THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE
1969
Director: Robert Neame
In this film, an eccentric female teacher in an all female school is directly or indirectly responsible for the death of a student
Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is by a woman from Edinburgh, Scotland named Muriel Spark. The play and screen play are adapted from the book by Jay Presson Allen.
Brodie is portrayed by Maggie Smith who won the academy award for best actress for the film.
First some problems about “time”
The book, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is written by Muriel Sparks in 1962
The film was made in 1969.
Both are set in a three or four year period starting in 1932,
This means that you must be careful in terms of interpretation of the “time”
There is the time the play is set (1932); the time the book was written (1962) and the time that the film is produced (1969).
In this film there are only 7 years between the book and the play, but in other imls it can be a good deal more.
Should we evaluate the behavior of the characters in terms of 2004? What efforts do audiences have to make to get into the time period in which the film is made and also in which the story takes place.
There are some cross cultural problems involved in terms of recognition of locales and dialects. The outdoor scenes are shot in Edinburgh and the dialect is a specific dialect of Scottish English associated with the Morningside district, a sort of upper middle class area
It is interesting that the class applauded after Brodie’s (Smith) impassioned speech at Miss MacKay who accused of a relationship with Mr. Lowther an Mr. Lloyd after reading a letter written by two of the students (and also at the end of the film).
Is there, at various times of the film a different affiliation with Brodie (Smith) by the audience. The play is “wordy” – that is there is a great deal of dialog. Does the film come down on one side or the other about Brodie (Smith)? What does they play/film say about her teaching methods and ideals? The Rod McKuen wrote a score for the film. What part does it play?
After the film:
The locale or place is indicted in a numebr of ways:
Location and time are mentioned by giving date and time on a sub title.
Scottishness is indicated by kilt, policemen's uniforms, location shots in Edinburgh and lectures of history which are on Scottish topics.
Textual references indicate the period as do costumes, hair styles, cars, clothing, and equipment such as sewing machines with not electric treadle. Even teaching techniques in he gymnasium are "old time".
Brodie (Smith) stands out from the rest of the faculty at Marcia Blaine. How is this indicated visually?
Clothing – colorful, different from the rest ("she always seems so - extreme".
Make-up
Hair style
Position in frame?
When Sandy begins to take ascendancy Brodie (Smith) is sitting and Sandy standing – for the first time in the film Sandy is “taller” than Brodie (Smith).
What does it mean that Brodie is higher than Sandy at the end (on the stairway landing)?
Is Brodie (smith) sincere in what she is doing or thinks she is doing?
Does she romanticize? Is she somewhat hypocritical? (Do as I say not as I do. You claim to admire people like Caesar)
Is Brodie (Smith) introducing students to life. How is this reflected in her taking students out of the college – tours of Edinburgh, trips to Crammen, trips to the opera?
How is this shown in the film?
How does the music impact on the film? What is its feeling or style?
Is the text “romanticized”
How are Brodie (smith) and Sandy (Franklin) placed in the frames as their relationship develops?
The film clearly deals with the question of a teacher as a role model, methods of teaching, and responsibility. We can question the nature of teaching, the profession, the relationship between the students and teachers etc.
Has the role or perceived role of the teacher changed since 1969? Brodie (Smith) is fired for being political. Is that unusual today. Click here to read a paper about the politicization of film courses. How would you comment on Brodie's attitudes and behaviors and the nature of fascism which is discussed often the film? Sand talks about Brodie's girls being her own fascisti and Brodie discusses the idea as well.
Compare the film with Dead Poets Society