Ladies in Lavender

I was in the supermarket and the moment I saw the DVD, I had to have it. I don't know why exactly. I remember when it was in theatres a couple of years ago, and I had merely a passing interest, which was forgotten until I saw it. I am not given to buying my movies at the supermarket. I don't think it even got great reviews when it was in its original release. Another in that series of movies for which the review is less than sterling, but for me, it becomes a treasure.

 

The story is somewhat implausible. A young man from Poland washes up, with no explanation, onto an English seaside village's rock strewn shore, where two older women, Ursula (Judi Dench) and Janet (Maggie Smith), sisters, reside in a cottage. It is just pre-World War II. Janet once had, and knew, a love, who perished in WWI. Ursula, it appears, is an untouched spinster. She has no past memory. And of a certain age, there is no future hope of the romantic life missed. The young man recuperates in their home. The doctor who provides his care (David Warner) distrusts him--he speaks German, though he learns halting English with the help of his hostesses. Seeking to entertain him in his rehabilitation, they bring in a village violinist. The man is earnest but not good. The young man, Andrea, takes the violin. The sound of his strokes of the strings is sublime. His impromptu performance is heard by a woman, a vacation visitor and al fresco painter, staying in a nearby cottage who shows immediate interest in the young man. She is the sister of a well known conductor. She writes the sisters a note telling them of her relationship to this conductor, and of her thought that Andrea is an extraordinary talent. But Janet hides the note from him, to protect her sister, who has developed an impassioned, though chaste, attachment to the young man, to keep him there, for as much time as is possible. There can be no real life happy ending, the chasm is simply too much and the young man doesn't even know about Ursula's feeling. But Andrea and the visitor meet again at a social gathering, and she asks to paint him with his violin. The doctor's suspicions are enhanced when he sees the young man leave her home. He thinks of conspiracy, not art, or even love. And one cannot blame him, I suppose, given the times. Andrea for his part is angry to find out that the sisters have not told him of the conductor, Daniloff. In his anger he snaps at Ursula. Janet explains her sister's tender state. Andrea finds Ursula on the beach and apologizes in fragmented English. Ursula regrets her elderly foolishness. Andrea is only to be with them for a short while longer. On a last afternoon in the garden Janet cuts Andrea's hair. As they return to the cottage, Ursula picks up a lock of his hair that has fallen to the grass and keeps it. She will never have more than this piece of a young man, a relationship with whom she can only imagine.

Andrea arrives at Ms. Daniloff's cottage and she spirits him, without prior notice, to London to meet her brother. Andrea is loath to leave without a word to the sisters, but there is truly no time, as probably Ms. Daniloff has planned it. The window of opportunity for the young man has opened to the career of a violinist.

The sisters wait for him to return for dinner that evening. He does not come. Worried, they call about and hear that the woman and Andrea took the train to London. Ursula is devastated. She cries against Janet from the depths. She consoles herself by sleeping on the bedspread of the bed on which Andrea recuperated and slept as their lodger.

A package comes from London, some non-specific time thereafter. And a note with it, both from Andrea. He apologizes for the sudden leaving, but explains its purpose and asks them to listen to the radio for a performance, his first as a soloist.

The villagers arrive at the cottage herded in by the housekeeper of Janet and Ursula. The performance begins. We see the faces of the villagers, of Ursula and Janet. We see Andrea doing that for which he is meant with full orchestra behind him.

We see a moment, before or after this concert, when Ursula stands outside near the cliff by her home, letting the lock of hair fly away. And with it, her last dream.

Then we realize that Ursula and Janet have gone to the performance in London. They surprise Andrea at the reception. In moments, he is intercepted to meet someone important. Ursula and Janet leave.

When we see them last, they are, as they were in the beginning of the movie, two maiden sisters walking the rocky beach together, but each alone, Ladies in Lavender.

It might be too personal for me to detail why this movie touched me so. I can say only that once, not so terribly long ago, I ran across someone that made me feel the possibility of love not yet had, of love avoided. I had no illusions about its prospects. It too was chaste, but intense, and as with Ursula, only for me. But for me (I was then in my 40s) there was still time. I was not yet a lady in lavender. I felt that I might finally take emotional flight and take the lessons learned from the not possible and find the possible. But I didn't and I haven't. And the time is passing quickly. I felt for Ursula because I may well be her in quick time, as the years that have passed and are passing remind me. But maybe it isn't all over for me, not yet. I hear a familiar voice in my head, asking me, "So what are you going to do?" Ultimately, it is all up to me, whether I think so or not. I am choosing the road and I am, in large part, responsible for where it has taken me so far, and where it will take me. Much of it has been good. Very good. That which has been less so, well, there is no one to whom to look but myself.