Part 2: What the Wentworth?

A month later and I'm still mad about Persuasion (2022). I've eviscerated their depiction of Anne and now it is time to do the same for their version of Frederick Wentworth. 

To be honest, this will be more of an attack on the film's depiction of the relationship between Anne and Wentworth, as his character was so underwritten. But I will be touching on a lot of what the movie failed to include about Wentworth in the novel, so in a way I suppose the meat and potatoes of this post will be Wentworth-centric.

As I did in my previous post, I'm avoiding any critiques of actor portrayal (though some may be fair) and focusing instead on how the script and plot affect characterization. In my opinion, Wentworth is a fantastic example of this because much like the movie felt utterly bland and pointless, his character came off the same way. Which is a real shame, because I LOVE Frederick Wentworth, y'all. The book version is probably my favorite Jane Austen hero, which admittedly means I am likely harder to please than the average viewer...or does it? 

Let's just say this: In the novel, Wentworth is supposed to be handsome. But he is meant to have several positive qualities that have nothing to do with his looks. He is kind, gentle, considerate, and honorable. His brother-in-law Admiral Croft (who was watered down so much in the movie I honestly can't remember if he even appeared or if I'm thinking of the movie's equally watered-down version of Captain Harville) describes him as "not a man to whine and complain; he has too much spirit for that." He is compassionate and honorable, as exemplified when he speaks kindly about Dick Musgrove with Dick's mother, Mrs. Musgrove, despite Dick having been pretty terrible when he was alive. He is dependable and hardworking, as he has risen to the role of Captain because of his own merit. He is humble and loyal, as he is now a rich gentleman but mostly hangs out with his Navy friends instead of focusing on climbing the social ladder (a direct contrast to Anne's snobby family and the contemptible William Elliot). He is respectful towards women and values their opinions, as he routinely engages in conversations with his sister and later, with Anne about meaningful topics--and he admires/keeps company with men who do the same, such as Admiral Croft and Captain Benwick.

Wentworth isn't perfect in the novel--he did tell Henrietta Musgrove that Anne looked "so different that [he] would not have recognized her", which is rude since Anne has canonically lost her beauty due to heartbreak. But to be fair, he did not know that Anne would ever hear the rude remark, and the comment is meant to show that he is still angry at her for (in his mind) using and discarding him. I.e, that he still cares and cares deeply. This is important because Wentworth's character development relies on the arc of learning/understanding Anne's reasons for their breakup and falling in love with her again. The film seems exceptionally confused about this--the first half consists of Wentworth making it clear he despises Anne for breaking his heart and believes wholeheartedly that she tricked him; only to retcon this later, when they agree to be friends on the beach and he professes, “Whenever I was at sea and feeling lost, I imagined what Anne would do. I pretended to be you. I missed you.” It's almost like they couldn't decide whether to claim the "enemies-to-lovers" (i.e "I thought you never loved me and hated you for years but now I realize I was wrong and I love you") and "friends to lovers" (i.e "I've loved you forever but thought you didn't love me back so I never told you") trajectories, so they tried to shoehorn in both. It just makes Wentworth seem impulsive at best and insincere at worse. 

Based on the film description calling Wentworth a "a dashing man of humble origins" and a extremely out of character scene in the trailer of Anne bemoaning how "rich and handsome" he is, I suspected that Persuasion (2022) might mischaracterize the leading man as simply something pretty for the audience to look at. Unfortunately, the two painful hours I spent watching the movie itself largely confirmed my suspicions. Wentworth rarely speaks in the film, and whether he does or he doesn't, there is little attempt to show variety in expression or vocal quality. In my opinion, there was zero attempt to characterize him as the complex, layered individual he is in the novel--although every character's arc was flattened, so I suppose I should note that his portrayal was consistent with that of the rest of the cast. The best way I could describe his place in the film was eye candy. This is a huge problem because unlike Anne, who gets to explain her perspective the audience the entire time, Wentworth's character is quite mysterious and we are not often clear on what he is thinking. In the film, the mystery never gets solved, as even the one moment we are meant to take a peek into Wentworth's mind through a letter he has written is dictated to us in Anne's voice, as opposed to his own. This makes it very very difficult to understand why Anne likes him so much and why we should root for them to get back together. There's a couple of weak attempts to convince us why he's so great--he saved a beached whale (which in that time period a beached whale was a blessing but I guess the film was downplaying his Navy-ness so that's just me being nitpick), he made Anne a playlist back during their courtship (I wish I was kidding), he "actually listens when a woman talks!" (too low a bar, especially since the movie does not even try to portray regency-era sexism), blah blah blah. Unfortunately all of those traits are TOLD to us, not SHOWN, and the only actions of Wentworth's we do see are him being bewildered by Anne's bad behavior or him flirting with Louisa...neither of which are very swoonworthy. 

Speaking of Wentworth and Louisa...not only does the film make the very confusing choice of having Louisa be friends with Anne, encourage her to get back with Wentworth and then ask for her blessing to court him instead, they also frame Wentworth's interest in Louisa as a bonafide courtship. This makes Wentworth look like he was just using Louisa to make Anne jealous (or using her as a placeholder in case he and Anne didn't work out). 

I feel the need to defend my man Freddy here and explain: in the novel, Wentworth was extremely hurt by Anne's rejection and so his main goal when they saw each other again was to ignore + avoid. This is why he turns his attention to the Musgrove sisters. The family is also very kind of him because he looked after the aforementioned Dick Musgrove, their oldest son who got ill at sea and died. Their affection for Wentworth (which you could describe as somewhat of a mutual interest as he has lost both parents and they have lost a son) is why he is invited to their estate, where he runs into Anne again. Anyway, because Wentworth is so focused on ignoring Anne and acting like he didn't still care about her, he didn't realize the way he was interacting with Louisa looked like he was courting her. Additionally, although Wentworth has made it clear he is looking for a wife, he only pays specific attention to Louisa because Henrietta is technically already spoken for--she has "an understanding" with Charles Hayter, who isn't even in the film and what a shame. After Louisa gets a concussion in Lyme, Wentworth blames himself, his care for her being out of decency rather than affection. It's only after she is hurt that he realizes that his behavior towards her = courtship and that the Musgroves expected their involvement to result in an engagement. But because he has no interest in pursuing Louisa (especially since he has realized he misjudged Anne and wants a second chance with her), he leaves Lyme to stay with family in Shropshire because he hopes putting distance between himself and Louisa will lessen her attachment to him. (It works. She falls for Benwick and it's very sweet but unfortunately we see none of that in the movie either.) So to wrap up: No courtship with Louisa. Wentworth was not being a player, he was just being petty. A crime, but a much smaller one, and certainly not without its consequences, so all's well that ends well. In the book, anyway. 

The film goes the extra mile of ruining moments in the book that hint at Wentworth's lingering feelings for Anne: In the book, Wentworth notices she is tired and aids her in getting a carriage ride home from the Crofts: “that he had quietly obliged her to be assisted into the carriage [...] had placed her there, that his will and his hands had done it, that she owed it to his perception of her fatigue, and his resolution to give her rest”. In the movie, there is no preamble to the carriage ride and he does not offer a hand to help her--which, if you've ever seen Pride and Prejudice (2005), you know what a missed opportunity that is.

The scene where he removes one of her roughhousing nephews hanging off her back without being asked in the book is as hilarious as it is sweet. But in the movie, the scene of her and her nephews is framed as a playful game and filmed like an attack in a horror movie, so Wentworth appearing out of nowhere to rip the young boy away feels awkward and like he's a fun-sucking, overprotective jerk. 

The movie decides to make the Musgrove sisters and Anne friends, which makes the fact that she's invited on their beach trip with Wentworth and the Harvilles seem like a natural friend-cation instead of what it is in the novel (Wentworth invites Anne along, when he could have just invited the Mugroves and called it a day). 

In the novel, Wentworth runs into Anne and escorts her home when there is no room for her in Lady Dalrymple's barouche. It's raining, so he offers her his umbrella--SWOON. This scene is nowhere to be found in the film at all. Maybe the screentime that could have been used for it was take up by the cringeworthy monologue Anne gives Mrs. Dalrymple about dreaming an octopus is sucking on her face. Choices, choices. 

On to another major point. As I discussed somewhat in my first post about Anne, the movie's almost complete removal of historical and cultural context is an extreme problem because class politics inform almost every conflict within the plot. Just as Anne's rejection of Wentworth and her entire view of marriage is fueled by her status as a second daughter to a noble family, Wentworth's position in society and how that affects his decisions paints a picture for us as an audience to understand his choices (which is important, considering the guy can be kind of mysterious--but that's a hallmark of a will-they won't-they, isn't it?). Wentworth is an orphan from a poor family but by the time he returns to meet Anne seven years after their breakup, he has risen to the rank of officer in the Navy. This means he has accumulated good wealth and status (thus making him a fine marriage prospect for eligible young women) while Anne's family has lost much of both their financial cushion and social clout due to her father's extravagant spending. As the book says, "Captain Wentworth, with five-and-twenty thousand pounds, and as high in his profession as merit and activity could place him, was no longer nobody. He was now esteemed quite worthy to address the daughter of a foolish, spendthrift baronet, who had not had principle or sense enough to maintain himself in the situation in which Providence had placed him." The irony in this role reversal is delicious, but only if we as an audience understand it--and the film's avoidance of how our two leads exist within the world subsequently dilutes the tension between them. When the audience cannot understand why Anne made the choice she made to reject Wentworth at the expense of her own happiness (and having that choice reiterated through cautionary tales such as Mrs. Smith, the Harvilles, and William Elliot), it is hard for them to justify why he should take her back now. Add in how petty, obnoxious, and selfish she is post-breakup in the film (a laundry list I wrote in my previous post and therefore shall not repeat), it becomes unfathomable as to why he should still have feelings for her at all, as if she was once lovely and worthy of his affections, she certainly isn't anymore. 

And perhaps that is the point I am seeking to make from all this rambling--that neither Wentworth nor Anne develop their respective characters through the film, so it is difficult to understand how their relationship could develop either. The absence of the Crofts (Wentworth's sister and brother-in-law) is one of the largest issues I have with the film, as it is their scenes that depict what a happy, equal marriage should be. Their presence stimulates Wentworth and Anne's growth, both as individuals and as a couple. The Crofts' are largely the catalyst for Anne to realize what kind of marriage (with Wentworth, cough cough) would make her happy, as well as a catalyst for Wentworth's evolving mindset about what happened between them. For example, when discussing whether navymen should bring their wives onboard with them during their sailing trips (Wentworth is opposed), Mrs. Croft exposes the internalized sexism within his opinion: “But I hate to hear you talking so, like a fine gentleman, and as if women were all fine ladies, instead of rational creatures. We none of us expect to be in smooth water all our days”. This also gives Anne a hint that he hasn't dated anyone while away at sea, but that's neither here nor there, haha. Mrs. Croft's assertion that women--and a married couple--are capable of enduring harsh sea life sea also leads Anne to question her own expectations when it comes to marriage." Both this and the scene where the Crofts drive the carriage in tandem, rather than Mr. Croft doing it alone are vital in the development of Anne and Wentworth's respective views on marriage, to the point where I don't know if they ever would have built up the confidence to give their relationship another shot. 

This essay is a masterful defense of the Crofts and I recommend it to any Persuasion fans. The quote, "Any film adaptation that neglects to highlight the scene where the Crofts share the reigns of the carriage does a disservice to both the novel and the character of Anne Elliot, because before witnessing it she has little motivation (outside of economic and social ladder climbing, which are not in keeping with her character) to pursue marriage. Directors must also take care to provide the characters of Admiral and Mrs. Croft with proper casting and appropriate screen time, as the pair serves as inspiration to both Anne and Wentworth" could not be more applicable here. 

To continue my rant, the film ignores traditional rules of propriety that prevented unmarried women and men from being alone together and instead adds several scenes between Anne and Wentworth where they interact one-on-one, some of which involve them forming a platonic friendship. Anne whines to watchers about how "We're even worse than exes, we're FRIENDS." The intention behind this choice could have been to increase the romantic tension between the two, but instead it destroys it. The distance between Anne and Wentworth is what allows them to pine for each other without knowing how the other feels; society's rules of propriety prolongs this yearning and allows it to snowball by preventing them from finding a moment alone to talk.  If Anne and Wentworth spend several scenes talking alone and grow close enough to become friends, how can they so easily continue to misunderstand each other??? The film's answer is that Wentworth barely talks and Anne is too self-absorbed to do anything except act wounded and passive aggressive, despite the fact that it's her who broke things off. 

This change also creates a snag in logic. The latter half of the film's plot hinges on a dual misunderstanding where Anne believes Wentworth is courting Louisa Musgrove and Wentworth believes Anne is going to marry William Elliot, and that is why they believe they have missed their shot at a second chance. This type of misunderstanding requires a foundation of distance--a great example is in Sense and Sensibility when Elinor believes Lucy Steele, now Mrs. Ferrars, has married Edward instead of his brother, and does not realize her mistake until Edward comes for a visit and she inquires upon his "wife". If Anne and Wentworth are spending all this alone time together and having friendly talks, why didn't either miscommunication come up???? I could buy the William Elliot one happening too late in the game for Wentworth to read the situation correctly, but Wentworth is allegedly courting Louisa for 75% of the film, and after she hits her head she's basically AWOL--wouldn't Anne bother to ask her new buddy how his supposed fiancé is doing with that head injury? (Then again, the film version of Anne might be too petty for that.) 

And even if you ignore logic--which you oftentimes must do, when watching a romcom--you can't ignore a lack of chemistry. And there is no chemistry between Anne and Wentworth in the film. Not because of the actors, but because their characters have been reduced to the simplest, underdeveloped versions of themselves. Their choices no longer make any sense, therefore the plot no longer makes any sense. Thanks to the perpetual telling instead of showing, anything they do to show they care about each other feels lackadaisical, and what could be meaningful words lack context and therefore depth. The saddest part is that as much as I dislike Anne's character in the film, at least there is something there to qualify. Wentworth's character is barely two-dimensional--the film could taken him out and just had Anne explain to us her quibbles and qualms with him through fourth-wall breaks, and the energy (or lack thereof) would have remained the same.

Well, that's all for now. Join us next time for our next installment, where I will discuss what the heck happened to William Elliot. :)