Camille (1984), starring a VERY young Colin Firth and Greta Sacchi, recently came up for grabs so I decided to fall on that sword. I wasn’t expecting it to be particularly good or anything, since 1980s adaptations of historical novels can be a bit hit or miss in terms of quality (acting, costuming, direction, adhering to the source material, pretty much the whole shebang), so with my hopes appropriately low, I dove in.
Camille is based on the 1848 novel La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas, fils. It’s set in the 1840s, presumably, contemporaneous to when the novel was written, and tells the story of Marguerite Gaultier, a young woman who escapes her abusive father and dreary life toiling away in the countryside and makes a beeline for Paris where she eventually becomes the most celebrated courtesan in the city who is known as “Camille” for the camellias she wears.
Marguerite seriously enjoys the freedom of her lifestyle and most of all the luxury that she’s afforded thanks to her patrons, but she falls in love with Armand, a young man from the professional class who also reciprocates her feelings, however cannot compete with the level of wealth and privilege of her clientele. Drama naturally ensues.
The costumes in this film were designed by Rosine Delamare, and they’re surprisingly pretty good (qualifier: for 1984). Is there anachronistic hair and makeup? Yes. But are the costumes themselves solid? Also, yes. Hair seems to be mostly up, if not leaning heavily into the Dynasty updo end of the spectrum. Hats are being worn by the female characters. There is an overabundance of blue eyeshadow and showgirl ringlets, but I am having a hard time complaining because overall it hits enough of the right notes that even the garish 1980s-isms sort of faded into the background. And it’s helped by the fact that Sacchi is a very good actress, considering her age at the time and the fact that she was more than likely cast for her looks and not her acting chops. She’s so engaging that she almost overshadows Colin Firth, though to be fair, his role is mainly that of a Spoiled Manchild.
Have you watched Camille (1984)? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
Find this frock flick at:
I didn’t know this version existed, but will have to hunt it out as I like both Greta Scacchi and his royal Firthness.
If you have Amazon Prime, it’s currently streaming!
Aaah, Greta Scacchi.
Chef’s Kiss –
Belissima!
This looks fun! I never heard of it. And Colin is super handsome here.
That’s some serious eye makeup on Billie.
Not bad, but I prefer the 1936 movie more. I don’t understand why you have zeroed in on the 1980s as a bad decade for period dramas. I’ve seen my share of bad or questionable period dramas from other decades.