Bright Star—Calligraphy in Georgian England

The next film chosen for its beautiful calligraphy is the 2009 Jane Campion film Bright Star, a love story involving the most famous Romantic poet, John Keats. While watching this movie, I noticed that leading lady Abbie Cornish bears a striking resemblance to Nicole Kidman, the leading lady of Jane Campion's 1996 period piece The Portrait of a Lady.



The film takes place in during the Georgian Era, and includes simple, yet beautiful Regency interiors and shots of the English countryside. The correspondences throughout the movie are letters folded to make their own envelopes. On this particular image, one can see a stamp that looks like an imperial crown.


If one is quick, he or she can catch a glimpse of the addresses. What makes them so beautiful to me is that they are each hand-written and flourished, but they are not so perfect that we find it hard to believe they were written for daily correspondence.



Some envelopes are more simple than others.



One of the major turning points of this film includes a valentine. It even includes hand-drawn details and a small amount of color.


Below is my favorite screen capture from the film. In this shot, one can see the letter through the paper. Though out of focus, a stamp on the letter to the far right is visible, just like one of the letters shown previously.