Vita & Virginia

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Actually, I didn’t even think about making a second contribution. Since yesterday, I’ve been feeling under the weather and have some feeling that I’ve got a case of influenza.😜 I probably have my wife to thank, who was sick all last week! But after watching this movie the day before yesterday, I thought I could write a few lines.

Vita & Virginia is not a brand-new movie; you might have already seen it. It is also not the best made of, but the name of Virginia Woolf was enough for me to take the time to watch, and the fascination of the development of her novel Orlando. The movie’s director, Chanya Button, might have tried to make an artistic film parallel to its creative expression. (for example, lecture reading the letters between Virginia and Vita), and these might bore some audience; for me, it was not. It reminded me of the masterwork by Joshua Logan, Camelot 1967, which my brother Al and I watched those days in Iran; after not even half of the film was over, most of the audience left the cinema!

I love the femininity running through this film (with the fully understanding husband!) and in her Novel, Orlando, Woolf’s discovery of the “man” in Vita Sackville-West.

Feminine consciousness has been operative in some individuals but not in a whole culture. Now, I think we’re starting to get free of the old matriarchy and free of the patriarchy. In other words, we are entering into a conscious relationship with our mother and father complexes. As a planet, we’re moving toward maturity. Marion Woodman

Unfortunately, I must add that the subject of misusing is constantly a shameful term in the man’s world!!

I also added some words from Wikipedia: Have a lovely weekend, thank you, and stay “healthy”!💖🙏🥰

Set in the 1920s, the writers Vita Sackville-West and Virginia Woolf move in different London circles. When they meet, Vita decides Virginia will be her next conquest. They have an affair against the background of each of their open marriages.

Sexual abuse

Woolf stated that she first remembers being molested by Gerald Duckworth when she was six. It has been suggested that this led to a lifetime of sexual fear and resistance to masculine authority. Against a background of over-committed and distant parents, suggestions that this was a dysfunctional family must be evaluated. These include evidence of sexual abuse of the Stephen girls by their older Duckworth half-brothers and by their cousin, James Kenneth Stephen (1859–1892), at least of Stella Duckworth. Laura is also thought to have been abused. The most graphic account is by Louise DeSalvo, but other authors and reviewers have been more cautious. Virginia’s accounts of being continually sexually abused while she lived at 22 Hyde Park Gate have been cited by some critics as a possible cause of her mental health issues. However, there are likely to be several contributing factors. Hermione Lee states, “The evidence is strong enough, yet ambiguous enough, to open the way for conflicting psychobiographical interpretations that draw quite different shapes of Virginia Woolf’s interior life”.

15 thoughts on “Vita & Virginia”

  2. Although I loved the film ‘Orlando’ very much, alas I didn’t enjoy the ‘Vita & Virginia’ film at all. ‘Portrait of a Marriage’ is another drama about Vita Sackville-West which you may enjoy, it’s my favourite one.

    We visit Vita’s and Virginia’s former homes, regularly. In fact Lin used to work at Sissinghurst Castle, I’ll let her say more about that. Sorry to hear you’re not feeling well. Get better soon, love and light, Deborah.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Ahh a subject dear to my heart. I have to say that I didn’t enjoy the film when I saw it a few years back, I think they had overly glamourised Vita and Virginia. But I have to highly recommend the tv series of ‘Portrait of a Marriage’. It was an excellent portrayal of Vita and her many relationships. I did work at Sissinghurst for about a year on their photo archive helping to clean it up – it was fascinating to see images of Vita, her husband and family as well as all of the places they visited going back to late 1800’s up to the 1960’s I think. We still visit there often – it’s a wonderful property and garden. I’m sorry to hear you’ve caught the flu Aladin – take care of yourself and I hope you feel better soon. x

    Liked by 1 person

  5. elainemansfield's avatar elainemansfield

    Be well, Aladin. Because movies aren’t a good medium for someone with Meniere’s Disease, I enjoyed reading comments from you and also my friends Deboran and Lin.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Most interesting.
    The trailer is intriguing. I’m going to see if I can get this movie on my over priced TV movie package.

    I had to look up – aplomb.
    There are many things about life, history and currently in our time, that I find wildly distasteful.

    Men’s regards, or should I say disregards, for women by and large is top of the list.
    It fights with organized religion for top spot.

    Anyway, I know I can speak my mind here.
    Thank you, Alaedin! 💖⚡️🤗

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