Sylvia (2004, DVD)

There are many reasons to view this film. One of the most "trendy" would be to see Daniel Craig, now acclaimed as James Bond, play the part of Sylvia Plath's husband, the poet, Ted Hughes. Steely, tortured, attractive to women, Ted indeed shared qualities with the current Bond. Secondly, this is a depiction, and a brilliant one, of the path of creativity and depression. Our understanding of mental illness is enhanced by this film. Thirdly, this is the story of a renowned literary figure, a female working in a male dominated field in the sixties. A further layer is explored in the contrast between the sunny days early in Sylvia's marriage, depicting the beauty and affluence in which Sylvia grew up,in a grand home by the sea in the USA, and the bleak winter in England spent in a grey walled apartment in the city or a grey stoned farmhouse in Devon. The part of Sylvia's mother is played by Gwyneth Paltrow's real mother, Blythe Danner. Her brief appearance at the beginning of the movie effectively evoked the tension between mother and daughter, as the mother expressed doubts rather than provided emotional support for the young couple. Gwyneth Paltrow brilliantly portrays the smouldering suicidal ideation of her "Lady Lazarus" character, as well as Sylvia's inability to handle the uncertainties, the competition, the lack of trust which existed in her marriage to a prominent English poet. The irrational, narcissistic and dangerous grip of depression and paranoia are reflected in her inability to stay alive for the sake of her two toddlers. This is an important film.