'Sense and sensibility' is set in the 1800s and similar to 'Four weddings...' the characters all have, marriage, wealthy houses and family in common. Marriage is a strong debate in both films. In 'Sense and sensibilty' is seen as more of a must and a very important decision. Instead of falling in love and then marrying as shown in 'Four weddings...' marriage was something you chose and then learnt to love later. This shows the difference in gender represented in the two films and how the roles of women have changed in Britain from 1800s to the present time. The women shown in 'Sense and sensibility' are less active in the life outside their wealthy home, whereas 'Four weddings...' shows the modern day woman, being involved and equal in society.
The women represented in both films are very contrasted. In 'Four weddings' Carrie is a grown woman about 30 who lives alone, has her career and later talks about all the men she has slept with, which turns out to be a lot. This is unusual in Britians society today as women now have a lot of freedom in terms of marriage, jobs and sex life. The women represented in 'Sense and sensibility' have a completely different life. They have a role to stay at home, look presentable and care for their husbands. The idea of having their own career, own house and casual sex life is unheard of. This shows the drastic change between the women in that time period in Britian and the women in modern day Britian with the same social class of middle to upper.
The wedding ceremonys in the era of 'Sense and sensibility' were a little more intense than the ones shown in 'Four weddings...' They are very light-hearted and comical, and have a dry sense of humour that is associated with British people.
The representation of love in both films are quite different. In the time period and social class of 'Sense and sensiblilty' a man and woman would fall in love and get married without knowing that much about their spouse which is a contrast to modern day Britian where a couple in love want to be engaged for a few years and live together before deciding to commit fully. The representation of love in 'Four weddings' is shown in many ways, for example, a gay couple who live together and have been described by their friends as being the only couple who are 'truly married' meaning that they trust and love each other so much that they don't need the reasurance of marriage to spend the rest of their lives together; the reasurance that maybe some of the other couples needed in marriage.
There are some issues in the present film 'Four weddings' that are perfectly acceptable in Britains society today that would not be tolerated in Britain in the 1800s such as 'Sense and sensibilty.' For example, gay couples are well known in Britain's present society whereas in the past a gay couple would be extremely frowned upon and rejected. If there were a gay couple in the era of 'Sense and sensibility' it would have to be kept a firm secret just between the couple. In contrast, 'Four weddings' has a gay couple that were openly free to express theirselves as a couple and live together. Another issue that differ in the two films is having a child out of wedlock. This is demonstrated in 'Four weddings' where Charles and Carrie are in love have and have a child, yet see no need to get married. Again, this would not be acceptable in Britain at the time of 'Sense and sensibility.' If a woman was pregnant they would be urged or even forced to marry the father of the child. Having a child out of wedlock is something that often happens in today's Britain and is becoming more common then getting married. Having a child together is an unbreakable bond that can be seen as stronger then marriage, so couples in the modern society see less need as many marriages now end in divorce.
In representing sexuality in the two films 'Four weddings' is a lot less subtle about the topic of sex than 'Sense and sensibility' is. 'Sense and sensibility' has the women covered up in long dresses showing no suggestable flesh which creates an old fashioned view of how a woman should behaive. Sex in 'Four weddings' is more suggested and happens regulary and casualy between two characters throughout the film. Showing sex scenes in a romantic comedy happens often and in a light hearted way that wouldn't be seen in 'Sense and sensibility' and if a sex scene occurs is would be shown in a very romantic, intense way.
Both the films had an aim to represent Britain. In achieving so the films have a well known British cast, for example Hugh Grant(who is present in both films) Kate Winslet and Emma Thompson(also present in both films.) Richard Curtis created 'Four weddings' as a optimistic, humoured, middle class Britain, a Britain which was rarely represented in media but often shown for many years in the directing of 'Curtisland'. 'Sense and sensibility' shows a romantic, civilised, picturesque Britain that people read about in many of Jane Austen's classic novels. Both represent aspects of Britain, past and present, and by comparing these two classic British films you can begin to notice how Britains society has changed and continues to change.
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