bbc Duchess or Princess? 凯拉•奈特莉新片《公爵夫人》

Echoes of the Past 过去重现
The British actress Keira Knightley has rejected claims that her latest film The Duchess, a historical drama set in the 18th Century, parallels the life of Princess Diana.
The film tells the true life story of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, who was the great-great-great-great aunt of Diana, Princess of Wales.

In the film Knightley plays an aristocratic woman that is trapped in a marriage to a man who is in love with his mistress. It is this storyline that mimics the experiences of Princess Diana, who married Prince Charles only to discover that he was continuing a long-standing clandestine relationship with another woman.

Even the film’s tagline, "There were three people in her marriage", suggests a link to Diana’s story, as it bears a remarkable similarity to the words the princess used to describe her own situation in a highly candid 1995 television interview.

Speaking to the BBC, Keira Knightley was quick to play down the similarities in the stories, saying her character was "an interesting enough person to warrant a film completely about her without comparisons".

In fact the 23-year-old actress claims not to remember the story of Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s doomed marriage.

"I was 11 when Diana died, so I don’t really know what the actual story is so I don’t feel I can comment on the parallels," Knightley scolded reporters at a recent press conference.

Whether the Diana connection exists or not, The Duchess provides a fascinating insight into personal relationships in a society where divorce was taboo.

The film is also a visual feast as the architecture and fashions of 18th Century England are painstakingly recreated down to the smallest detail.


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GLOSSARY 词汇表 (收听发音, 请单击英语单词)

rejected claims
否认
parallels
相似
aristocratic
贵族的
storyline
故事情节
tagline
（电影的）标志性语言
play down
淡化
warrant
确保，保证
scolded
批评
divorce
离婚
visual feast
视觉大餐
Duchess
女公爵
great-great-great-great aunt
上推四代曾祖母
mistress
情妇
clandestine relationship
秘密关系
highly candid
非常坦诚不公的
character
角色
doomed marriage
注定要失败的婚姻
press conference
记者招待会
taboo
禁忌
painstakingly recreated
费尽心机重现