Ammonite is a film about Mary Anning, famed fossil collector and paleontologist who was generally overlooked by the male dominated science community. Mary was a leading contributor and scientific thinker about prehistoric life but a lot of her work was appropriated to male colleagues.
Acclaimed film director Francis Lee has done it again, created an absolutely stunning film that is gentle and charming. It is a quiet film based in the Victorian period, a time that wasn’t generally favorable for working women, or women who were free thinkers who desired to pursue a career in a male dominated field.
Mary Anning (Kate Winslet) living in Lyme England, spends her days searching for fossils at Blue Lias and Charmouth Mundstones. Anning is attributed with finding the first almost intact fossil of an Ichthyosaur, which brought her prestige and acclaim within the scientific community.
Mary is entrusted to care for Charlotte Murchison (Saoirse Ronan), an admirer of Mary’s work but also suffers from melancholia. Local doctor, Dr. Lieberson (Alec Secareanu) has prescribed Charlotte days at the beach and sea air to help cure the depression.
Spending days at the beach helping Mary search for fossils, the admiration and respect Charlotte has for Mary grows. The fascination leads to a romantic interest between both women.
Directed by Francis Lee, Ammonite investigates the ongoing issue where woman are not fully accredited for their work. Mary Anning because of her gender was not able to participate in the scientific community or attributed for her remarkable discoveries.
This is a romantic film that explores the blossoming love between two women during the 19th century and how this type of queer relationship is hidden from public view.
Ammonite has an absolute stellar cast that includes Fiona Shaw playing Elizabeth Philpot, Gemma Jones playing Molly Anning and James McArdle playing Roderick Murchison.
Kate Winslet as Mary Anning is gripping as a woman who has great passion for her work, but understands and accepts that a lot of her discoveries are being attributed to male counterparts. The character of Mary has an underlying passion and love that is downtrodden due to 19th century England where a woman’s role was not seen as equal.
Saoirse Ronan as Charlotte Murchison is a suffering young woman who has been diagnosed with depression, but you can’t help but wonder if she is suffering depression because women at the time aren’t able to study and develop a career that is on equal footing as any male of the time. There is a desperation and sadness that Ronan captures perfectly in her portrayal of Murchison.
Fiona Shaw as Elizabeth Philpot is perfection. Fiona is an underrated actor who never fails to deliver an outstanding performance time and again. Her performance as Elizabeth Philpot is quaint, charming and just oozing with life and you can’t help but enjoy every moment she is on the screen.
Ammonite is a film that will make you fall in love with love. It is just so enjoyable to watch two amazing characters slowly develop a tenderness for each other.
But the underlying issue of women not being correctly attributed for their work, makes you realize that this is a very current issue that was also a problem for women across many generations and especially in the Victorian period.
Ammonite is currently available on Hulu.
