Bel Scully

Quite a good film illustrating the true story of an independently wealthy woman in 19th Century England, who marries a poor yet titled, impotent lord, high up in Tory Party politics. He’s basically a pervert who gets his jollies peeping through a keyhole at his wife being sexually despoiled by various acquaintances of his, to whom he basically pimps her out. After years of abuse, she runs away with 1 of them when she falls pregnant. A wife in those days was classified as property & a husband could do what he wanted with ‘his’ property. So the husband brings a Case against the lover & demands $20k for his loss, while keeping all his wife’s substantial estate. The climax sees the matter unfold in a Court room where the heroin throws her reputation on the fires of justice, allowing her torrid tale to be told. Some 27 gents admit to having known her carnally at the behest of her husband, for free. Thus proving that he himself had completely devalued his wife. The lover/defendant was made to pay 1 shilling to the shameful man, in mockery of his civil claim. All seems good but no, the damage has been done & the lover is no longer enamoured. Unfortunately by declaring all in his defence, the Scandalous Lady W has shown herself to be a whore to his mind & he cannot get past all the men who penetrated her. Never mind that her husband forced her to endure sex with them all. She loses everything, is forbidden divorce, never gets to see her child again, nor does she regain possession of her home & wealth. The horrid husband keeps the lot, all be it with a little ‘egg on his face’ but not enough to even ruin his Political career. A solid 6.5 out of 10. Natalie Dormer is Great in the Lead!