Film Review: Marjorie Lawrence: The World At Her Feet
Images courtesy of Sharmill Films.
Think horse girl movie but with flames.
Now I’ll be honest, before watching Marjorie Lawrence: The World at her Feet I had no clue who this woman was. After watching it, I still have no clue as to who this woman truly was. The documentary describes the life of Marjorie Lawrence, a small-town girl from Winchelsea in rural Victoria, who escapes to Paris to pursue her dream of opera singing. And sing she did, as she went on to become one of the most famous and talented sopranos of her time. We watch as she performs at the Paris Opera, the Met, before royalty and presidents, and even starts her own school. Her story isn’t just about Opera, however, it also portrays a young woman trying to prove herself in life, despite the restrictions of her circumstances and the poignant but complicated relationship she shared with her father. We also follow the epic highs and lows of her love life as she finds herself with toxic man after toxic man, which was honestly a bit too relatable (am I right, ladies?). We get to hear clips of her singing, on crackly old records, this, combined with black and white footage, makes it truly feel like you’re being immersed in a long-forgotten era, especially as Dame Kiri Te Kanawa’s soothing voice shares Marjorie’s tale.
Her life itself? Amazing, show-stopping, the fact that she’s relatively unknown, only 70 years after being one of THE biggest opera stars, is honestly rather sad. Sure, most people probably can’t name a single opera singer, but considering the amount of drama that went on in this lady’s life, I’m surprised I haven’t stumbled upon at least one Tumblr post applauding her. And applause she deserves for all the good deeds she did. When on honeymoon, after finally finding a decent man, she contracted polio, which completely paralysed her. Now, remember, this was the 40s, a time where society wasn’t so accessible for those who were not able-bodied (not that it’s that much better now), where support for conditions like these were new and rudimentary at best. But she persevered and was able to regain her ability to move her upper body, and most importantly for her, her voice. Which she went on to use to raise awareness and donations for polio charities. Yet throughout all the glitz and glamour of her new life, her roots as a farm girl never left her; she wasn’t ashamed of who she was and where she came from. This proved valuable when she became the first and only performer to ride their horse into the flames during the Immolation scene of Richard Wagner’s Götterdämmerung (I swear this will make more sense once you watch it).
My only criticism? Too much screen time was afforded to the panel of experts analysing her achievements, and not enough time on Marjorie herself. But I suppose the documentary lets us reflect upon the passing of time and who gets to be remembered. These experts knew her and revered her for her talent, especially with her speciality in Richard Wagner operas (a famous German composer known for his difficult pieces). These are the people who will remember her, and it’s because of their knowledge of her achievements that this documentary was created in the first place.
So if you like opera, rags to riches tales, opulence, and just talented women who know they’re gifted and see no reason to hide it away, then Marjorie Lawrence: The World at her Feet is the documentary for you.
3/5
Showing in select cinemas now. For tickets and more info, click here.