Review: Jennifer Kent's "The Nightingale"
Monday, August 26, 2019 at 7:18PM by Ben Miller
In the world of Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale, no one is safe unless they've won the lottery. If you lucked into being born as a white English male in 19th century Tasmania, you can rest easy in the knowledge you are powerful. If you are a woman, of another race, or from another country, that same luxury is not afforded to you. Death and misery looms around every corner.
The titular Nightingale comes in the form of Clare (Game of Thrones Aisling Franciosi) as she serves as a maid and singer for a group of British officers. She is held there as penance for her crimes of thievery, being Irish and being a woman. She is overseen by Lieutenant Hawkins (Sam Claflin), who is procrastinating processing her release, due to his infatuation with her. Clare’s husband Aidan (a wonderfully warm Michael Sheasby) tries to persuade Hawkins to release her, but to no avail. Things spiral violently out of control. When Clare survives the unthinkable, she seeks revenge on those who have wronged her.
This might read like a simple rape and revenge film on paper, but it is much more nuanced and realistic than that in execution...