Film Review: Red Joan
Sophia Cookson as ‘Joan’ in Trevor Nunn’s RED JOAN. Courtesy of IFC Films. An
IFC Films release.
The opening scene of Red Joan showing a dowdy, lumpy, slightly disheveled, elderly Judy Dench doing the quintessentially English task of cutting flowers from her garden is a total red herring for what is to come. Suddenly she is descended upon by Scotland Yard investigators accused of being a spy and taken away from her quiet middle class community to be intensely interrogated about her past – beginning with her years at Cambridge in the 1930’s. Given that she is now 87 it is not surprising that she has a hard time twigging to the probings of more than a half century ago. This is both the framework and the structure of what becomes a bifurcated film about a fascinating dual life.
Loosely based on the true story of Melita Norwood, Dench’s character Joan Stanley, was a gifted and promising physicist at Cambridge University which was rampant with political activism in response to the rise of Hitler and fear of Communism, and general upheavals.
Freddie Gaminara as ‘William’ and Sophia Cookson as ‘Joan’ in Trevor Nunn’s RED
JOAN. Courtesy of IFC Films. An IFC Films release.
Initially, apolitical and intent on her studies, she accidentally gets intrigued by some colorful Russian émigrés who are actively involved in the Communist party. They are older and way more sophisticated than Joan, whom they entice to come along with them to some rallys and meetings. Joan remains reserved in her opinions, but is intrigued by the characters and the force of their spirit. In particular the glamorous Sonia (Tereza Srbova) and her handsome, charismatic cousin Leo (Ben Miles), Jews from Russia, who begin to absorb Joan’s social life.
Young Joan (Sophie Cookson) is awakened to intellectual thinking, sex and love. She is the thoughtful, less outspoken among this noisy lot of egocentric grandstanders and manages to keep her beliefs and virginity intact despite attempts to co-opt both.
Stephen Campbell Moore as ‘Max’ and Sophia Cookson as ‘Joan’ in Trevor Nunn’s
RED JOAN. Courtesy of IFC Films. An IFC Films release.
After university, when Joan is hired to work on a secret government project to develop the atomic bomb for the UK, her old Russian associates come back to haunt her and tempt her to turn over information for the Russians. The 1945 deployment of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the US is a traumatic event for Joan, and alters her course in a direction which is full of conviction and belief in the rightness of her actions. While her transformation is internal, she uses the tools which she has to stop the development of more atomic bombs, seeing with perfect clarity what an unfathomable evil they can wreak. Events are dramatic and dangerous and Joan becomes a clever dissembler when she engages in her clandestine activities. She develops spy skills and manages to save herself from some dangerous situations.
Judi Dench as ‘Joan’ in Trevor Nunn’s RED JOAN. Courtesy of IFC Films. An IFC
Films release.
The film moves back and forth from old Joan in the present during endless days of interrogation and the past which keeps unspooling as her locked up memories are disinterred and brought to light. While the details could be viewed as fairly damning, Joan keeps repeating the phrase, “you have no idea of what it was like and what was going on then”. By the time the whole story is wormed out of Joan, her motivations, rationale and conviction that she served the greater good finally resonates. Her point is well made by the truth of history.
The authenticity of being allowed to film on Cambridge campus was a plus. The grand and glorious set is augmented by perfectly costumed and groomed characters of the period. The ensemble acting works well to keep the story moving along at a good clip. It is engaging and enjoyable and quintessentially British. I like it very much.
(Available on Amazon/Showtime)
