The Presidents in Movies: Jefferson in Paris
It was on this day, April 13, in 1743 on the Gregorian Calender (April 2nd on the Julian Calendar) that Thomas Jefferson was born at Shadwell, in the Colony of Virginia. Today is the 270th anniversary of his birth.
Jefferson is considered to be an American Founding Father. He was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence and of course the third President of the United States, holding the office for two terms from 1801 to 1809. At the beginning of the American Revolution, he served in the Continental Congress, representing Virginia and then served as a wartime Governor of Virginia from 1779 to 1781. Just after the war ended, from 1784 Jefferson served as a diplomat, stationed in Paris. In May 1785, he became the United States Minister to France.
Jefferson was the first United States Secretary of State holding the office from 1790 to 1793, serving under President George Washington. With his close friend James Madison he organized the Democratic-Republican Party, and subsequently resigned from Washington's cabinet. Elected Vice President in 1796, Jefferson opposed his former friend John Adams and with Madison secretly wrote the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, which attempted to nullify the Alien and Sedition Acts.
As President, Jefferson approved the purchase of the vast Louisiana Territory from France in 1803, and sent the Lewis and Clark Expedition to explore the new west in 1804. His second term had some domestic setbacks including the failed treason trial of his former Vice President Aaron Burr. With Britain challenging American neutrality and threatening shipping at sea, he tried economic warfare with his embargo laws which only damaged American trade. In 1803, President Jefferson initiated a process of Indian tribal removal and relocation to the Louisiana Territory west of the Mississippi River, in order to open lands for eventual American settlers.
Jefferson spoke five languages fluently and was deeply interested in science, invention, architecture, religion and philosophy, interests that led him to the founding of the University of Virginia after his presidency. He designed his own large mansion on a 5,000 acre plantation near Charlottesville, Virginia, which he named Monticello. Jefferson owned many slaves, but he professed to be opposed to the institution. Historians are in disagreement with how much Jefferson was committed to the anti-slavery cause. In 1807, President Jefferson signed into law a bill that banned the importation of slaves into the United States.
The 1995 theatrical release Jefferson in Paris starred Nick Nolte as Thomas Jefferson, Gwyneth Paltrow as Patsy Jefferson and Thandie Newton as Sally Hemings. It is is a semi-fictional account of Thomas Jefferson's tenure as the Ambassador of the United States to France prior to his Presidency, and his alleged relationships with artist Maria Cosway and slave Sally Hemings. The film was shot on location in Paris and Versailles.
In her review in the New York Times, Janet Maslin called the film "an extraordinary spectacle, the rare contemporary film that's both an entertainment and an education, despite some glaring misimpressions that are sure to spark heated debate. The biggest problem with [the film] is at the basic editing level, with such abrupt jumps between diverse scenes that the film's momentum remains choppy. Overshadowed by its own ambition and not-quite-ironic pageantry, Jefferson in Paris doesn't quite come to life. Casting Nick Nolte as a Founding Father may sound like this film's riskiest choice, but in fact it makes solid sense. Beyond having the right physical stature for the imposing, sandy-haired Jefferson, Mr. Nolte captures the man's vigor and his stiff sense of propriety. He may not adapt effortlessly to the role of an intellectual giant, but his performance is thoroughly creditable. The film makers fare less successfully with Maria Cosway. Ms. Scacchi, the film's big casting problem, makes her so bloodless and prettily artificial that the romance never seems real. There's much more spice in Ms. Newton's captivating performance as Sally Hemings, even if she gives this teen-age slave girl the unexpected fiddle-dee-dee flirtatiousness of a Scarlett O'Hara."
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times observed, "The film is lavishly produced and visually splendid, like all the Merchant-Ivory productions. But what is it about? Revolution? History? Slavery? Romance? No doubt a lot of research and speculation went into Jhabvala's screenplay, but I wish she had finally decided to jump one way or the other. The movie tells no clear story and has no clear ideas."
The film did poorly at the box office. The film was budgeted at $14 million. It grossed $2,473,668 in the US.
Following is an excerpt from the movie:
Jefferson is considered to be an American Founding Father. He was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence and of course the third President of the United States, holding the office for two terms from 1801 to 1809. At the beginning of the American Revolution, he served in the Continental Congress, representing Virginia and then served as a wartime Governor of Virginia from 1779 to 1781. Just after the war ended, from 1784 Jefferson served as a diplomat, stationed in Paris. In May 1785, he became the United States Minister to France.
Jefferson was the first United States Secretary of State holding the office from 1790 to 1793, serving under President George Washington. With his close friend James Madison he organized the Democratic-Republican Party, and subsequently resigned from Washington's cabinet. Elected Vice President in 1796, Jefferson opposed his former friend John Adams and with Madison secretly wrote the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, which attempted to nullify the Alien and Sedition Acts.
As President, Jefferson approved the purchase of the vast Louisiana Territory from France in 1803, and sent the Lewis and Clark Expedition to explore the new west in 1804. His second term had some domestic setbacks including the failed treason trial of his former Vice President Aaron Burr. With Britain challenging American neutrality and threatening shipping at sea, he tried economic warfare with his embargo laws which only damaged American trade. In 1803, President Jefferson initiated a process of Indian tribal removal and relocation to the Louisiana Territory west of the Mississippi River, in order to open lands for eventual American settlers.
Jefferson spoke five languages fluently and was deeply interested in science, invention, architecture, religion and philosophy, interests that led him to the founding of the University of Virginia after his presidency. He designed his own large mansion on a 5,000 acre plantation near Charlottesville, Virginia, which he named Monticello. Jefferson owned many slaves, but he professed to be opposed to the institution. Historians are in disagreement with how much Jefferson was committed to the anti-slavery cause. In 1807, President Jefferson signed into law a bill that banned the importation of slaves into the United States.
The 1995 theatrical release Jefferson in Paris starred Nick Nolte as Thomas Jefferson, Gwyneth Paltrow as Patsy Jefferson and Thandie Newton as Sally Hemings. It is is a semi-fictional account of Thomas Jefferson's tenure as the Ambassador of the United States to France prior to his Presidency, and his alleged relationships with artist Maria Cosway and slave Sally Hemings. The film was shot on location in Paris and Versailles.
In her review in the New York Times, Janet Maslin called the film "an extraordinary spectacle, the rare contemporary film that's both an entertainment and an education, despite some glaring misimpressions that are sure to spark heated debate. The biggest problem with [the film] is at the basic editing level, with such abrupt jumps between diverse scenes that the film's momentum remains choppy. Overshadowed by its own ambition and not-quite-ironic pageantry, Jefferson in Paris doesn't quite come to life. Casting Nick Nolte as a Founding Father may sound like this film's riskiest choice, but in fact it makes solid sense. Beyond having the right physical stature for the imposing, sandy-haired Jefferson, Mr. Nolte captures the man's vigor and his stiff sense of propriety. He may not adapt effortlessly to the role of an intellectual giant, but his performance is thoroughly creditable. The film makers fare less successfully with Maria Cosway. Ms. Scacchi, the film's big casting problem, makes her so bloodless and prettily artificial that the romance never seems real. There's much more spice in Ms. Newton's captivating performance as Sally Hemings, even if she gives this teen-age slave girl the unexpected fiddle-dee-dee flirtatiousness of a Scarlett O'Hara."
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times observed, "The film is lavishly produced and visually splendid, like all the Merchant-Ivory productions. But what is it about? Revolution? History? Slavery? Romance? No doubt a lot of research and speculation went into Jhabvala's screenplay, but I wish she had finally decided to jump one way or the other. The movie tells no clear story and has no clear ideas."
The film did poorly at the box office. The film was budgeted at $14 million. It grossed $2,473,668 in the US.
Following is an excerpt from the movie: