Overview
Carrington is a 1995 British biographical film written and directed by Christopher Hampton about the life of the English painter Dora Carrington (1893–1932), who was known simply as "Carrington". The screenplay is based on Lytton Strachey: A Critical Biography, the 1967-68 two-volume biography of writer and critic Lytton Strachey (1880–1932) by Michael Holroyd.
Plot
The film, starring Emma Thompson in the title role, focuses on her unusual relationship with the author Lytton Strachey, played by Jonathan Pryce, as well as with other members of the Bloomsbury Group.
The film is divided into 6 chapters.
Lytton & Carrington 1915: During the Great War, Lytton Strachey is travelling to the country and staying at Vanessa Bell's house. There he meets Carrington for the first time, initially assuming she is a boy and not hiding his disappointment when disabused. Lytton is due to face a hearing with the military to decide his fate as a conscientious objector. While taking a countryside hike, Carrington shares with Lytton a similar disappointment at not being a boy. Lytton forces an awkward kiss onto Carrington, infuriating her. Early the next morning, Carrington walks into his bedroom intending to cut his beard off in retaliation for the kiss, but stops in contemplation of him sleeping and falls in love with him. Lytton avoids war and prison on medical grounds.
Gertler 1916–1918: Mark Gertler has been attempting to have sex with Carrington for four years, with a great number of their shared circle conspiring to pressure Carrington to acquiesce. Lytton is ostensibly part of these machinations but the two end up falling deeper into their own relationship. While on a trip to Wales, Lytton proposes that he and Carrington live together: acting on this, Carrington searches for a house and finds and refurbishes Mill House in Tidmarsh. She and Lytton have sex and soon after Carrington unpleasantly gives into Gertler's demand for penetration. When Gertler later finds out that Carrington and Lytton are moving in together, he assaults Lytton.
Partridge 1918–1921: Carrington meets Ralph Partridge, who has come back from the war. Her relationship with Lytton has taken on a sadomasochistic cast, and she introduces Ralph in the hopes that Lytton will be attracted to him.
From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).