A couple weeks ago, a friend of mine came to Edinburgh for a visit and suggested that we watch Lena Dunham’s movie Catherine Called Birdy. She knew I’d enjoy the movie because a) it’s historical fiction b) it’s a comedy c ) it’s about sassy young ladies. She was right, of course. I did like the movie. But not just because it ticked all of those boxes. I liked the film because it was actually funny and warm and kind of quietly transgressive in a way I wasn’t expecting.
Lena Dunham (who is best known for creating the HBO series Girls about a group of young millennial women in NYC) directed this film and wrote the script based on a children’s novel by Karen Cushman about a fourteen year old girl living in 13th century England. I’ve not read the book but I remember seeing it around at school book fairs (because I was the sort of kid that loved book fairs). I remember the cover. And, judging by the film adaptation, a key feature of the book was the lively voice of the main character, Lady Catherine aka ‘Birdy’, as she comes of age and navigates her responsibilities as a woman in her society.
I’m so glad that Dunham got to make this movie. It was apparently a longtime passion project for her. I’m also glad that there seems to be a trend now in making quirky historical comedies. I’m thinking of Seize Them! out this year, but also Our Flag Means Death and The Completely Made of Adventures of Dick Turpin. You could even kind of lump Bridgerton into that list, though it’s less of a comedy (though perhaps you can call it a romantic comedy?).
Birdy is definitely a comedy. It’s also ahistorical in terms of the pop music choices, diverse color blind casting, and some of the dialogue etc. But it’s also on another level a sincere exploration of the expectations put on young women in the medieval period. Specifically, the expectation to marry – sacrificing their own freedom and in effect their own childhoods to keep their family secure. In the film, Birdy’s family is broke and they need her to marry to bring money into the household. You can’t help but root for the wild and energetic Birdy as she rejects all her suitors and hides her sanitary towels from her family so they don’t know she’s started her period yet (because if she’s not yet a ‘woman’ she can’t marry, right?).
The fact that Dunham actually showed a little bit of blood during these scenes felt so refreshing. I recall reading an article before the film came out (I believe in the journal Little White Lies) about how Dunham had to fight to even have a character on their period in her period film! So silly. We’re happy to see plenty of blood on battlefields on screen, so why not show a simple, physical reality for half of the world’s population? I liked that this was included, alongside the treatment of Birdy’s mother’s continual struggles with fertility and several miscarriages (another physical reality not talked about enough in our culture). Nothing bloody or graphic is shown with the mother, but you do see her struggling to give birth in a very powerful scene and her difficulties with fertility generally are discussed. Dunham is known for her unflinching depictions of young adulthood and here she does that in a way that feels fresh and honest but also age appropriate for a teen audience.
Everyone in the film is lively and gives it their all. Of course a standout is the main character played by Bella Ramsey but her father, played by Andrew Scott, aka the Hot Priest from Fleabag, is also hilarious and deadpan. He has a very funny ‘duel’ at one point and it’s clear that he’s never dueled before in his life but is trying to bluff his way through it. My partner and I still joke, weeks after seeing the movie: ‘Bring me my dueling accoutrements!’
Anyway – I’d recommend this movie for teens but also for anyone that likes this sort of thing. I think I would have enjoyed it as a teenager (the age of the main characters), but also I really enjoyed it now. It was lively, funny, and one of my favorite ‘obviously modern takes on a historical past’ I’ve seen in a very long time. I’ve included a list below of movies and shows I’d put into a similar camp (like Bridgerton), but I think this one is stronger than most of those included.
Let me know if you’ve seen this film or if it sounds like something you might like? Did you read the book when you were younger? What have you been watching recently?
‘Madeira Mondays’ are a series of blog posts about history and historical fiction. Thanks for reading!
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Thanks and have a great week.
PS Today’s Featured Image is a promotional image from the movie. Credit: Alex Bailey/Amazon
Recommended Reading (Period movies with modern sensibilities, reviewed on this blog):
Carly Brown 