The Brontë Sisters

The Brontë Sisters

Company type	Film
Industry	Film industry
Founded	1979
Founder	André Téchiné (director), Pascal Bonitzer (screenwriter), Jean Gruault (screenwriter)
Headquarters	France
Products	Biographical drama film
Parent	Gaumont

The Brontë Sisters () is a 1979 French biographical drama helmed by director André Téchiné, who collaborated on the screenplay with Pascal Bonitzer and Jean Gruault. The film stars Isabelle Adjani, Marie-France Pisier, and Isabelle Huppert portraying the Brontë siblings, with cinematography by Bruno Nuytten. Téchiné had envisioned this project since 1972 but secured funding only after the commercial success of Souvenirs d'en France (1975) and Barocco (1976). Produced by Gaumont, the original three-hour cut was shortened to under two hours for its debut at the 1979 Cannes Film Festival.

The cast includes Adjani as Emily, Pisier as Charlotte, Huppert as Anne, and Pascal Greggory playing their brother Branwell. The story centers on the siblings’ intricate family dynamics and creative pursuits over a decade beginning in 1834—highlighted by Branwell’s famous portrait of his sisters—and concluding around 1852 when Charlotte remains the last surviving sibling.

Plot

Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne Brontë lead a secluded existence in a rural English village under the authority of their strict Anglican minister father and domineering aunt. Each sibling follows distinct artistic ambitions: Branwell aims to establish himself as a painter; Emily finds solace in solitary moorland walks; Anne works as a governess; Charlotte studies French in Belgium with plans to start a school. Throughout their personal hardships, the sisters provide mutual support.

Charlotte harbors secret feelings for her married instructor while studying in Brussels, whereas Emily encounters social exclusion at school. Back home, Branwell struggles with their aunt’s passing and engages in a doomed affair with Mrs. Robinson, the wife of Anne’s employer. This leads him into alcoholism and opium addiction. The sisters uncover Emily’s poetry and persuade her to publish it alongside their own writings under male pseudonyms—Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell—that attract considerable attention despite critical hostility.

Branwell eventually dies from complications related to his addictions. Emily succumbs to tuberculosis after refusing medical care; Anne also dies from the illness following a final seaside trip arranged by Charlotte. Alone, Charlotte advances her literary career and begins a relationship with Arthur Nicholls, her father’s curate. She interacts with prominent literary figures such as publisher George Smith and author William Thackeray during her ascent within London’s literary scene.

Background

Since the silent film era, Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre and Emily's Wuthering Heights have been adapted multiple times for the screen. Noteworthy versions include William Wyler’s 1939 Wuthering Heights, featuring Laurence Olivier, and Robert Stevenson’s 1943 adaptation of Jane Eyre starring Joan Fontaine.

Despite numerous biographies, Hollywood has shown limited interest in dramatizing the Brontë sisters’ personal lives. The only major American production on them, Devotion, directed by Curtis Bernhardt, attempted to capitalize on Jane Eyre's popularity but compromised historical accuracy. Starring Ida Lupino and Olivia de Havilland, it portrayed a largely fictionalized romance that drew widespread criticism for its inaccuracies.

In 1973, Yorkshire Television produced the acclaimed four-part series The Brontës of Haworth, scripted by Christopher Fry and filmed at authentic locations, starring Rosemary McHale and Vickery Turner.

Téchiné’s early 1970s biopic represents the third significant cinematic portrayal of the Brontës and stands as the first to strive for historical fidelity.

More recently, the 2016 BBC production To Walk Invisible, written and directed by Sally Wainwright, concentrated on the critical years 1846–1848 when the siblings returned to their parsonage home. It emphasized their literary achievements alongside Branwell’s decline, featuring performances by Finn Atkins, Charlie Murphy, Chloe Pirrie, Adam Nagaitis, and Jonathan Pryce.

Casting

The film assembled three of France’s most distinguished actresses of the period: Isabelle Adjani as Emily, Marie-France Pisier as Charlotte, and Isabelle Huppert as Anne. Pisier had earned César Awards for her roles in Téchiné’s earlier works Souvenirs d’en France and Barocco, maintaining a close professional relationship with him. Adjani, who also appeared in Barocco, gained international recognition through François Truffaut’s The Story of Adele H. She was paired with cinematographer Bruno Nuytten, who would later direct her in the acclaimed Camille Claudel.

Pascal Greggory—then relatively unknown with minor roles—was cast as Branwell over more established actors such as Alain Delon and Patrick Dewaere. Greggory later reunited with Adjani in La Reine Margot (1994). At filming time, Huppert, Adjani, and Greggory were all in their mid-twenties. Huppert had recently risen to prominence with The Lacemaker (1977) and earned Best Actress at Cannes for portraying Violette Nozière. Notably, tensions between Huppert and Adjani created challenges during production.

Patrick Magee—recognized for his work in Stanley Kubrick’s films A Clockwork Orange and Barry Lyndon—portrayed their father. He delivered his lines in English on set before being dubbed into French.

Music

Philippe Sarde composed the film’s score; brother of producer Alain Sarde, he had previously scored Téchiné’s films but chose here to incorporate adaptations of classical compositions. The soundtrack features Gioachino Rossini's overture from Tancredi along with pieces by Robert Schumann, adopting an approach reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick’s use of classical music.

Reception

Debuting at Cannes in 1979, the film was overshadowed by Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now and met with modest critical enthusiasm. Over time its reputation has grown into that of an authentic depiction of the Brontë siblings’ secluded existence.

Home media

In 2013, Cohen Media Group remastered and reissued The Brontë Sisters within their Cohen Film Collection on DVD and Blu-ray formats. These editions include audio commentary from film critic Wade Major and Brontë expert Sue Lonoff de Cuevas, along with Dominique Maillet's 2012 documentary The Ghosts of Haworth, which explores the film's production through interviews with key participants. The release also contains both original theatrical trailers and those from subsequent re-releases.

Before 2013, DVD availability was confined primarily to Region 2 markets; this included an out-of-print Spanish edition featuring French audio tracks accompanied by Spanish subtitles or dubbing. In 2009 Sweden issued a DVD box set containing films related to the Brontës. Additionally, Gaumont released a Region B Blu-ray version in France in May 2012.

See also

• Isabelle Huppert on screen and stage

External links

• Soundtrack Collector