Lifetime "Evil White Man" Schlock in Big Budget Merchant Ivory Trappings

Rating: 3/10 (28 October 2012)

As others note, there was lots of real history going on during this period, yet we are privy to none of it in this movie. We are instead served an endless buffet of "rehashed victimology theme #853" the female audience seems to endlessly crave even after 30-40 years of the same old schlock.
The Duke has no redeeming qualities whatsoever, and the movie is merely a litany of his oppression of the protagonist. If these "Burning Bed" type movies ever contained more than a Star Wars level of black hat white hat moral ambivalence, discerning viewers would take them more seriously. As it is, they are to be either collectively laughed or yawned at other than in Jr. College Women's Studies departments throughout the land, where I imagine this movie gets lots of play.
If you were hoping to learn about a female historical figure, her place in history and accomplishments, this isn't it, just a very stale soapy theme in pretty wrappings. Ladies, will you please tire of this dreck? It's been 40 years of it, how much more do we have to endure?