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Film character's story parallels our history
Marty Latz
Special to Jewish News
The prostitute bared herself and hurled invectives at the beautiful young "Jewess" exiting the warm confines of her synagogue. In the background, we hear the last vestiges of the chants sung surrounding the Torah reading.
The era: early 1840s. The setting: a Sephardic Jewish ghetto in the midst of London. The character: Rosina Da Silva (played by Minnie Driver), the oldest daughter of a Jewish family soon to be shocked by the murder of their father and their plunge into poverty. The film: "The Governess."
The situation in the film is from an era of separation - Jews from gentiles, rich from poor, educated from non-educated. "The Governess" is about surviving while at the same time challenging and breaking down conventions. Rosina and her family faced poverty and despair. But Rosina rejected the arranged marriage to an older Jewish fish merchant and sought instead to independently support her family (revolutionary for a young woman in 19th century England). Then, not finding anything for a Jew in London, Rosina took her revolution one step further, draping herself in the guise of a Christian she called Mary Blackchurch and heading north to become the governess of a wealthy Scottish family. About as foreign as possible to a young London Jew. Snobbily upper crust. Rural and isolated. And no Jews within miles.
The way Rosina approached her crisis, challenged conventions and felt her Judaism tells the story of many Jews over the ages. First and foremost, Rosina and her family survived despite the sudden loss of their patriarch and breadwinner, their impending poverty, and society's overt discrimination. Second, Rosina adapted and thrived in a foreign environment by drawing upon an inner strength grounded in her Jewish heritage. A memorable scene has Rosina huddled in her room within the cold and bleak Scottish manor celebrating Pesach - salt water, seder plate and all. The rituals and story of Passover speak volumes about her situation - and about our people.
Rosina was an adventurer with a curiosity about the unknown and a creative wild streak - artistically and intellectually. For instance, Rosina initially relished the challenge to act as a Christian governess. After some limited contact with her hosts, she observed that "gentiles are not monsters, but they are mysterious." She sought to find out why.
Her curiosity led her to become the assistant to the head of the family, a scientist seeking to invent a way to permanently affix photographic images onto paper. Ultimately, she became his mistress as well as a creative partner in his success, opening their eyes to a world of passion and beauty - photographic and otherwise. But she scared him and threatened his stability. So he turned away and lashed back. The walls starting crumbling. For Mary Blackchurch was an act, and the curtain fell. It's a lesson Jews have repeatedly learned throughout history.
So Rosina returned home, and found her community devastated by cholera. But they survived again - this time drawing upon her newly acquired photographic skills to open a commercial venture. Jews have survived thousands of years in the midst of unspeakable horrors and adversity and have constantly faced tragedy. We have exercised an intellectual and artistic curiosity that has contributed greatly to society's progress in many fields. We - like Rosina - have also often found a way to thrive in the commercial world.
"The Governess" is Rosina's story. But our story is still being written.
Marty Latz is a Valley attorney and negotiation consultant. Anyone with comments can write to him via e-mail at mlatz@negot.com.
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