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3.1.10 Arts and crafts
** How important were "the Arts" to
this story?
Oh, very important, indeed. The Arts require and nourish creativity and
imagination. These things were highly valued by Juliet and Pauline. Pursuit of the Arts
raises the pursuer above the mundane and into a more profound plane of existence and
understanding, as the girls (and others) would have told it. Having talent and ability in
the Arts makes one an Artist, and that is a special status shared by very few. All of
these characteristics of the Arts and of Artists reinforced the girls' exclusive and
privileged view of themselves. Juliet declared that the primary characteristic of the
Fourth World was that it was a place of "Music, Art and pure enjoyment." This is
a direct quote from real life. When Juliet met the Riepers, she stated: "Oh, I adore
everything to do with the Arts." Again, in real life, the two girls contemplated the
Arts and their talents as Artists extensively.
** What arts do we see the girls indulging in?
Sculpture, painting, composition (including opera), drama (with no audience, and
also appreciation, at the cinema), music (appreciation and, in Juliet's case, an imagined
performance), dance. The reference to singing comes straight out of Pauline's real-life
diaries. Walsh and Jackson doing their homework yet again.
** Who made the plasticine models, and where and
when?
Juliet made the plasticine horses displayed on the Ilam mantlepiece, noticed and
admired by Pauline on her first visit. The girls are shown making models in Juliet's
bedroom in "The Donkey's Serenade" sequence. They are dressed in school uniforms
and they are making human figures and horses. Juliet is also shown making figures in the
TB sanatorium, specifically, Diello. Pauline was shown making plasticine figures of
Borovnian characters in her bedroom out back. She is dressed in her school uniform, and
John(Nicholas) admires her craftsmanship. Pauline tells him that Juliet made 'Gina'. In
real life, it appears as if Pauline was the instigator of the plasticine models of
Borovnian characters, though Jackson insists there were also models made by Juliet on the
mantlepiece at Ilam.
** Where were the plasticine models displayed?
Juliet's horses were displayed on the Ilam mantle. Juliet displayed Borovnian
models in her bedroom, on her bedside table. We see them in several scenes, though the
figures and their positions change from scene to scene. For example, the figures are
prominent by Juliet's head during the "birth of Diello" scene and later in the
"Loveliest Night of the Year." Juliet also displayed Borovnian figures by her
bed and on the windowsill in the sanatorium. Diello was there, in a trinity. Pauline
displayed her large collection of Borovnian figures on the window sill of her outside
bedroom. When she was moved inside, Pauline took her Borovnian figures with her, but they
were not displayed as prominently. There were some on her desk and some on her bureau.
** What craft did Mr. Rieper enjoy?
Woodworking. He mentioned plans to make a birdhouse in "Heavenly
Creatures." Apparently Pauline used to enjoy helping her father do his woodworking,
when she was younger. This reference to woodworking was taken directly from Herbert
Rieper's trial testimony.
** What did Juliet sketch in art class on her
first day?
A rousing portrait of St George (patron saint of England) slaying the dragon (the
story is a famous myth). Juliet painted St George in the likeness of "Mario Lanza,
the world's greatest tenor." There was no room for Pauline in the picture.
"Sorry!" Pauline told her: "I think your drawing's fantastic!" Or,
more precisely, "I thunk your drawering's fentestuc!" (see 3.1.4.4). [sb]
Juliet's picture was a copy of a famous painting. I am quite sure I have seen it in The
National Gallery... any help on this? I remember the dragon was very sinuous and
reptilian, low to the ground and coiling around the horse's legs and St George had speared
its neck with a lance. According to local legend, heard by me as a wee lad, St George slew
the dragon on the flat-topped 'Dragon's Hill' in the White Horse Hills, near Wantage, in
what was then Berkshire but what is now part of Oxfordshire, in England. Probably
coincidentally, though with Jackson you never know, but 'Dragon's Hill' is just a few
miles away from Aldermaston (see 3.2.2, 7.10.1) [jp]
** What did Pauline sketch in her French
notebook?
A picture of three horses. The largest one was rearing on its hind legs, a
reference to real-life fiction of Pauline Parker (see 7.4.1), and the other two had their
their long manes flying in the wind. If she was a typical schoolgirl, Pauline probably
also had romantic pictures of long-tressed maidens on other pages, dressed in long,
flowing dresses, though we don't see them. In real life, horses figured quite prominently
in the case and in the real-life writings of Pauline (see 7.4).
** What did Pauline sketch in art class?
A picture of carnage in Borovnia, much of it Diello's doing. Apparently the only
colour needed for the painting was red. The art teacher rolled her eyes and shook her head
in disapproval. To my eyes, Pauline's painting was drawn in a similar style to the Bayeaux
Tapestry (sp?)--you know the one celebrating "1066 and All That," [My favourite
history book. It's no wonder I didn't excell in History. jp], the one with Halley's comet
flying over severed heads and other glorious carnage of William the Conquerer's doing.
** What paintings and sketches hung in Pauline's
rooms?
This is complicated. The set dressers changed the pictures in Pauline's rooms in
almost every scene, as a way of showing the passage of time, among other things. We get
our first good look in Pauline's room outside after Juliet develops tuberculosis. On her
wall are pictures of Mario and Mel, a brown horse head (which migrates around the room
from scene to scene) and a pencil drawing of a rearing horse along with other pictures of
dancers. Later, when John(Nicholas) is caught in her bed, there is a picture of a pair of
horses going in opposite directions above Pauline's head, and a picture of Paradise
through columns by an old Master. When Pauline first moves into the house, she puts up a
few pictures of golden-haired Juliet on her wall, along with many of the others from her
old bedroom. Also, there is now a (famous) photo of (the real) Juliet smiling and posing
in a bed of daffodils (actually in the gardens of Ilam and much reproduced in true crime
books) above the head of Pauline's bed. And there are lots of pictures and portraits and
photos of the Saints. By the time Honora and Pauline have their shouting match over the
letter from "Old Stew," the pictures of the various Saints have been joined by 5
drawings of Juliet plus the photo of Juliet. There are now 14 pictures in all on Pauline's
walls. In the final scene in Pauline's room, the morning of the murder, almost all of the
pictures on Pauline's walls are of Juliet in various incarnations and all pictures are
more and more child-like in their execution, including: * a golden-haired Juliet
resembling her real-life mug shot * the two girls in long gowns in front of a movie camera
* Juliet's face in a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame * the Juliet-in-the-daffoldils
photo * Juliet as Deborah, with a golden crown * Juliet as Deborah, with bright red lips
like she had in the "Sono Andati" balcony vision * the girls looking through the
clouds, together * Juliet in a crown * Diello, drawn by Pauline, with his prominent lapels
* Port Levy over the bureau
** When was Dr Hulme's portrait painted?
A portrait of Dr Hulme was painted to mark the occasion of his resignation as
Rector. It was unveiled in a supercilious going-away ceremony and approved by a peck on
the cheek from Hilda Hulme and reproduced in the newspapers. The reproduction in the
newspaper was a real one, and is shown as an allusion to a real-life diary entry by
Pauline (see 7.4.3). It is possible that the portrait used in the film was the real-life
portrait of Henry Hulme painted for the occasion depicted (see 5.3.6). It certainly looked
like pictures of the real Dr Hulme that I have seen.
** Are there other portraits shown in the film?
Yes. In every classroom there was a portrait of the Monarch. In the first
classroom, French Class in early 1952, we see a black & white portrait of King George.
He died on Feb 6, 1952. Perhaps this is meant to imply that the opening scenes occurred
very early in the year. In the Geography? class in May '53, the portrait above the
blackboard is now a colour picture of a very young Elizabeth II, standard fare for
classrooms throughout the British Commonwealth. Especially during the 'Coronation' period
depicted in "Heavenly Creatures."
