To Walk Invisible: The Brontë Sisters

The most significant period (1845-48) in the lives of 19th-century British authors Anne, Charlotte, and Emily Brontë—when they were driven by both financial need and creative impulses to publish their first novels under assumed names—is brilliantly dramatized by writer-director Sally Wainwright in this gritty BBC telefilm, which was broadcast stateside on PBS's Masterpiece series. While To Walk Invisible does portray the sisters—along with their doomed brother Branwell—as youngsters who used their imaginations to create elaborate fantasy worlds, the central focus is on how as adults they reacted to Branwell's sad decline into alcoholism and its impact on their cleric father, turning to writing as a means of sustaining the family, and perhaps saving their brother from himself. The combination here of expert writing and powerful acting superbly captures the differences between the women—the stern aggression of Emily (Chloe Pirrie), the simmering pugnacity of Charlotte (Finn Atkins), and the delicate reticence of Anne (Charlie Murphy)—while also portraying Branwell (Adam Nagaitis) and their father Patrick (Jonathan Pryce) with a touching degree of sympathy, given the obvious flaws of both men. In addition to the drama surrounding Branwell's troubles, the narrative explores the almost comical difficulties that the sisters confronted in trying to protect their “intellectual property” interests while also preserving their anonymity after their novels became wildly popular. The film ends with brief written captions covering their later lives (which, in the case of Emily and Anne, amounted to only a few months, and not much longer for Charlotte). Featuring striking Yorkshire locations, convincing performances, and great attention to detail, this is an outstanding drama that is unlike most romanticized biographical movies about authors—and is all the better for it. Extras include the behind-the-scenes featurette “An Authentic Look” and the historical segment “The Brontë Story.” Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (F. Swietek)