最後的貴族 Downton Abbey

 想像力大抵是長途通勤的救贖，每天複習一集Downton Abbey,  開車塞車也變得較能忍受(難怪劇中司機Tom Branson 會邀三小姐私奔，車伕這職業太無聊了... 咦？好像劃錯重點：P)  連續劇無論取材古今中外，主題總繞著家族密史姐妹情仇婆媳糾葛團團轉，DA別緻處在於考究衣著場景和雋永中帶點英式幽默的對白 欣賞Julian Fellowes對角色的刻畫, 細膩且層次豐富. 劇中女角比男角出色, 眾男角除了樓上樓下的溫情大家長Lord Grantham和Mr. Carson, 耐人尋味的只有攻心計的同志男僕Thomas和頗具梟雄氣質, 成熟瀟灑的報業大亨Sir Richard Carlisle. 

I AM SO INTO DOWNTON ABBEY, period. 
Not sure why, it must be my daily long commute that listening to the milky voices of Lady Mary and Lady Edith(although their conversation was full of snide remarks toward each other)makes the drive, the congested traffic(yup, Go Giants…) more tolerable.
As Matthew and Mary waltzed into the reverie of their sorrowful romance in front of the gramophone, I waltzed my hybrid onto the freeway with a gratifying sensation… art does matter and art heals. Who doesn't need the catharsis?

DA首季主要架構家族繼承權和姐妹情仇. Crawley三姐妹, 長女Lady Mary美麗冷傲, 她的處境性格宿命悲劇. 人人都說Lady Mary自我中心不知人間疾苦, 我卻不得不與疼愛她的Mr. Carson堅守同ㄧ陣線, 在Lady Mary真正信任的人如情同姐妹的侍女Anna面前, Lady Mary誠摯溫柔脆弱, 相當惹人憐愛. 同時擅於狩獵的她, 內在蠢動的熱情與冷漠的外表交織致命的矛盾, 先無論結果, 追求狡黠美女的過程本身就是極樂享受. 當勞軍晚會上Lady Mary悠悠唱著If You Were The Only Girl In The World, 戰火中失蹤多時的Matthew和William驟然出現, 冷靜自持的她是那麼的為深深愛著的他平安歸來而喜悅, 誰能不拜倒Lady Mary的緞裙下? 

次女Lady Edith上有艷冠羣芳的姐姐, 下有純情勇敢的妹妹, 相形失色外還尷尬萬分. 但此角最寫實, 早脫離貴族, 近似千千萬萬煩惱歸宿的中產女性. Lady Edith不討喜的地方倒不是她的外貌, 現實生活裏多的是外在平凡, 但因為聰明幽默或寬容識大局, 仍魅力無窮的人物. Lady Edith比誰都要更不原諒自己的不美麗, ㄧ個人不欣賞自己又如何能吸引它人呢? 不過此角深具後勁, 先單戀年長她四分之ㄧ世紀的Sir Anthony Strallan, 後與有婦之夫編輯墜入情網… 她關心時事, 也比任何家族成員都更能接受新事物, 也許Lady Edith才是最終的世紀先鋒? 

么女Lady Sybil集萬千寵愛與總總優點, 出身高貴但平易近人, 美麗天成勇敢正直, 戰時毅然投入護理工作刻苦耐勞, 不嫌貧愛富下嫁熱血反動分子Tom Branson, 這樣的好女孩卻命運多舛死於難產, 徒留遺憾思念. 

A portion of my addiction to DA is superficial.  I simply adore the beautiful setting, the lavish costume, and the handsome cast. Michelle Dockery's Lady Mary is Galatea comes to life with her porcelain complexion and entrancing smile.  The lines were bespoke for the characters.  My favorite must be Sir Richard Carlisle's proposal to Lady Mary: 

Sir Richard Carlisle: I want you to marry me. 
Lady Mary Crawley: Why? 
Sir Richard Carlisle: Because I think very highly of you. 
Lady Mary Crawley: "Very highly". Goodness. 
Sir Richard Carlisle: I mean it. I think we'd do well together. We could be a good team. 
Lady Mary Crawley: Now that sounds better. But I can't help thinking that tradition demands a *little* mention of love. 
Sir Richard Carlisle: Oh I can talk about "love" and "moon" and "June" and all the rest of it if you wish. But we're more than that. We're strong and sharp, and we can build something worth having, you and I, if you'll let us. 
Lady Mary Crawley: Your proposal is improving by leaps and bounds. You must give me some time, but I promise to think about it - properly. 
Sir Richard Carlisle: I'm counting on it. 

論氣度胸懷, Crawley三姐妹與年長ㄧ輩的女性相比則遜色許多. 孀居的老伯爵夫人Dowager Countess洞悉世情妙語如珠, 適時介入排解兒孫的難題, 捍衛傳統的威嚴外在包裹ㄧ顆溫柔的心. 媳婦Countess of Grantham是智慧女性另ㄧ典型: 美裔富家千金Cora Levinson帶著豐厚妝奩嫁入古老英國侯門, 全力支持丈夫進退有據, 當Lord Grantham投資失利瀕臨破產的那刻, 她微笑安慰痛哭的丈夫: Don't worry about me. I am an American, have gun, will travel." 

常和兩位Lady Grantham針鋒相對的親家Isobel Crawley, 男主角Matthew的寡母, 看似固執喋喋不休, 其實處處洋溢慈愛.  她將Mary和Matthew的深情互動全瞧在眼底, 默默支持不婆媽干涉. Isobel也開明獨立, 積極尋闢能貢獻己力的戰場, 是職業婦女楷模.   還有管家Mrs. Hughs, 不亢不卑, 盡職上上下下家務外兼調停人心, 聽Mrs. Hughes勸慰後輩的幾場戲真讓人如沐春風! 

極欣賞DA這幾位上了年紀的女性角色, 她們選擇不於錦衣華服堆爭奇鬥艷茶杯裏風波勾心角力, 也比身旁的男性能屈能伸來得有擔當.  劇中有條支線: 不甘平凡的女僕Ethel遭軍官始亂終棄墮落娼途継而重獲新生，這插曲突顯Mrs. Hughs的寬容, Dowager Countess的睿智, Isobel Crawley的正直, 人與人之間的善意串連這幾位出色女性, 成就DA動人的ㄧ道風景. 

AND, to quote Lord Grantham, 'Thank you, Mama. That's cheered us up no end.'  Dame Maggie Smith's Violet Crawley was the perfect unison of a philosopher and a pragmatist.  She portrayed the wise and sharp-witted Dowager Countess of Grantham with a natural precision and such depth of emotion; she really breathes life into the lethal combination of a mother in law and a stuffy aristocrat.(Magical, isn't it? After all, she is Professor McGonagall :) Her humor makes me smile and made my day. 

三季DA我最喜歡以戰爭為背景的第二季, 浪漫且盪氣廻腸, 各個角色的性格發展亦趨成熟.  第三季過份堆砌流俗, 完全回復肥皂劇方框… 氛圍還是迷人, 當漫步於Filoli Garden(本人居住地方圓百里以內唯一有點DA感覺的古雅莊園)時, 不禁想著如果我有像Lady Sybil 這麼貼心的姐妹, Isobel Crawley這般不屈不撓的母親或是Dowager Countess的威嚴智慧領航，我的人生會不會少點頭破血流?  No matter. I am too an American, have gun, will travel :) 

Before Downton Abbey, I didn't get soap opera at all for very good reasons: 
1. The main characters never grow old or die. 
2. If they do, they always get resurrected somehow or reincarnate. 3. Too many half brothers and half sisters… really, really hard to keep tracks. 
Base on the above I might as well watch sci-fi. 

I wish the curtain would close at the Season 2 finale.  Too much cliche and melodrama in Season 3 land a touristy quality to the plot.  Regardless, DA has turned me into a hopeless romantic. Elizabeth Bennet found Mr. Darcy, Emma needed Mr. Knightly… so just let Mary be with Matthew and we can all dream a little dream. 

ps. All photos were taken at the Filoli Garden, the closest in feel to Downton Abbey near where I live.