On the surface, Terence Davies shouldn't have been sympathetic towards the protagonist in Edith Wharton's novel. An ardent socialist whose films have mostly focused on working-class drifters, the Liverpudlian filmmaker is seemingly at odds with The House of Mirth's luxury-loving socialite, Lily Bart (Gillian Anderson, right). It's when one looks at the story's broader context that Davies' decision to adapt The House of Mirth makes sense. As someone who refuses to conform to the norms of New York's upper crust in the early 20th century, Bart's persecution at the hands of her jealous rivals parallels the bullied outsiders in Davies' earlier, autobiographical work. The film is unapologetically gloomy. What makes it glow is the poetic imagery that accompanies Bart's mental decline. Mirthful it is not, but masterful it surely is. Nov 19, 9.30pm, Nov 21, 2.30pm, HK Arts Centre.
