Friendly Persuasion: An Introduction
I recently watched this again for the first time in years and found myself intriqued on several points. First, I'll explain a little about the film for those that may never have seen it. Its an older film from 1956 and stars Gary Cooper, in one of his finest roles, as Jess, Dorothy McQuire and then unkown Anthony Perkins. The film is about a family of Quakers in 1862 Southern Indiana. The Civil War is distant but not too distant. Gard Jordan, son of Jess' friend and horse racing competitor Sam, is a Union cavalry officer and a Methodist, and is a friend to Anthony Perkins' character of Josh and suitor to daughter Mattie (nickname for Martha), presents a frequent reminder. There are delightful stories about the family and how they deal with everything from horse racing to dancing to the ever closer war.
What I took from the film were several things. First, Gary Cooper was an excellant actor. Second, so was Anthony Perkins, who unfortunately, his private life overshadows his performances for many people which is a shame.
Thirdly, I know very little about Quakers. Most of what I know is actually stereotyping. I always imagined the Quakers as very uptight people who are spiritless and joyless. In the film they are not. They work hard just as any other family in Indiana but they still have friendships and enjoy life. They occasionally stray into things they consider vices just as other religions do. Forgiveness is also not unknown to them. The events at the fair are a perfect example: Little Jess gets involved in gambling, Josh and his friend Caleb, watch wrestling and get into a fight, Jess sings and plays music with Sam, and Mattie dances with Gard. After their stray, they are still forgiven though.
Fourth, this film managed to make me feel interested in that dark chapter in American History: The Civil War. I'm a history lover, and even military history, yet I never cared for the Civil War. Even as a child I called it the Silver War but never cared that I was wrong. I even lived in the South and was taught many things that many Northerners probably weren't and even consider myself a bit of a southerner (you should hear my softly southern tinged accent mixed with a little minnesotan!).
Together these two facets come together in the love story of Mattie and Gard. Something about Gard caught me and I can't lay my finger on it. He's interesting character. He get along very well with the Quaker family despite the many traits "against" him. He's methodist. He's a Union Army officer who has more than likely killed and even been wounded himself. Yet the family still embraces him, blesses him and has him over for dinner. The film treats the courtship as a minor story making Josh's internal conflict between religious beliefs and his desire to join Gard in fighting the Confederates as the major one. Mattie's love for Gard blinds her to the harsh reality of what he does. She thinks him brave and he is (The Civil War was horrible in so many ways) but she knows little of the horrors he witnesses. Its bacause of this I've begun to read what I can about the Civil War. Also, the love story between the two is fascinating on many levels. It isn't the normal civil war love story. A soldier and an innocent girl is enough contrast but what would the dynamcs be between a Soldier and a Quaker? What would happen when (if! The man still has to live through three more years of war!) they marry and start their life together? If Gard continues in the military after the war, how would this affect Mattie and the non resistant beliefs she has been taught? Maybe its just the epitomy of romance that has grasped me. The idea of a man being brave and leaving for war not knowing if he'll live, pouring his heart to a young girl and her returning it in kind. Its earnest and touching.
I started writing an after story. My contemplation of the relationship between Mattie and Gard is just to damned compelling. I'm going to post it here just cause, I don't know, fanfiction. net isn't cool enough. Most people on there have no grasp of charater and the writing style of 10-year-olds.
What I took from the film were several things. First, Gary Cooper was an excellant actor. Second, so was Anthony Perkins, who unfortunately, his private life overshadows his performances for many people which is a shame.
Thirdly, I know very little about Quakers. Most of what I know is actually stereotyping. I always imagined the Quakers as very uptight people who are spiritless and joyless. In the film they are not. They work hard just as any other family in Indiana but they still have friendships and enjoy life. They occasionally stray into things they consider vices just as other religions do. Forgiveness is also not unknown to them. The events at the fair are a perfect example: Little Jess gets involved in gambling, Josh and his friend Caleb, watch wrestling and get into a fight, Jess sings and plays music with Sam, and Mattie dances with Gard. After their stray, they are still forgiven though.
Fourth, this film managed to make me feel interested in that dark chapter in American History: The Civil War. I'm a history lover, and even military history, yet I never cared for the Civil War. Even as a child I called it the Silver War but never cared that I was wrong. I even lived in the South and was taught many things that many Northerners probably weren't and even consider myself a bit of a southerner (you should hear my softly southern tinged accent mixed with a little minnesotan!).
Together these two facets come together in the love story of Mattie and Gard. Something about Gard caught me and I can't lay my finger on it. He's interesting character. He get along very well with the Quaker family despite the many traits "against" him. He's methodist. He's a Union Army officer who has more than likely killed and even been wounded himself. Yet the family still embraces him, blesses him and has him over for dinner. The film treats the courtship as a minor story making Josh's internal conflict between religious beliefs and his desire to join Gard in fighting the Confederates as the major one. Mattie's love for Gard blinds her to the harsh reality of what he does. She thinks him brave and he is (The Civil War was horrible in so many ways) but she knows little of the horrors he witnesses. Its bacause of this I've begun to read what I can about the Civil War. Also, the love story between the two is fascinating on many levels. It isn't the normal civil war love story. A soldier and an innocent girl is enough contrast but what would the dynamcs be between a Soldier and a Quaker? What would happen when (if! The man still has to live through three more years of war!) they marry and start their life together? If Gard continues in the military after the war, how would this affect Mattie and the non resistant beliefs she has been taught? Maybe its just the epitomy of romance that has grasped me. The idea of a man being brave and leaving for war not knowing if he'll live, pouring his heart to a young girl and her returning it in kind. Its earnest and touching.
I started writing an after story. My contemplation of the relationship between Mattie and Gard is just to damned compelling. I'm going to post it here just cause, I don't know, fanfiction. net isn't cool enough. Most people on there have no grasp of charater and the writing style of 10-year-olds.
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