Directed by Susanna Nicchiarelli with a luminous performance by Romola Garai(Emma)this is an opulently shot film( cinematographer Crystel Fournier) that follows the life of Eleanor Marx, Karl Marx’s youngest daughter, known as‘ Tussy ‘ to her family. It is set in London but filmed in Italy.

The film begins after Karl Marx’s death (we see Eleanor giving an eloquent eulogy to her late parents) and we are given glimpses of her relationship with her father in flashback .The attention to detail ,in costumes , sets and atmosphere (there’s lots of gloomy candlelight and grey fog,and sumptuous living rooms, contrasted with poverty , factory gates and strikes) is superb.

We see how Eleanor battles the patronizing patriarchy and is one of the trail blazing women championing socialism and feminism as she campaigns for women’s rights and education , the abolition of child labour and participates in the worker’s battles for better conditions and pay.

The film also details the reality of life in the Victorian era , with Nicchiarelli jumping between Eleanor’s passionate activism ( instilled in her by her father) , life with her friends such as Friedrich Engels (John Gordon Sinclair, Nico 1988) and her at times fraught but loving relationship with playwright Edward Aveling (Patrick Kennedy, The Queen’s Gambit) who becomes her de facto husband . There is a concise conversation about the poet Shelley and socialism , before we see them journey to America – defined by a rapid archive of black and white film footage – where they learn about the exploitation of even the cowboys , and the grinding poverty and oppression of others.

There is a neat twist in the film regarding Eleanor’s and Aveling’s relationship – a scene where Eleanor confronts him about how he oppresses her, just as her father did – but it is then revealed that they are performing a scene from Ibsen’s A Doll’s House (which Eleanor translated, as she did Flaubert’s Madame Bovary – both of which were regarded as scandalous at the time).The scene also reflects the difficulties and awkwardness of their relationship at times .Eleanor becomes destroyed by Aveling ‘s financial chaos ,unfaithfulness and psychological abuse ,their trial and tribulations becoming the bulk of the film. Encapsulating the era we see the contrast between her domination by the dominant patriarchy and her feminist campaigning.

We also briefly see the distinguished South African author and suffragette Olive Schreiner (played by Karina Fernandez).Schreiner wrote the the introduction to Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman and we see her , Eleanor and Aveling treat themselves to opium and times of artistic discussion. Olive warns Eleanor about Aveling but her advice is ignored.

What drove this reviewer to distraction though was the use of punk music – why? When it is so anachronistic? Yes it echoes Eleanor’s rebellion in a way , but for this reviewer it almost derailed the film .

We see Eleanor’s fragility and heartache and how it eventually led to her suicide.A fascinating biopic with a terrific performance by Garai and the rest of the cast but it just misses the mark.

https://britishfilmfestival.com.au/films/miss-marx
Sydney screenings 10-17 November various dates and cinemas
Running time 107 minutes