The Reader

SPOILER ALERT! The plot will be discussed.

For a film whose main character is a lawyer, that contains scenes in a law class, and which presents a trial, this movie does not render any final judgments of those in the story. Director Stephen Daldry and his writer, David Hare, who adapted the tale from Bernhard Schlink’s book, instead present various aspects of the people depicted, and leave it to the audience members to decide how they feel about what they have seen and heard.

The movie begins in 1995, and then goes backward and forward in time. The first image is that of a cooked breakfast egg. It is an object that appears hard and opaque on the outside, but it hides something fragile on the inside. The shot possibly suggests that people try to put up impenetrable fronts to shield their vulnerable inner psyches which may have been damaged by prior traumas. The egg Michael Berg (Ralph Fiennes) has prepared is for a woman he has slept with by the name of Brigitte (Jeanette Haine). She says he let her sleep because “you can’t bear to have breakfast with me.” We first see her naked, which means she is not afraid of baring herself. Michael, however, is already dressed, and although he was physically intimate with her, emotionally he keeps her at a distance, not even allowing for time for them to get to know each other during a morning breakfast conversation. He does divulge that he has a daughter whom he is going to meet later. She doesn’t even know about her, stressing his lack of openness. He says his daughter has been abroad. So, we immediately know that Michael is a loner. He looks at a train and sees himself as a youth.

Fifteen-year-old Michael (David Kross) is walking the streets in the town in which he lives in West Germany in 1958, There is a storm and he appears ill. He vomits in an alley. A woman, Hanna Schmitz (Kate Winslet, in a Best Actress Oscar winning role) almost slips on what Michael has thrown up. She goes into her flat for a bucket of water to wash away the vomit. Throughout the movie, water and washing is associated with Hanna. Is it a compulsive desire, maybe because of her German background, to eliminate mess, anything that compromises the efficient operation of the day’s activities? Can it symbolize the Nazi desire to cleanse that which is considered impure? She then wipes Michael’s face. It is a maternal act, as she comforts him by saying it’s all right. She hugs him right away, to keep him warm, to console him, but the hug may be too intimate for a first meeting, and especially for someone so much younger. She helps him get home safely.

At home, Michael’s father (Matthias Habich) says his son is fine, even though he is clearly sick. His mother (Friederike Becht), on the other hand, calls in a doctor, who diagnoses scarlet fever, and Michael must stay in bed, isolated from others. Since it is the mother who shows caring, Michael’s attraction to Hanna may contain an Oedipal element as a reaction to the harshness of his father. When Michael is well, he brings Hanna flowers to thank her for her kindness. But she seems almost like a Jekyll and Hyde character, sounding like a military officer barking a command to put the flowers in the sink, instead of smiling and saying thank you. Does this behavior reflect the German tendency for discipline to accomplish a task, or is she afraid to get too close to anybody, wanting to isolate herself so as not to be exposed for the crimes of which we later learn? She may feel that she does not deserve to have any contact with people.

Michael sees her unmade bed, putting the image of her in it in his mind. He watches her as she washes her bra, which also encourages sexual awakening. He says he was in bed for three months. Her response sounds again like a question from someone believing in the superior race when she asks, “Have you always been weak?” She does not say “sick,” but “weak,” which sounds more like he may have a character flaw. However, her prior aid may be a desire to make amends for the Nazi policy of putting to death all of those who were infirm. He says that he was too sick to even read. She says she will walk him home on her way to work as a tram conductor, but first she tells him to wait outside while she changes. He peeks in and sees her in her slip and putting on stockings. She sees him looking, appears concerned, but not outraged. He is embarrassed and runs out.

Michael spies on her on the tram. Her uniform makes her look like she is in the military, and foreshadows what we learn later about her being a prison guard. He is intrigued by her, and shows up at her apartment. She initially acts stern again, and efficient, demanding he help her by filling buckets of coal for heat. He is covered in coal dust. She laughs for the first time and tells him he can’t go home like that. She fills a tub of water for him (again stressing her cleansing trait), tells him that she won’t look, but now it is she who peeks, observing his nakedness. She goes to get him a towel, but he is upset because he has an erection. She brings a towel, and holds it up, blocking him from her. She is now also naked, and she touches him saying, “So that’s why you came back.” He says she is so beautiful, but she doesn’t feel that way about herself, and says, “What are you talking about?” Her past may prohibit her from thinking that she can be considered in a positive light. She still calls him “kid,” which adds to the feeling of inappropriateness based on their age difference. Is she exploiting his youth, corrupting his innocence, for her own sexual gratification? Or, after we learn of her acts as a prison guard, was she trying to be loving toward someone youthful to make up for those children killed in the Holocaust?

Michael has flashbacks of their lovemaking while at the family dinner. He was late, and the sister thinks he is lying about getting lost. But, the mother, always supportive, says he never lies, which adds to the idea that Michael wants a connection to a mother figure. It also is the start of Michael keeping secrets and hiding what he has done, which connects him to Hanna’s character. Hanna is like an erotic teacher, who will school him in the ways of sex. In the beginning, he kisses her quickly, and she says move slowly, and she later tells him not to rush intercourse so she can enjoy the experience. He wants to go back to school early after his illness, so he can be out of the house and be with her. They don’t even know each other’s names, which shows that there is psychological distance between them despite their intimacy. When he asks her name she initially dodges the question. She does tell him, but he observes that she looks “so suspicious.” She is afraid of being found out about her past, which segues into the next scene.

We next have Michael in school with a teacher (an academic one as opposed to Hanna’s carnal one) saying that all of western literature is based on characters wanting secrecy. He says they are determined to withhold specific information, for reasons “sometimes perverse, sometimes noble,” which very much applies to this story. So, the teacher is a fictional character commenting about fictional characters. Director Daldry links scenes thematically, as he then cuts to the other “classroom,” Hanna’s bed, with the naked lovers mixing literature in with their sexual studies. Hanna asks Michael about his subjects at school, like a mother would do. He is studying a play, and she wants him to read it to her. In the tub (again sexual “knowledge” in the biblical sense is intertwined with the desire to expunge or cleanse sin in the same image), she says he is good at reading. He admits that he didn’t think he was good at anything. So, Hanna is nurturing his self-esteem. His confidence builds, and he begins to become more outgoing, participating and performing well in sports at school.

Michael surprises Hanna by appearing on the tram while she is finishing her workday. She ignores him. He waits for her at her apartment, but she is angry, not wanting her private life, her secrets, to spill out into the public. She doesn’t want to draw any attention to herself. Her suspicious nature here and in not wanting to reveal her name causes the audience to wonder about what she is hiding (those secrets that Michael's teacher pointed out). He says he didn’t mean to upset her. She says, “You don’t have the power to upset me. You don’t matter enough to upset me.” She is brutal here, almost reflecting a Nazi superior attitude, by dismissing someone else’s sense of self-importance. On the other hand, she may just be trying to distance herself from Michael, because she feels by allowing herself to get close to someone makes her exposed and thus vulnerable. She spouts out her venom while stripping, getting ready for (guess what) a cleansing bath, her words and nakedness sending out mixed signals. He being so young is very impressionable, and is hurt. He goes out but comes back. He says that the thought of being without her is unbearable. He apologizes for showing up in the tram. He asks if she meant what she said about him not meaning anything to her and she shakes her head, “no.” He says he loves her and asks if she loves him, and she nods. This poor boy is getting psychological whiplash dealing with an older woman with a twisted past.

Hanna sets a new rule, that from here on Michael will read first and then they will make love. Literature, exciting her mind, becomes the foreplay, as if she wants intellectual before physical excitement. He reads dramatically from works such as The Odyssey and Huckleberry Finn. He reads the line, “She was dead, and past all help, or need of it,” from The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens. The words cause Hanna to cry, probably because they resonate with her own life. She finds his reading from Lady Chatterley's Lover to be disgusting, and says so while they are in the tub naked together. But then she tells him to read on, showing the conflicting nature of the situation, where she is at first being motherly, (again stressing cleanliness in the bath water), promoting morals, but then embracing the erotic.

Michael plans a biking trip for them in the country. On the trip he recites poetry which talks of making love stronger if it is threatened because it will only make it more intense, “sharpen” it. But, he finds later how his love for her cuts him deeply emotionally. At an outdoor restaurant, Hanna does not read the menu and asks for whatever Michael is ordering. She is upset by children near them. Hanna later goes into a church, and the children's choir makes her cry. All of these incidents are a foreshadowing of what we later learn about Hanna. The waitress at the restaurant says she hopes Michael’s “mother” enjoyed herself. But then she sees him kiss her, which brings a look of distaste (appropriately, being at an eatery) to her face, accentuating the Oedipal nature of the relationship.

We return to the adult Michael as he looks at his notebook which shows the titles of numerous books he must have read to Hanna. He has a room full of books, showing how literature has continued to be a force in his life, probably reinforced by its connection to her. As he drives, there is choral music in his car, reminiscent of the church at which Hanna cried. He is now a lawyer by profession, and he represents people who may be guilty of crimes. His connection to Hanna and what we learn she has done may the reason why he chosen to be a defense attorney. He may also feel empathy for those who he defends because of his own guilty feelings for having loved someone who committed crimes.

Sophie (Vijessna Ferkic) is a new girl in school that interests him. He spends time at a public swimming pool with her and another boy. He leaves to see Hanna, and now he makes an excuse to her for being late, as she looks a bit put off that he was not on time for her. Perhaps she is jealous of him spending time with children his own age, which is what he should be doing. But he brings a book by Anton Chekhov for her to soothe her irritation. Michael is upset that he has disappointed Sophie by not going to his birthday party thrown by her and his friends because he promised to see Hanna. He reads to her, but Hanna cuts him off, acting moody. He complains that she never asks how he’s doing, and doesn’t even care that it’s his birthday. He says that everything is always on her terms, which shows her controlling ways. She tells him to go to the party then. He tries to kiss her, but she pushes him away and slaps him. He says it’s always he who apologizes. She says that “No one has to apologize,” which probably refers to her not wanting to feel guilty about her actions.  

Hanna bathes Michael like he is a small child, stressing the mother-son aspect of their relationship. Again, we see her overemphasis on cleaning, as if wanting to wash away her sins. Then he initiates intimacy, and she succumbs, wanting to be loved, but not feeling right about it, maybe not thinking she deserves it. She could be with a young boy to reconnect to innocence, but in a way she is corrupting him. She seems to appreciate this danger, and tells Michael that he must now be with his friends. But, Michael feels alienated from those of his own age, because his relationship with Hanna has left him stuck between adolescence and adulthood. He leaves Sophie at the pool and runs to Hanna’s apartment. He discovers that she has moved out, and he feels abandoned. He has not been eating with his family, but shows up at dinner, with his father saying that they knew he would return eventually. Michael feels the need to be at home to give him some comfort after losing Hanna. He wanders around alone, and slips into the pool area, perhaps to resurrect the memories of the baths he shared with Hanna.

As an adult, Michael still daydreams of Hanna, and must be reminded about meeting his daughter, Julia (Hannah Herzsprung). He asks what are her plans, and she says she is glad to be back in Berlin. He asks if she has seen her mother, so we know that Michael has not been able to stay in a committed relationship, possibly because he does not trust that love will endure after Hanna left him. Julia says she wanted to get away, so she has been in Paris. Michael says it was to get away from him, because he was not open with her, or anybody else. The pain he suffered because of Hanna has affected his emotional connection to others.

The time shifts back to when Michael was in college preparing to be a lawyer. He is enrolled in a seminar about German guilt, obviously relating to the country’s role in the Holocaust. But, it is a small group, possibly stressing the fact that the Germans do not want to face their culpability in furthering the Nazi cause. The seminar members go on a field trip where there are police present to control demonstrators. The instructor, Professor Rohl (Bruno Ganz), a Holocaust survivor, says the protesters are for and against the trial of some accused of their participation in the Nazi state. This fact shows that there were still pro-Nazi feelings present in Germany. In the gallery Michael hears the name and the voice of his ex-lover, Hanna Schmitz. She joined the SS in 1943. Instead of accepting her promotion at a factory, she joined the SS, because, she says, there were jobs, and she applied to be a guard. She was at Auschwitz and then in Krakow. Perhaps that is how it starts, with the promise of prosperity, purpose, and then one becomes caught up in a dangerous movement, possibly out of gratitude for being accepted. The professor observes that Michael is visibly shaken.

On the way back on the train, the professor asks the students for comments on what they have observed. Michael says it wasn’t what he expected (obviously since Hanna was there), and another student says it was exciting to see justice being carried out. Later, while other students are having fun, Michael watches their partying from a distance, obviously being affected by the fact that he may have been in love with somebody who could have participated in monstrous acts. He sees a couple making love from his window, and that reminds him of Hanna, whom he thinks about with mixed feelings now. In class, Professor Rohl says that societies think they are run on morality, but really operate based on law, and its technicalities. He says that one is not guilty of merely working at Auschwitz. Eight thousand people worked at the camp, but only nineteen were convicted, and only six for murder. The law says that to be convicted of murder the state must show that there was intent. The question is not was it moral what someone did, but was it legal, and according to the time the laws were in force, not by current statutes. So, the thrust here is that people may get away with immoral acts because they were legal at the time.

Back in the courtroom, the magistrate references a book written by a survivor of the concentration camps. It notes a selection process that would periodically choose a number of prisoners to go to the death camp at Auschwitz. Hanna, as opposed to the other female ex-guards on trial, says she was part of that process. One of the defendants knits during the proceedings, showing lack of emotional empathy. Hanna says there were six guards and each one chose ten each month to go to the camp. The court asks Hanna if she realized she was sending people to their deaths. But, in her response, her rationalization about taking responsibility comes out when she says that there were new arrivals all of the time, so they had to make room. She makes it sound as if overall administrative efficiency took precedence over concern for individuals. For Hanna, there can’t be anything messy, reflected symbolically in her bathing and washing. While sitting with Michael in her tub, Hanna employed a superficial desire for purity even while she was engaged in the questionable relationship with the young man. She asks the magistrate, concerning her engaging in the death selection process, “What would you have done?” It is a good question, because how many, at the time of the height of Nazi power, would actually have taken a stand against the threatening forces sweeping them along, urged on by a charismatic manipulator?

Ilana Mather (Alexandra Maria Lara) testifies, the survivor who wrote the book about the Auschwitz selection procedure. She says that once those who could no longer be of practical use, they were sent to the death camp. She points to all of the defendants as being involved in the selection. She says Hanna chose differently, by favoring mostly young girls, giving them food and places to sleep. She had some join her at night to read stories as she later did with Michael, following the pattern with him of choosing someone quite young. Maybe she wanted love from somebody youthful like him to make up for the young girls she sent to their deaths. Maybe she wanted to give love and nurturing to make up for what she destroyed in her past. Ilana said at the time they thought Hanna was “more sensitive, she’s more human, She’s kinder.” She chose the weak, the sick, but then still sent them along. The question comes up, “Is that kinder?” She didn’t try to stand up against killing them, only to be nicer before sending them off to die. Hanna does seem shaken at this testimony. Mather’s mother, Rose (Lena Olin) then recounts a death march. One night they slept in a church while the guards took the best accommodations. But a bombing set the building on fire. The doors were locked, but Rose survived while the others died.

In the classroom, one student is disgusted by the legal process, because he believes the trial is just a diversion, a way of creating scapegoats and not forcing all those who allowed the Nazis to come to power to take the blame. He says the law zeroed in on only a few because one woman happened to write a book about her specific situation, when everyone knew what was going on, and they didn’t stop it. One student runs out, not able to face the truth. The student speaking asks Michael why he stares at Hanna. He realizes Michael knows her, and says if he was Michael, he’d shoot Hanna for what she did. He then says, “Shoot them all!” What we have in this story is a conflict between two separate German generations. Hanna represents the older one that allowed Nazi Germany to commit atrocities. Michael’s age group must live with the aftermath of what the prior generation inflicted on them. And, represented by Hanna and Michael’s relationship, the two  groups exist in a kind of love-hate relationship. As youths, boys and girls rely on parents, teachers, and other adults for nurturing and guidance. But in Germany, these youths found out that those that raised them were collaborators in one of history’s worst crimes. The question is, can they still love them? Is the answer the law student’s call for more killing? Is that justice, or revenge, which can continue the recurrence of violence? The film, (as Professor Rohl said), has to do with legality versus morality. Michael is a lawyer, and he is made to ask, in his individual situation, how does he defend or prosecute someone like Hanna? And the broader question that emerges out of the courtroom scenes is how does Germany judge its past?

Michael now is forced to become part of that bigger question of judging his country’s prior actions. He visits one of the death camps. He looks at the barbed wire, the confining barracks, the ovens. Back at the trial, the judge asks the defendants why they didn’t open the doors of the burning church to let the prisoners out. Hanna says they couldn’t unlock the doors because they were guards, and letting the prisoners go free would be against their duty. She says if they “opened the doors, there would be chaos.” There it is, the zeal for order, for control which supersedes any feelings of humanity. Hanna slams the table, saying they were “responsible” for them, bureaucratically, not “to” them, as individuals. The other defendants said it was Hanna who decided not to open the doors, that it was she who wrote the report. The court wants a sampling of her handwriting to see if she wrote the report. The pen and paper are in front of Hanna, but she doesn’t touch them. Michael, in the gallery, remembers how Hanna never read the books, and didn’t read the menu at the restaurant in the country. He realizes that she can’t read or write. The other defendants conspired as revenge against Hanna for admitting to the selection process. Hanna has more guilt over her illiteracy than she does for allowing the prisoners to die, so she admits to writing the report so she doesn’t have to reveal her deficiency. Perhaps that is why she didn’t accept the promotion at her old job because she might have to reveal her inability to read, and write and instead took the guard position. But, in an ironic way, she now sacrifices herself for her sins.

Professor Rohl encounters Michael and chides him for skipping the seminar classes. He tells the professor that he has information about the defendant that could mitigate her sentence. But, he says the defendant is intent on keeping this information secret (which goes back to the high school teacher stating that Western literature is based on characters keeping secrets for a variety of reasons, which implies that there is a mystery, a complexity about people’s nature). Rohl says that he must talk to her, do the right thing. The thrust of his argument is that it is not what we feel but what we do that is important, especially if we don’t want to repeat the mistakes of the past.

Michael goes to visit Hanna in jail, and dramatically we want the purgation following a confrontation between the two. But that would be too easy, too contrived. Michael can’t confront her, not being able to face his shame for loving someone who he now knows was a war criminal. Or, perhaps he feels like he must be the one to punish her by not convincing her to reveal her illiteracy, and thus letting Hanna be condemned for not only her acts as a SS guard, but also for leaving him, and duping him by hiding her secrets from him. He goes to the female student who showed an interest in him and uses her as a sexual replacement in order to escape his lingering attachment to Hanna. But he leaves their bed, saying he must sleep by himself, because he can’t free himself of his conflicted feelings for Hanna.

There is a shot of Hanna again bathing herself as she prepares for the sentencing, reinforcing her Nazi era German desire to eliminate impurity and guilt. There are mirror images of Michael and Hanna straightening their ties before going to the courtroom, showing how they must put on a false front to cover their internal feelings. Hanna is given the harshest sentence, as she is deemed personally responsible for the murder of three hundred people. The others only get a little over four years of imprisonment. Hanna gets a life sentence.

There is a shot of young Michael going home in a train after the verdict, and then the film cuts to the adult Michael in 1976 riding on a train, the linking of images showing how much of an impact his association with Hanna made on Michael since it feels as if the passage of time has not softened the blow. This trip shows him traveling with his daughter when she was quite young and they are going to see his mother to announce that he is getting a divorce. He has been withdrawn, not even showing up at his father’s funeral, as we learn from his mother’s reprimand. He steers away from situations that evoke strong feelings, because they just expose the vulnerability of his damaged emotions. He also has trouble visiting his home town, because he does not want reminders of his past trauma associated with Hanna. He becomes detached saying that his wife will do well, earning more than he does, which brings out the film’s emphasis on how desire for practicality frees one of the wrenching feelings of becoming emotionally invested.

One of the first books Michael read to Hanna was The Odyssey. As an adult, he comes across a copy of it and decides to record his reading of the work and send it to Hanna, possibly as a way to bridge the gap between them. When she receives it, she cries as she hears Michael’s voice, revealing her strong feelings for him after all of these years. He sends many other recordings as Michael produces his versions of audio books. We hear him dramatically recite Boris Pasternak’s Dr. Zhivago and The Lady with the Little Dog by Anton Chekhov. Older now, Hanna takes out a copy of the latter from the prison library, and listens to Michael’s reading, trying to match up the spoken words with the written ones so she can teach herself how to read.  She actually learns to write a thank you note to Michael, saying, “Thanks for the latest, kid. I really liked it.” She continues to write notes as she ages. He does not correspond, although he continues to send the recordings. Someone at the prison calls Michael, saying Hanna has been in prison for over twenty years, and is up for parole. But, she has no other contacts but him. Michael is told that if Hanna is released, she will be frighteningly alone.

It is now 1988, and Michael finally shows up at the prison. She is happy to see him, they hold hands for a moment, but then he withdraws his hand, showing the conflicting feelings are still present. She still calls him “kid” because that is how she related to him, partially in a motherly way, although she tries to acknowledge his current maturity. He says he secured a job at a tailor shop for her and a place to stay, significantly not far from a library, which was an important part of the bond between them. She says she prefers being read to, but realizes that that’s over between them, as what she did to young people, including him, prevents any retreat into an idyllic past that was really a lie. He asks if she thinks about the past, and she says that before the trial, she didn’t think about it. She says it doesn’t matter what she thinks or feels, because it doesn’t change the fact that the dead are gone. He wanted to see if she learned anything from her horrific history, but she says she did learn - to read. He seems disappointed by her desire to avoid dealing with her sins, (the way the German people didn’t want to confront their country’s atrocities?), and she sees his disappointment. He tells her he will pick her up when she gets out the following week. He still feels he owes her some gratitude since she showed him affection when he was young, and now, he is put into the position of being the parent, taking care of her.

We see him getting a flat ready for her. But his positive activity is then offset as there is a cut to Hanna as she pulls out the table in her room and spreads the books on it to raise herself up so she can hang herself. It is ironic that she uses the same books in her life that Michael read to her and which gave her some joy to end that life. Perhaps she sacrifices herself not out of shame this time, but to free Michael of his attachment to her, and his responsibility for someone who so shattered his feelings for her. He is told of her suicide. He visits her room and there is a message that she left saying to give her money in the room, stored in a tea tin, and the 7,000 Marks in the bank to the daughter who survived the death camp and wrote her memoir. Michael’s reserved front melts away and he cries reading her words.

Michael travels to New York and meets with Miss Mather (Lena Olin now appearing as the older Ilana). He says he was at the trial when she testified. After being coaxed to be honest about his visit, he admits for the first time his affair with Hanna. He tells of her illiteracy and the tapes he sent her. Ilana says that people ask her what she learned in the camps. She says there was nothing to learn, as she sarcastically says the camp was not a university. He should get his catharsis elsewhere, from books or seeing a play, because, “Nothing comes out of the camps,” she says. There is no silver lining according to her hidden within the Holocaust. He gives her the money Hanna left. Ilana observes the tea tin and says she had a tin, too, when she was young, that held sentimental things, but the container itself was more valuable than its contents. But, it was stolen. She says she can’t use the money for some charity that is dedicated to the Jewish Holocaust, because it would be bestowing some type of absolution on Hanna, which she will not do. But, she agrees with Michael’s suggestion to give it to an organization that encourages literacy. She leaves it up to him as to whether the bequest should be in Hanna’s name. She does say she will keep the tin as a tiny bit of restitution that Ilana grants herself.

It is now 1995, and Michael is driving his daughter, but he does not tell her where they are going. The destination turns out to be Hanna’s grave site, and he says to Julia that he wants to tell her who Hanna was to him. The film ends with him saying “a woman helped me.” He must reveal what he has hidden (that prime element of literature), like a confession, so he can mentally cleanse himself (not just physically like Hanna) by letting go of his secret, by honestly telling his story, (as does the film), and thus feel free.

The next film is Mildred Pierce.

Sense and Sensibility

SPOILER ALERT! The plot will be discussed.

Just as she did in Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen announces in the title of this story the clash between two personality types. In Emma Thompson’s Oscar winning adapted script, the “Sense,” or rational, practical, controlled character is Thompson’s Elinor Dashwood, and the “Sensibility,” or emotional, romantic, unrestrained individual refers to her sister, Marianne, played by Kate Winslet. But there is also here the depiction of the rigid English social system that places all of the wealth and professional opportunities in the hands of the males and relegates women to the pursuit of an affluent husband.

The film opens with the elder Mr. Dashwood (Tom Wilkinson) on his deathbed talking to his eldest son, John (James Fleet). The father says that the law dictates, even of it isn’t his wishes, that he must leave his estate to the eldest male child. But, this will basically deprive his second wife, Mrs. Dashwood (Gemma Jones), and his female daughters born of that marriage, of a place to live. He can only leave them a small annual allowance on which to subsist. He pleads for John to do the right thing and care for them. The law was set up to deprive women of any financial protection, and left the welfare of females to the discretion of men.

John tells his wife, Fanny (Harriet Walter), that the right thing for him to do is to amply supplement Mrs. Dashwood’s income. But, Fanny successfully continues to whittle down the amount. Fanny’s condescending and selfish character is shown when she says, “People always live forever when there is an annuity to be paid them.” It is a cold statement, basically expressing the desire for the less fortunate to die sooner so they won’t be a financial strain on those with wealth. In her mind, money is the prime reason for existence, as if people only keep living for monetary gain, and the longevity of John’s stepmother’s life is secondary to how much it will cost him to help her survive. Fanny represents the type of person that wants to justify a rigid class system. She argues that Mrs. Dashwood’s family won’t have need of much income since they will lead a deprived existence, and won’t require money for entertainment and housekeeping. In Fanny’s self-perpetuating economic viewpoint, those that are already rich need wealth to keep up their lifestyle, and extra money would be wasted on the lower classes who don’t have to maintain an expensive way of life. In the end she is saying that money belongs with people who already have it since they know how to use wealth and appreciate it’s true value. Of course her argument seems to neglect the point that if the poor had some more money it would make their lives better.

Marianne plays mournful music on the piano, not only because her father has passed away, but also her family awaits Fanny and John to visit the estate on which they have been living and from which they will be evicted. Mrs. Dashwood is upset that now she must be treated as a guest in her own home, and calls John and Fanny, “vultures.” The youngest daughter, Margaret (Emilie Francois), asks why John and Fanny don’t live in their house in London, a perfectly logical question, since the two relatives already have a place to stay. Elinor must explain the inequities of English law to her when she says, “Because houses go from father to son, not from father to daughter.” (Remember that the first thing men do in The Handmaid’s Tale is to deprive women of any financial means so they can be marginalized).

Since Mrs. Dashwood’s family will be leaving, and they won’t be able to afford the staff at the current residence when they move, she tells the employees that she hopes the “new” Mrs. Dashwood will be generous (she is now the “old” Mrs. Dashwood, whose emotional and economic life has been diminished). Her statement about her successor’s good will is undermined by hearing Fanny say her only concern is how quickly they can evict Elinor’s family. We find out that Fanny has two brothers, one of them being Edward Ferrars (Hugh Grant, always looking as if there is too much starch in his stiff collar), who will be visiting. Fanny is now taking control of the estate’s activities and the material belongings of the house. She even wants to evict one of the daughters from her room so Edward will have a good view of the property. Marianne gets a jab in when she asks Fanny if she found the house’s silver “genuine,” suggesting that Fanny was checking to make sure none was stolen by the Dashwood family.

Edward arrives. The greeting is very formal, with names announced, and Edward bowing and the women curtsying, which contrasts with the propensities of someone like Marianne who is in conflict with such a strictly mannered society. Edward is not at all like his sister, Fanny. He compliments Mrs. Dashwood on keeping the place looking so well, and understands how Margaret is not there to greet him, since he too does not warm instantly to strangers. He has no desire to evict Margaret from her room, and says that there was a mistake trying to place him there. He took his belongings to a guest room overlooking the stables. Fanny, giving Edward a tour, complains about Margaret hiding and Marianne not being very civil. Edward points out to his sister the pain the family is suffering from having lost their father, but Fanny exhibits no sympathy for the women. They go into the large library, and Fanny says she doesn’t like the smell of books (indicating her lack of a refined literary sense). Margaret, who likes looking at the atlas, is hiding under the table, and Edward helps her covert activity by pushing the exposed part of the book out of view, and even raises the pitch of his voice to cover her sneeze. He works with Elinor to get Margaret to come out and socialize by having them both discuss geographical errors, which causes Margaret to emerge and correct them. Edward is playful with Margaret as they fence with sticks while Fanny only talks of money with her husband.

Elinor employs her practical ways as the family frets over the expense of how they will live since they must move out soon and have few prospects just because of their gender. There are few sources of income for women unless they do menial labor, which the stratified class system would frown upon since the Dashwoods are not from the lower classes. Later, it is Elinor who sets up their budget and announces that they must cut back on certain foods. She answers her mother’s melodramatic question, “Do you want us to starve?” by saying, “No. Just not to eat beef.”

Edward finds Elinor crying as she is listening to Marianne play her father’s favorite piano piece. This shot shows how Elinor’s composed exterior sometimes melts away, revealing strong inner emotions. They walk and get to know each other better. He says that Margaret has plans for the two of them to go on a sailing expedition, that he will be her crew and will be treated badly, making him distribute rum and perform “swabbing,” his most important duty. She thanks Edward for being so kind to Margaret. His warm and caring ways begin to endear him to Elinor. Director Ang Lee uses visuals to echo class distinction here. Mrs. Dashwood significantly passes by in a descending motion as the couple smiles, the mother hoping for a connection to a better life for her daughter. Her facial expression contrasts with the concerned look of Fanny, who symbolically is on a higher floor, looking down at the others, representing her station in life, not wanting any rising up of those who might be a threat to her new exalted status.

There are several changes in scenery and activities (we see them riding horses) which show how the two have been spending extended time together. Edward tells Elinor that he just wants a simple life, but his mother wants to see him “distinguished.” That means being a leading politician, orator, barrister, or joining the military. What he really wants is to be clergyman in the Church of England, which is not “smart” enough for his mother. He hates the chaos of London and would like to live in the country, keep chickens, and give very short sermons (which shows Edward’s sense of humor). He confesses to feeling idle and useless. She says those feelings are compounded for her because society offers her no choice to become what she wants. He says that makes them similar, but she argues their situations are not the same because of discrimination against women, pointing out that he will inherit his fortune, and she can’t, and is not even allowed to earn hers.

Mrs. Dashwood gets a letter from a cousin, Sir John Middleton (Robert Hardy), who has offered them a reasonably priced cottage in which to stay in Devonshire. Mother doesn't want to leave too quickly because she believes Edward and Elinor have formed an “attachment,” which she doesn’t want to interrupt. Marianne does not think it’s a good fit. Marianne finds Edward’s poetry reading lacks passion (which her personality values). She says he is too sedate. Her mother seems to understand that Edward’s reserved personality suits Elinor, who does not have Marianne’s “feelings.” Marianne questions whether Edward will be able to love Elinor, at least in the way Marianne sees love. She asks, “Can the soul really be satisfied with such polite affections?” Here is where we get the thrust of the story’s title. Marianne says, “To love is to burn, to be on fire.” She exalts the fevered love of Juliet and Guinevere (fictional characters, since Marianne does not want to settle for the letdown of reality). But, her mother says to remember that those invented women suffered “pathetic endings.” Marianne counters with “What could be more glorious” than to die for love? She is a romantic, who sees a great depth in love that is wrenching because it tests the emotional limits by fully experiencing human feelings. Mrs. Dashwood, channeling Elinor’s “sense,” says to die for love is “taking your romantic sensibilities a little far.”

In the evening, before sleeping, Marianne goes into Elinor’s room, reading out loud poetry that she feels extols the immortal power of true love. She says, “What a pity Edward has no passion for reading.” Elinor defends Edward, saying Marianne bullied him into reciting, which made him nervous, so he couldn’t give a worthwhile presentation. Marianne says of Edward that he is “amiable and worthy.” Elinor mockingly says that’s “Great praise indeed.” Marianne says that she would accept Edward if he was to be her brother. Elinor says there is no “understanding” between her and Edward, no professed love has been expressed, so Elinor’s reserved ways remain intact. Marianne asks straight out, since she doesn’t appreciate evasive language, if Elinor loves Edward. Elinor, who is at the opposite extreme from Marianne in being in touch with her feelings, says she admires Edward and “greatly esteems him.” She admits that she “likes” him. Marianne finds such guarded remarks when talking about love to be unacceptable. Elinor does reveal that she feels more than she has been able to express, but warns her sister that she should not presume anything else has transpired between her and Edward. The poem Marianne had recited asks the question “Is love a fancy or a feeling?” Marianne sees the need to express deep feelings; otherwise, for her, there is only a superficial connection between two people.

Fanny says to Mrs. Dashwood that Mrs. Ferrars expects Edward and his brother to do well, in professions and in marriage, so that they should marry “prosperously.” Mrs. Dashwood says she hopes they will marry not for profit, but “for love.” Fanny says that they can’t rely on love “to lead us in the most suitable direction.” In a way, Fanny represents that extreme part of Elinor that relies mostly on being practical. Fanny basically wants to ward off any hope that Edward will pursue Elinor by saying that a penniless person (obviously referring to Elinor) can easily sway Edward’s feelings of sympathy. However, their mother has sworn that “should he choose to plant his affections in less exalted ground than he deserves,” (again a reference to Elinor), Mrs. Ferrars will cut off all funds to Edward. Again, common “sense” rules over “sensibility” when only money and status preside over society. Mrs. Dashwood tells Fanny coldly she understands what she is saying perfectly, which is basically that her daughter is not good enough for Edward, and Mrs. Dashwood will be culpable for Edward’s disinheritance if she encourages a marriage between Edward and Elinor. So, Mrs Dashwood announces that they will be leaving soon for her cousin’s cottage, so that Elinor will not be led on and hurt when Edward’s family won’t allow a union with Elinor. Fanny also tries to eliminate any hope of Edward visiting Elinor later by saying their mother expects Edward to visit her. Later, Edward attempts to talk to Elinor before leaving, probably to try to express his true feelings, but his reserve makes him do so in such a roundabout manner that it allows the manipulative Fanny to barge in saying he must immediately leave for London.

The Dashwoods arrive at the new cottage and are welcomed heartily by their cousin, and widower, Sir John Middleton, and his mother-in-law, Mrs. Jennings (Elizabeth Spriggs). They talk about eligible men right away, since marriage seems to be the only occupation open to women of their class. Mrs. Jennings is boisterous and a gossip, and talks about setting up the sisters with various men. Marianne finds their hosts intrusive and tries to divert them by playing some music. Colonel Brandon (Alan Rickman) shows up, and Sir John says he served in the military with him. Elinor can see Brandon is immediately attracted to Marianne as he listens to her play and sing.

As time goes by, Brandon shows reserved interest in Marianne. His fondness is evident to Sir John, who urges it on. But, Brandon has low self-esteem when it comes to women, and tells his friend that Marianne has no such feelings for him, and does not see why she should. Mrs. Jennings thinks the two are a good match, him being rich and her being attractive, which reflects the prevailing attitude that those are the only two attributes that matter when considering marriage. Elinor asks about Brandon’s background, and Mrs. Jennings informs her that he has no wife or children. He deeply loved a woman when he was young, but she was poor, which automatically eliminated her as a potential spouse according to Brandon’s father, who sent his son to join the military to separate the two. The despairing girl went from man to man and when Brandon came home he looked for her only to find her dying in a poor house. Sir John’s friendship prevented Brandon from harming himself out of despair. Like Elinor, Brandon shows that sometimes those that seem reserved have deep feelings that they try to control because those emotions overwhelm them. And, surface romanticism sometimes is just spectacle, a show, with no inner sincerity.

Mrs. Jennings observes how attentive Brandon is to Marianne and she wants to encourage a romance by telling him that he and Marianne should do a duet together, Brandon also being a musician. Marianne, not feeling any chemistry with Brandon at this point, says she knows no duets, and afterward complains to Elinor about Mrs. Jennings’ attempts at playing matchmaker. Elinor says Mrs. Jennings has already married off her daughter, thus “she has nothing to do but marry off everyone else’s.” Such is the situation for women of Mrs. Jennings’ social class. There are no respectable work opportunities to otherwise occupy women because those are assigned to men.

Edward can’t visit because of business in London, but Mrs. Dashwood tries to convince Elinor that Edward loves her. Being the “sensible” one, Elinor approaches the situation analytically. She says she has no definite evidence of Edward’s love for her. She thinks it would be “foolish” that Edward would marry “a woman of no rank who cannot afford to buy sugar.” She says to her mother that instead of listening to one’s “heart” in such matters, it’s better to “use one’s head.” Elinor understands the ways of her unfair world, but she does underestimate the power of love. Her practicality is placed in contrast to the next scene. Marianne takes Margaret on a walk under stormy skies. Margaret says she has a cough (which is a foreshadowing of what will happen later to Marianne). Marianne says her sister will be fine, but it is Marianne, despite her dismissal of any problems, who falls (in love?), spraining her ankle. John Willoughby (Greg Wise) rides out of the mist, almost like in a fairy tale, on a horse (which in art symbolizes male sexuality) and rescues Marianne, literally sweeping her off of her feet. He is handsome, and appears to be courteous and caring. Mrs. Dashwood calls him “an impressive gentleman,” and Marianne is in awe of his strength, noting how easily he lifted her. Elinor sees how emotionally, let alone physically, Marianne is carried away by her impression of Willoughby, commenting that her sister, “feels no pain,” her romantic notions overshadowing her physical well-being. Elinor feels she must intervene to remind Marianne to not forget and take care of herself. Elinor tells her sister she should change clothes or else she will catch cold (more foreshadowing), but Marianne says who cares about that when there is such a man as Willoughby about. Marianne is expressing her “sensibility.” Elinor says she’ll care if her nose swells up when Willoughby visits the next day to check up on her. Marianne agrees with Elinor’s practicality if it furthers her romantic notions.

The next day the Dashwoods ask Sir John about Willoughby and he says he is a “good catch,” which emphasizes how women must be constantly hunting for a husband to take care of them. He is to inherit a nice estate from an elderly aunt, Lady Allen, wealth always being the most important item in that society when assessing a man’s worth. But Marianne, not interested in practical matters, wants to know about the man’s passions, what he is like as an individual. Sir John worries that Brandon’s introverted ways will cause him to be ignored if the flashy Willoughby is about. Brandon arrives with flowers for Marianne, but when Willoughby shows up Sir John says he and Brandon should leave since the women will be only interested in Willoughby. When Brandon hears Willoughby’s name, he seems concerned, a warning that there is something not quite right about this new man in Marianne’s life. Marianne is indeed engrossed in romantic anticipation, and doesn’t acknowledge the departure of Brandon and Sir John. They pass by him on the way out, and Brandon does not exchange any courtesies with Willoughby. He acknowledges that the flowers he brought were picked from a neighboring field, and he admits they are not as pretty as the ones that Brandon brought. Marianne says she prefers wildflowers, which shows her propensity toward an unrestricted life. Willoughby sees a copy of Shakespeare’s sonnets, and he carries a small copy of the poems himself, which adds to Marianne’s romantic feelings toward him.  He asks Marianne her favorite, which is one that deals with the power of love to withstand any adversity. He knows much of it by heart, and recites the lines with much feeling, as opposed to Edward’s awkward recitation earlier.

As Willoughby leaves, Elinor slyly comments that Marianne has been so forthcoming so quickly that she and Willoughby will run out of things to discuss in a short time. She also says that Marianne did not attempt to hide how much she is enthralled by Willoughby. Marianne sees no point in cautious decorum which restricts the revealing of one’s feelings. Elinor, as always stressing being safe instead of sorry, says that they do not know much about Willoughby yet, so it is better to err on the side of caution. Marianne argues that some people can know each other in seven days while others may not understand one another in seven years. Elinor satirizes Marianne’s point by asking if only seven hours will do. Marianne then insults Einor by saying that she herself may be able to hide her feelings if they were “shallow” ones, like her sister’s. She apologizes at her mother’s prompting. Although Elinor tries to show she is not bothered by her sister’s remark, she says to Marianne “Do not trouble yourself,” which seems to attack Marianne’s inability to stop herself from immediately expressing feelings that can, sometimes, hurt others.

Although Elinor may not display her feelings, there is a shot of her stroking the handkerchief that Edward gave her. But, she puts her emotions aside since she knows someone must deal with the practical matters. There is a contrasting image which shows the difference between what preoccupies the two sisters. Elinor is toiling over the family budget in one room while in the adjoining area, Willoughby woos Marianne. Elinor probably has mixed feelings. She worries about her sister’s emotional well-being, but she is also possibly feeling a bit envious because Edward is nowhere in sight. As the two sisters walk outside, Elinor says Marianne shows no discretion in her behavior toward Willoughby, and Marianne counters by saying they can’t worry about the gossips of women like Mrs. Jennings who will talk about others anyway. Brandon personally invites them to a picnic, but Marianne is rude in ignoring him as she waits for Willoughby to arrive. Brandon, for Marianne’s sake, says of course Willoughby is invited, too. Willoughby shows up and Brandon has to endure Marianne’s rejection in favor of a man he knows is not worthy to court her. Elinor says to Brandon that her sister does not hide her feelings and ignores any impropriety. He says she is unspoiled, meaning she is an innocent. Elinor, representing humans after losing Eden and becoming aware of evil, wishes that Marianne were not so unspoiled so that she could protect herself from the dangerous ways of the world. Brandon says he knew of an innocent like Marianne, and her becoming acquainted with the darker side of life was too difficult to endure, and only led to her ruination and despair. He tells Elinor not to wish such a fate on her sister. Brandon sees Marianne as being happy, and in his unselfishness, puts that above all other concerns. He wishes to keep her in that pre-fallen state of bliss, and that is why he has not divulged what he knows of Willoughby’s past so as not to destroy Marianne’s hopeful romantic view of the world.

Mr. Palmer (Hugh Laurie) and his wife, Charlotte (Imelda Staunton), who is Mrs. Jennings daughter, arrive for a visit. Charlotte talks as much as her mother, and Palmer seems sour, probably because he has been worn down by all the yapping. Her cousin, Lucy Steele (Imogen Stubbs), is with them and she announces that she has heard only wonderful things about Elinor. Mrs. Jennings admits quietly that Lucy is poor and came along for some diversion. At Brandon’s picnic, Willoughby shows up and Elinor observes Marianne’s self-involvement which borders on rudeness as her sister immediately departs the party with Willoughby in his wagon. We get a sense of some mystery brewing as Brandon receives a message and rides off in a hurry to take care of a problem in London.

A bit later, at the Dashwood’s cottage, Willoughby ridicules Brandon’s leaving his own picnic. He says he adores the cottage they live in, as he looks at Marianne, so we know his praise is really aimed at her. After the mother says she would like to make some improvements, he says he wouldn’t change a thing about the cottage. The sensible Elinor says what about its structural flaws, like the “fire that smokes?” He says “especially the fire that smokes,” which shows the contrast between their different personalities, the fire symbolizing passion, which Elinor knows carries with it the potential for destruction which can result from unchecked emotional urges. When Marianne escorts Willoughby on his way out, he says that he appreciates that she has allowed herself to “compromise her honor by seeing him to the gate unaccompanied.” Marianne says that is what Elinor would say, and he says that “she would be right.” Here Willoughby acknowledges the danger of being alone with him, but he disguises any possible harm by seeming to be forthright about it.

Marianne planned a meeting with Willoughby after church service the following day, which is ironic, since what happens is not in any way spiritually uplifting. The Dashwoods return to their cottage to find Marianne crying and Willoughby seeming distraught because he says he is being sent away by his aunt to take care of some business. He can’t say when he will return again and runs off, saying selfishly as he rushes to the door that he won’t stand there and put himself through this scene. Elinor thinks he seemed to be acting guilty and feels that there is something underhanded about his departure. Mrs. Dashwood, taken in by Willoughby’s charm, is angry at Elinor, and says he deserves to be given the benefit of the doubt.

Marianne falls into a funk. Elinor also receives an emotional blow when Lucy Steele tells her that she and Edward have been secretly engaged for five years. Lucy learned about Elinor from Edward, and she says that he considered Elinor like his sister. Lucy shows Elinor a handkerchief, containing the same initials as the one that Edward gave Elinor, which not only validates her claim but also cheapens, in Elinor’s mind, the token of affection that Elinor received from Edward. Lucy says she can only see Edward twice a year, most likely because her lowly economic status causes them to be secretive and thus restricts the number of encounters. Mrs. Jennings invites them all to London, which is where Willoughby is. Marianne sees the journey as an opportunity for her to see him and for Elinor to meet Edward, too. Elinor, as usual, keeps her feelings to herself, especially since Lucy swore her to secrecy about her engagement to Edward.

In London, Brandon shows up and asks Elinor if Marianne and Willoughby are engaged. Elinor says she was not informed of it, but she admits that they have mutual affection for each other. Brandon says he hopes Willoughby will try to deserve Marianne, but will not explain his negative feelings concerning Willoughby. Mrs. Jennings and the women go to a huge party where they encounter Fanny, looking, as usual, like she is riding her high horse. Edward’s brother, Robert (Richard Lumsden) is also at the party, but not Edward, to Elinor’s disappointment. Robert is condescending and pretty much of a dullard. But, he seems to be attracted to Lucy, whom he has never met, not knowing at this point that she has a commitment to his brother. Marianne sees Willoughby, and, typically, dispenses with decorum by confronting him and complaining that he hasn’t answered her letters. He is distant, and says he has to rejoin his party. A woman sees Marianne and Elinor follow him into the room where Willoughby rejoins his group. She looks at Marianne as if she is an annoying insect (think of Rose’s mother when she sees Jack in Titanic). The woman, obviously feeling her social status supremely outranks that of the Dashwood girls, asks if Willoughby knows Marianne. He dismisses her as an “acquaintance.” Marianne’s unshielded temperament makes her susceptible to emotional jolts, and she almost faints.

The next day, Marianne receives a message from Willoughby which coldly begins with “Dear Madam.” He wrote that he is afraid he gave the wrong impression, and his affections have been elsewhere for quite a while. He returned her letters to him and a lock of hair she gave him. She admits to Elinor that the two never had an “understanding” (the code word used for a marital commitment), and never said he loved her, so she says he broke no vow. Elinor, being practical as usual, says it’s best she find out now so she can less painfully move on as opposed to the relationship being dissolved later. Elinor says that Willoughby misled them all, making it appear that he loved Marianne. Mrs. Jennings comes in, and despite her pushy ways, shows sincere sympathy for the heartbreak Marianne feels, and calls Willoughby a “good-for-nothing.” She informs the women that she heard that Willoughby is to marry for money, the prevailing impediment to true love in such a rigidly class dominated, materialistic society.

Fanny, a traitor to her gender and reflecting her collaboration in placing burdens on less fortunate women, says to her husband, John, that there was no choice for Willoughby since Marianne is penniless and the intended bride has money. John wants to invite the sisters for consolation, but Fanny doesn’t want to lower her standing by associating with them. John says that he feels for Marianne since she will age and become a spinster like her sister. Marriage is the only means that women can use to gain standing in this society, and if they do not have a plentiful dowry to lure a man, their youthful appearance, which diminishes with age, is the only asset allowed them.

Brandon, always concerned for Marianne’s welfare, offers to take the Dashwoods back to the country. Brandon, seeing that Marianne has not been spared unhappiness by his silence, now feels that he must tell what he knows about Willoughby to spare her further misery. Brandon loved a woman named Eliza, who he felt he had failed, as described earlier. After his return from service, he learned that she had an illegitimate child named Beth. He promised to look after the girl and placed her with a family in the country. He saw her whenever he could. She was headstrong, and Brandon spoiled her, indulged her (stressing the need for some limits on one’s passions), and she went missing. He searched for her for eight months and found out about her on the day of the picnic. He discovered that it was Willoughby who got her pregnant and then left her. Brandon wanted to confront him on the day that Willoughby left for London. His departure was brought about by the fact that his aunt found out about the pregnancy and was going to disinherit him. Willoughby also had accumulated debts, so to secure his financial security, he abandoned Marianne to marry a wealthy woman. Although Brandon knows that Willoughby behaved terribly, he learned from Lady Allen, the aunt, that Willoughby did intend to ask for Marianne’s hand in marriage, and would have married her had it not been, as Elinor finishes the sentence, “for the money.”

Elinor tells Marianne about Willoughby’s motivations hoping that she will not feel personally rejected. Elinor says that her sister should be consoled by the fact that Willoughby did love her, but as Marianne says, “not enough,” to put affection before wealth. Lucy shows up to visit Elinor, and says she has met Edward’s mother. Then Edward visits at the same time. Marianne joins them and wants to play matchmaker, not knowing of what Lucy told her sister about her situation with Edward. Edward looks confused at Lucy’s presence and it seems to have thrown him for a loop. He says he must go and Lucy asks to be escorted back to Fanny’s place. Marianne blames Elinor for acting cold, and should have asked him to stay, showing how Elinor’s exaggerated reserve can be self-defeating.

Back at Fanny’s place, she tells Lucy that although she has no dowry, she will marry beyond her expectations. When Lucy tells Fanny of the engagement to her brother Edward, Fanny literally assaults her and throws her out. Her actions demonstrate Fanny’s hypocrisy regarding her wishing Lucy well until she feels the woman’s poverty may drag down her family’s exalted status. Mrs. Jennings, the busybody, finds out that Edward and Lucy have, indeed, been secretly engaged. Now that Edward’s mother has found out about the engagement, presumably through Fanny, she has threatened Edward with disinheritance for lowering himself by considering a poor woman as a spouse. Unlike Willoughby, Edward values his commitments above financial stability, and he is honoring the engagement. Marianne wants Elinor to fight for her love. Elinor, rationalizing her loss of Edward, says that it is foolish to think one person is right for you. Marianne says Elinor always embraces resignation, acceptance, prudence, honor and duty. She asks what does Elinor feel in her heart. Elinor now does admit to having a broken heart which was made worse by having to endure the presence of Lucy, the woman keeping her from Edward, while not able to vent about it because Lucy made her promise not to reveal the engagement.

Brandon says he can help Edward, since he has been disinherited, by offering the parish clergyman position on his land. They travel to the Palmer estate, and Marianne goes out for a walk but wanders all the way to Willoughby’s. She again suffers physically for not respecting her limitations, this time getting caught in a terrible rain storm. Brandon finds her and carries her to safety, mirroring the scene when Willoughby found her with the bad ankle in the prior storm. Brandon is now her rescuer, and a true one in contrast to Willoughby’s behavior, which was flair with no substance. Palmer is quite helpful in comforting the Dashwoods and getting a doctor. Brandon feels helpless and needs something to do to help, so Elinor asks him to bring their mother. The doctor thinks Marianne will die due to an infectious fever. Elinor’s emotions are now starting to reveal themselves. She says to her bedridden sister that she can bear everything else but not Marianne leaving her, which is something similar to what Marianne once told Elinor. Then the fever breaks as the mother arrives, and Brandon eases out of the room, not expecting any thanks. But, Marianne goes out of her way to thank Brandon now, recognizing his worth. As she heals, Brandon stays by her side, reading her poetry. Brandon says he is going away the next day but his journey is a secret. Now she doesn’t want to be without him, and says that she doesn’t want him to go away for long. Marianne tells Elinor that if Willoughby suffers half as much as she has, it will be torture enough that he chose his pocketbook over love.

One of the Dashwood’s remaining servants says that he heard that Lucy Steele is married to Mr. Ferrars. Of course, Elinor is sad, and leaves the room. Brandon went away to buy Marianne a piano, which arrives, indicating that now they are in harmony with each other, and unlike before, they may be playing duets together. Edward pays a visit, and seems confused when Mrs. Dashwood, thinking of his recent marriage, wishes him “great joy.” When they talk about Mrs. Edward Ferrars, Edward informs them that Lucy married his brother, not him. He received a letter from Lucy saying that she changed her affection to Robert. Now, in contrast to her usual controlled demeanor, Elinor is overcome with emotion when she realizes that Edward is not married, and cries hysterically with tears of relief. The sisters and mother leave, and Edward says that he thought it was only he that had affection for her, and now that he is free, he says his heart will always be hers.

We end with Marianne and Brandon leaving the church after being married. Edward and Elinor are already husband and wife, and Edward, in his new post as clergyman, officiated the ceremony. Willoughby, having forfeited love, watches the joyful wedding participants from atop a hill, representing his status in society, but emotionally alone with his money. Here, true love can triumph despite the impediments imposed by a mercenary, stratified world which tries to separate its people instead of uniting them. The film seems to imply that relying too much on either “sense” or “sensibility” can lead to unwanted outcomes. As with many things, it’s best to seek a personal balance.

The next film is The Reader.