opening line of Emma, Austen describes the character as "intelligent."

As Taylor-Joy did, Emma's most unkind moments mean. He raises his nose at people younger than they are when they are not looking, and he knows it is fun, yet he plays well where it was. When his genius is revealed as people watch, it is a sign of his right, a shape that is in tune with the situation.

“If you are younger and wiser than you are, you are expected to behave better. It's very frustrating when you don't agree, ”says Wilde. "She lives alone, lonely, and lonely, and many people get into trouble when they are bored – young people, of course."

While Emma makes some deliberate, forward-looking and fun decisions, a good or well-anticipated look gives us a taste of her inner way. During a tea break with a chat box Miss Bates, Emma stays kind – unless there is some judgment on her face as Miss Bates continues to look at her every detail in the latest series from her niece.

Unlike Emma's other ideas, her privilege and wealth are not excuses for her behavior in adapting to a new film; that's the reason. As the wealthiest woman in the area, Emma must be able to please people. He doesn't always love you. He organizes gatherings, and visits people like Elton's new humble wife, because he must, not because he wants to. The choice makes for moments of genuine kindness, such as when Emma arrives at Harriet lamenting the rejection of Mr.

Image: Focus Features

De Wilde explained that Taylor-Joy's characters in Thoroughbreds and Witch, two women who started out as victims but were starting to show signs of darkness, were impressed. "They're almost the backdrop for my filmmaking," he said.

Emma's patience and dedication to her father does not stop throughout the movie, though she is jealous of the nephew of the naturally talented Jane Fairfax. She cares deeply about Harriet and Westons, in a way that exceeds the obligation she feels for her entire community. He beats cricket with Knightley, but is invested in his own happiness. Emma is kind to her; he also has a strong streak. It is not selected, and this multiplication has serious consequences for the people around him.

The moment our hero criticizes Miss Bates plays less as a curse of language than a deliberate insult. And when Emma counters on her lack of kindness, she shows more self-expression. This Emma knows exactly how power and wealth put her in a position where the lowly ones value her ideas. Saying something embarrassing to poor Miss Bates is not just a faux pas; it is a deadly blow. Emma recognizes that treating her high status as an unwanted obligation is innocent. Allowing Austen's grandeur to become stubborn, as she was written, also allows her to grow in the end.

Emma. is in theaters now.