The Belle of the Ball? Not!

Belle, a new dvd in the library, is inspired by the 1779 painting of Dido Elizabeth Belle beside her cousin Lady Elizabeth Murray, at Kenwood House, which was commissioned by their great-uncle, William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, then Lord Chief Justice of England. Very little is known about the life of Dido Belle, who was born in the West Indies and was the illegitimate mixed-race daughter of Mansfield's nephew. She is found living in poverty by her father and entrusted to the care of Mansfield and his wife. The fictional film explores her life as a young woman, a life of luxury, as her father left her money, but no social standing because of her race. Lushly photographed, and stellar acting make this film not only beautiful but intelligent and affecting. ML