Vita & Virginia(2018)

Chanya Button's Vita & Virginia(2018)

 

This blog is part of thinking activity and a kind of movie review, It's assigned by Prakruti Bhatt Ma'am.

How do the letters function not only as a medium of communication between the two central characters but also as narrative tool within the film?

In Vita & Virginia (2018), the letters between Vita Sackville-West and Virginia Woolf do much more than just serve as a way for them to communicate—they shape the entire story, giving us a window into their emotions, creativity, and evolving relationship.

1. A Deeply Personal Connection – Since much of Vita and Virginia’s relationship unfolded through letters, the film uses them to capture their passion, longing, and intellectual connection. The way their words are spoken aloud, often in voiceovers, makes their emotions feel raw and immediate, even when they’re physically apart.

2. Revealing Their Inner Worlds – The letters give us direct access to their thoughts in a way that everyday conversation might not. Through them, we see Virginia’s struggles with mental health, Vita’s emotional conflicts, and how each woman processes love, desire, and creativity. It’s through these letters that we truly get to know them.

3. Blurring the Line Between Life and Literature – The way Virginia writes her letters often mirrors her literary style, especially the fluid, poetic voice that would later shape Orlando, the novel she based on Vita. The film lets us see how their real-life relationship directly influences Virginia’s artistic process.

4. Moving the Story Forward – Instead of relying just on traditional scenes of dialogue, the film uses letters to mark key moments in their relationship—from their first attraction to their deepening romance, moments of conflict, and, finally, a lasting bond that outlives their affair. The letters help the audience experience their journey in an intimate, personal way.

5. A Visually Poetic Experience – The film doesn’t just treat the letters as text—it brings them to life through stylized voiceovers, dreamlike visuals, and even superimposed words on screen. This makes the audience feel like they’re inside the minds of Vita and Virginia, experiencing their emotions as they write and read each other’s words.

Ultimately, the letters aren’t just a way for Vita and Virginia to communicate—they are the heartbeat of the film. They pull us into their world, allowing us to feel the intensity of their love, their struggles, and the way they shaped each other’s lives and art.

Discuss some of the views regarding marriage, relationship and the role of society presented by the various characters in the film.

In Vita & Virginia (2018), the characters express different perspectives on marriage, relationships, and societal expectations, particularly in the context of gender, sexuality, and personal freedom. The film explores these themes through the contrasting personalities of Vita Sackville-West and Virginia Woolf, as well as through their interactions with others in their social circles.

1. Vita Sackville-West – Marriage as a Social Contract and Personal Freedom

Vita, a member of the aristocracy, views marriage as both a practical arrangement and a constraint she must navigate. She is married to Harold Nicolson, and while they maintain a partnership based on mutual understanding, she desires the freedom to pursue romantic and sexual relationships outside of it. Vita’s approach to love is bold and unconventional—she challenges traditional monogamy and asserts her right to desire and be desired, particularly by women. Her belief in personal freedom often clashes with societal norms, yet she manages to balance her public image with her private desires, demonstrating how aristocratic privilege can sometimes offer more flexibility in breaking social rules.

2. Virginia Woolf – Love, Creativity, and the Fear of Confinement

Virginia, on the other hand, has a more complex relationship with love and marriage. Married to Leonard Woolf, she deeply values his support and companionship, but her emotional and intellectual world is not confined by their relationship. She views marriage with a mix of appreciation and skepticism—while Leonard provides stability, she resists being fully consumed by traditional roles. Her attraction to Vita awakens a new emotional and creative energy in her, but she is also cautious, aware of how deep emotional entanglements can disrupt her fragile mental state. For Virginia, relationships are less about physical passion and more about intellectual and emotional connection, yet she cannot escape the influence of societal expectations regarding propriety and morality.

3. Harold Nicolson – Pragmatic and Open-Minded Partnership

Harold, Vita’s husband, represents a more progressive view of marriage—one based on partnership rather than strict fidelity. He and Vita maintain an open marriage, allowing both to have relationships outside of their union, though within the boundaries of discretion. Harold's attitude reflects the idea that marriage can be more about companionship, status, and mutual understanding rather than romantic or sexual exclusivity. However, his tolerance has its limits, particularly when Vita's affair with Virginia threatens to become too public or emotionally destabilizing.

4. Leonard Woolf – Devoted but Traditional

Leonard Woolf is deeply devoted to Virginia, offering her unwavering support and care, especially regarding her mental health. However, his view of marriage is more traditional—he believes in emotional exclusivity and struggles with Virginia’s attraction to Vita. While he is progressive in many ways, supporting Virginia’s literary career and intellectual independence, he also fears losing control over the stability they have built. His character embodies the tension between deep love and the limitations imposed by societal norms and personal insecurities.

5. Society – Restrictive Yet Hypocritical

Beyond the main characters, the broader social world of the film reflects a society that is both rigid in its expectations and full of hidden contradictions. The Bloomsbury Group, to which Virginia belongs, challenges conventional morality, embracing intellectual and sexual freedom. However, even among progressive circles, there are limits to what is socially acceptable, particularly for women. Vita, as an aristocratic woman, enjoys more freedom than most, but she still faces consequences for breaking norms too visibly. Virginia, meanwhile, struggles with the constraints of a world that simultaneously idolizes and restricts her as a female writer.

Conclusion

The film presents marriage as a complex institution—sometimes a source of stability, sometimes a form of entrapment, and sometimes a flexible arrangement negotiated between individuals. Relationships, particularly between women, exist in tension with societal expectations, and while some characters attempt to redefine love on their own terms, they are never fully free from external pressures. Vita & Virginia ultimately explores how love, art, and social constraints shape human connections, highlighting the ways individuals navigate personal desires within the boundaries of their time.

In your opinion, is the film able to capture Woolf's depressive state with sincerity & genuity?

After watching Vita & Virginia (2018), I would argue that while the film attempts to capture Virginia Woolf’s depressive state with sincerity, it does not fully convey the depth and complexity of her mental struggles in a way that aligns with the nuances found in her writing and historical accounts.

1. The Film’s Sincere Attempt

The film portrays Woolf’s depression through a combination of visual techniques, such as dim lighting, blurred imagery, and moments of isolation, as well as through dialogue and voiceovers. It acknowledges her struggles with mental illness, particularly in moments where she experiences sensory overload, detachment, or creative turmoil. The presence of Leonard Woolf as a caretaker figure further reinforces the reality of her condition, as he is shown monitoring her well-being with concern.

2. Limited Psychological Depth

However, the film does not fully explore the psychological depth of Woolf’s depressive episodes as powerfully as her own writing does. In works like Mrs. Dalloway and The Waves, Woolf conveys the interiority of mental illness with striking lyricism and fragmentation, immersing readers in the stream of consciousness that reflects her emotional and cognitive instability. The film, while visually poetic, does not achieve the same level of immersion into her psyche. Instead, it presents her depression in a more externalized and at times romanticized way, reducing its emotional intensity.

3. Aestheticization vs. Realism

One of the film’s key stylistic choices is its dreamlike quality, which can both enhance and dilute the depiction of Woolf’s struggles. While the ethereal visuals align with her literary style, they also risk aestheticizing her mental illness rather than presenting its raw, painful reality. Woolf’s real-life experiences with depression and psychosis were deeply distressing, marked by auditory hallucinations, paranoia, and overwhelming despair—elements that the film only hints at rather than fully explores.

4. Relationship-Centric Narrative

Since the film primarily focuses on Woolf’s relationship with Vita Sackville-West, her mental state is often framed in relation to their affair rather than as an independent aspect of her life. While Vita’s presence undeniably influenced Woolf’s emotions and creativity, the film sometimes simplifies the complexities of her depression by linking it too directly to love and external relationships, rather than to her lifelong battle with mental illness.

Final Thoughts

From a literature student’s perspective, Vita & Virginia portrays Woolf’s depressive state with sincerity but does not fully achieve the psychological depth and authenticity that her own writing conveys. While the film succeeds in capturing moments of melancholy and creative turbulence, it stops short of immersing the audience in the profound, fragmented, and often overwhelming experience of Woolf’s mind. A more introspective, experimental approach—perhaps one that mirrors the stream-of-consciousness style she pioneered—might have been more effective in conveying the genuity of her condition.

Share your thoughts about the portrayal of the relationship between Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville West.

The portrayal of Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West’s relationship in Vita & Virginia (2018) is both passionate and poetic, but it also carries a certain level of restraint—just like their real-life romance. The film captures the essence of their connection, from the initial intrigue to the emotional depth that defined their bond, even after their romantic involvement faded.

Who Initiated the Relationship?

Vita is the one who actively pursues Virginia from the beginning. From their first encounter, it’s clear that Vita is drawn to Virginia’s brilliance and enigmatic presence. As a confident and worldly aristocrat, Vita is used to getting what she wants, and she enjoys the thrill of the chase. Virginia, on the other hand, is more reserved, both intrigued and wary of Vita’s advances. The film does a good job of showing this dynamic—Vita as the bold initiator and Virginia as the hesitant but ultimately captivated recipient of her attention.

Their First Meeting

Their first meeting in the film is charged with intellectual and emotional tension. Virginia is distant but observant, while Vita is flirtatious and self-assured. The dialogue and glances between them create an immediate contrast—Vita’s openness versus Virginia’s guarded nature. The film highlights their differences in personality, background, and approach to relationships, setting the stage for the complexity of their romance.

The Progression of Their Relationship

As their relationship deepens, Virginia slowly lets Vita into her world. The film captures moments of tenderness, longing, and the undeniable creative spark that Vita ignites in Virginia. Their letters, beautifully woven into the narrative, serve as love notes and emotional confessions, showing how their connection was as much intellectual as it was physical. The intensity of their affair is felt through their exchanges, but it is never overly dramatized—instead, it unfolds in a way that feels natural, intimate, and deeply personal.

Their Last Meeting

The film portrays the inevitable shift in their relationship with subtlety. Vita, always seeking adventure and new romances, begins to drift away, while Virginia, though deeply affected, channels her emotions into her writing. Their last interactions carry a sense of melancholy but also mutual respect. Unlike conventional love stories, theirs does not end in dramatic heartbreak; rather, it transforms. Vita remains an important figure in Virginia’s life, and her influence lingers in Orlando, the novel that immortalizes her.

Final Thoughts

The film presents their relationship as something more than just an affair—it is an artistic and emotional exchange that leaves a lasting mark on both women. Vita’s love and admiration awaken something in Virginia, fueling one of her most famous works. Meanwhile, Virginia offers Vita a depth of connection that she does not find elsewhere. Their romance is beautifully portrayed as something fleeting yet eternal, passionate yet restrained—just like the letters they wrote to each other, filled with longing, wit, and the echoes of love.