Florence Nightingale

Florence Nightingale has long been a revered figure in Britain, so much so that she has even been officially canonised by the Church of England, so it is not surprising that a number of films have been made about her life, the most famous of which is probably "The Lady with the Lamp" with Anna Neagle from 1951. (I must admit that I have never seen any of them). Nightingale had many achievements to her credit; she was the founder of modern nursing, a celebrated social reformer and also a gifted mathematician and statistician, being regarded as a pioneer of statistics as an intellectual discipline. Her prominence in the public's imagination, however, largely rests upon her role as a nurse during the Crimean War. Most of the films I refer to earlier were made in the early twentieth century; the first dates from as long ago as 1912, only two years after her death. This television drama from 1985 is the only film about her in recent decades and, as one might expect, deals with her early years, up to and including her Crimean War experiences.

When I recently reviewed "Grace Kelly", another eighties made-for- television biopic starring a former Charlie's Angel, in that case Cheryl Ladd, it struck me as an object lesson in how not to make a filmed biography, being quite devoid of any insight into what sort of person Kelly was or of any dramatic tension. Its only aim seemed to be to convey factual information; I could just as well have been watching a dramatisation of an encyclopedia entry. The lack of any physical resemblance between Ladd and the woman she was playing didn't really help matters.

Certainly, Jaclyn Smith probably looks even less like Florence Nightingale than Ladd does like Grace Kelly, but that does not matter quite so much. Kelly was one of the iconic beauties of her generation, whereas Nightingale, although described by contemporaries as attractive in her youth, became famous for matters quite unconnected with her looks, and this film avoids most of those defects which so marred "Grace Kelly". A biopic needs to do more than simply narrate the facts; it also needs a narrative structure akin to that of a purely fictitious drama, and this can often be supplied by dramatising some conflict or struggle in the life of its subject. The story as told here is that of a strong woman who has to struggle against obstacles, both external social ones and internal psychological ones, in order to achieve her destiny. Nightingale's internal conflict is the one between her love for the poet and statesman Richard Monckton Milnes and her religiously-inspired sense of vocation as a nurse. In reality, Nightingale rejected Milnes after a nine year courtship, convinced that marriage would interfere with her ability to follow her calling, whereas in the film it is he who rejects her, a change probably made in order to soften her character.

Nightingale's external conflicts are twofold. She initially experiences resistance from her family to the idea of her becoming a nurse- in the early nineteenth century nursing was not regarded as a fit profession for a young lady of quality- but this is soon overcome after she wins over her kindly, liberal father William. She faces more serious opposition to her plans to form a female nursing corps to nurse soldiers in the Crimean War. The British military establishment, including the Army Medical Corps, was particularly resistant to change- wounded soldiers had never previously been attended by female nurses- and tended to regard sick and wounded "other ranks" as expendable, even if their wounds had been incurred while performing some heroic action. Even here, however, Nightingale eventually succeeds in her goals, aided by allies such as the politician Sidney Herbert and the journalist William Russell, and by the fact that even the Army top brass cannot close its eyes to the dramatic reduction in the death rate achieved by her methods.

Jaclyn Smith was easily the most beautiful of the various "Angels", with Tanya Roberts her only serious rival in that department. (I realise that will be a controversial statement, but then I am one of the few heterosexual males of my generation not to have had a schoolboy crush on the artificial-looking Farrah Fawcett-Majors). Jaclyn also struck me as having a lot more talent than some of the other Angels, so I am always surprised that she never went on to become a major movie star, although she has remained a well-known figure on television. She acquits herself well here, showing that there was a lot more to her than just a bikini- clad beauty and that she was also capable of taking on leading roles in serious drama. The best of the supporting cast are probably Jeremy Brett as William and future James Bond star Timothy Dalton as Milnes. "Florence Nightingale" is informative, but also dramatically satisfying, the sort of biopic that works both as biography and as drama. It can serve as an object lesson in how to make a successful filmed biography. 7/10

Whilst I found the film interesting it is a pity that Jaclyn Smith did not take the trouble to perfect her English accent as very often her pronunciation of vowels was American rather than English. Especially for somebody like Florence Nightingale who would have had a very English accent! Movie makers spend so much money on these productions and very often ignore details like this which are very important. Meryl Streep is the only American actress who can perfect any accent according to the role she is playing.

Although I might not have thought of former Charley's Angel Jaclyn Smith as my choice for Florence Nightingale, Smith does a nice job in the role. She joins Kay Francis and Anna Neagle who had gone before her playing The Lady with a lamp.

Florence Nightingale quite early on was determined that she would not lead the life of a Jane Austen type Victorian woman. Learn needlepoint and wait for a good match for a husband. And make the best of it if the match ain't so good.

She wanted a life of service and she went to Germany to learn nursing. She went to work in the Crimean War resisted by the military establishment, partly because it was foreign ideas she was espousing and mostly because she was a woman.

Nevertheless she persisted and her ideas on hospital care and nursing care are so standard today they seem obvious. Still a battle had to be fought and won.

In the male cast members to Timothys stand out. Timothy Dalton plays her fiance Richard Milnes whom she painfully rejects for her nursing mission. The other is Timothy West playing William Russell of the London Times whose reporting from the Crimea made her a national heroine. His is a life that a movie could be made from.

Jaclyn Smith joins Kay Francis and Anna Neagle in portraying Florence Nightingale beautifully and well.

This is one of those films that you remember, as it makes a great impression on any viewer. The story of one of the greatest women in History, who left her mark on the world, this film stays with you. Jaclyn Smith shows that she's more than one of Charlie's Angels, she is one very talented actress. She makes the story of Florence Nightingale really work. This is a story of sacrifice, humanity, tenacious drive and humility. A great supporting cast: Claire Bloom as Fanny Nightingale and Jeremy Brett as William Nightingale, Timothy Dalton as Robert Milne, the love of her life, Brian Cox and Stephen Chase as doctors who become Florence's allies in battling the stubborn British military. We've all heard the name of Florence Nightingale, but few know just what a great woman she truly was. I love biopics simply because they make me hunger to know more about their subjects. This is a perfect example. I must give kudos to director Daryl Duke and writers Rose Goldemberg and Ivan Moffat for a brilliantly made TVM.

Jaclyn Smith gives an excellent portrayal of Florence Nightingale, the proper English lady who left her prim, aristocratic lifestyle to provide care and treatment of injured soldiers in the poorest conditions. Although this is a movie based on the life of The Lady of the Lamp, Ms. Smith brings to life the history of nursing and the birth of sterilization and sanitation. This is a most enlightening movie which is entertaining as well. I highly recommend the movie.