FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE

(1985)
MOVIE REVIEW
"If you have a passion, the only way to satisfy it is to pursue it."
She had the passion to care, the tender hands to heal and the
kindness in the eyes. The story is neither fairy tales, nor Disney. It is
the reality but somehow the impact is better than any Disney and
fairy tale movies. It tells about selflessness, perseverance,
loneliness, love, frustrations but at the end there is this one moment
and realization that great people die alone. She did not marry and
she die at an old age thats the ugliest part of the movie for me and
the part also where Richard sent him a mail that hes gonna marry is
a disappointments. It does touch me though because as an elite
family that she came from she still have that kind hearted persona
where even if she was discourage by his colleague and most
especially her father with strong conviction to follow her passion.
Then after her father give in, she then go to Germany and then
study there where the nuns also. Then the Crimean war happen and
in these events rivalry Dr. Hunts. But with these she come
successful as she was known by the queen of England to be the
head of nursing in all military.
I cant really get over also the ugliness of life, behind from its
good portrayal of the patients and soldiers is also the fact that it
really did happen and maybe it much worse, and morbid at that
time. how many of as in our lifetime can say that I have made a
difference?. Indeed she did Richard, yes indeed she made a
difference. She changed the perception of being a nurse and how to
be a nurse. Now because of what she done to this kind of field she
will always be remembered and my profession is respected. Thank
you Lady of the Lamp, Florence Nightingale. Let me end these
review by a quote of Richard If my dear Florence we could live
forever, I would wait for you to come home.

1.)What are the first images in the film (often while the
credits are rolling), and What do they tell you? Where
and when is the film set and how do you know this?
The images in the film that first appeared is Richard looking
on Florence while she is dancing by her supposed fianc, and
shes wearing a stripe gown in a Victorian style. I researched
where the setting is. But did not find any although I find that
it is Made for ABC in 1985, star Jaclyn Smith isn't the first
actress one might think of when casting an American knockoff of the British historical docudrama genre.
2. Do you know yet how the film will end?
Somehow cause I read the spoilers.
3. Cinematography and visual style: color, space,
focus, depth of field, camera angles, POV,
composition, movement, aspect ratios, light and
lighting, atmosphere. Is there a "style" or overall look
and feel of the film?
Presented in its original 1.33:1 full-frame format, the transfer
for Florence Nightingale is very good, with generally correct
color values, a minimum of grain, a sharpish picture, and no
compression issues to speak of. There are occasions of minor
scratches, dirt and other screen anomalies, but they are
infrequent and not distracting. Hiss is at a minimum, and no
distortion was noted. Close-captions are available. As
for Florence Nightingale's script, it's well-constructed and
plays fast, despite the film's run time. She also made a
progression from curious dilettante, to genuinely moved
student, to brave doer of good deeds on a scale of selfactualization hard to imagine today. The film has many
powerful scenes of how nightmarishly primitive and even
openly hostile to the patient medicine was as practiced then.

4. Editing: continuity, cutting, montage, pace; graphic,

rhythmic, spatial, and temporal relations; ellipsis and
hyperbole.
There is some part of cutting that is not connected to
the next scene. Thus also an approach of keeping the
settings claustrophobic.

5. Production design, costumes, and fx: color, light,

set design. "Realism" or "Fantasy"?
I like the production. I mean if it in the 80s it is a very nice
production cause they really captured the essence of a
Victorian style. Absolutely, the dresses during the ball, God
there classic, and beautiful. The way also their headdress
and the hair being kept. I love it all. So much classics.
6. Narrative: dialogue; story, plot, and screen time;
narrative structure (flashbacks and flash-forwards)
The pace steady focuses us more on the story rather than
the expected spectacle for this type of genre. And what a
fascinating story it is.
7. Acting, casting, dialogue, and movement: styles of
acting, dancing, etc.
Jeremy Brett was the most fun as the observant father who
slyly appreciates the change in his wife's acceptance of their
daughter's activities...once they make the papers. Timothy
West makes a nice appearance as journalist William Russell
of The Times And Stephen Chase has good chemistry with
Smith. Her initial scene with Dalton he's both feline and bored
at the same time here has some awkward exchanges, and an
early sequence where Florence soothes a severely burned
peasant is made up of some truly hilarious reaction shots.

8. Sound and music: diegetic and non-diegetic sound;

leitmotifs; sfx
It is on the right time and classics music plays at random
moments.

9. Genre: what "kind" of movie is it, and how do you

know?
It is a docudrama produce by ABC in portraying the life of
Florence Nightingale. I found it in the blog where I also
read the spoilers.
10. Intertextuality: what other films, music, works of
art, or "texts" are referred to in the film and why?
First is the Brideshead Revisited for the comparison of cast
and budget production. Others are The Bridge on the River
Kwai, Summertime for the video and cinematography, the
person who produces this classic tales You Only Live
Twice, Murder by Decree is also the person that produce this
movie. And the onewho directed this movie The Thorn Birds
which is a blockbuster then is also the director of this movie.
11. Critical" aspects of film: historical, moral, social,
gender, and economic issues.
I think the film embraces all the aspect as a feminism,
morality, and casteism. First is the conviction of Florence
to be a nurse despite the facts that her parents dont want
to and her lover also. But still follow his passion after all.
Then the fact that when she visited a hospital and realize
her calling to heal, her morality is what makes the movie
amazing cause she had everything in life life, love, money
but she throw it all because she feels a deep conviction to
help the sick to heal them. And lastly is the fact that she is
an elite lady and the perception of nursing in her era as a
prostitutes, despite all this she still continue to do her
passion to help ad heal the sick.

12. Opinions: is the film "good" or "bad"? Justify your

opinions.
I submit that this film is a very classic and have beautiful
punch lines that we now forgot or overly used taking out
the real meaning. While watching the film I deeply
appreciate the dialogue exchange in the characters and
the witty comebacks. The story is predictable but there is
this small detail that makes the story so captivating. All in
all it was a captivating, fascinating and the production is
good.