Belle (2013 film)

Belle is a 2013 British period drama film directed by Amma Asante, written by Misan Sagay, and produced by Damian Jones. It stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Tom Wilkinson, Sam Reid, Miranda Richardson, Penelope Wilton, Emily Watson, and Matthew Goode.

The film is inspired by the 1779 painting of Dido Elizabeth Belle and her cousin Lady Elizabeth Murray at Kenwood House. It fictionalizes Dido Elizabeth Belle's life, an illegitimate mixed-race daughter of a Royal Navy Admiral, who was raised by her aristocratic great-uncle Lord Mansfield and his wife. Lord Mansfield, as Lord Chief Justice, had to rule on the landmark Zong case regarding the legality of throwing slaves overboard from a slave ship.

The film explores themes of race, class, gender, and social justice in 18th-century England. It delves into the complexities of Dido's position in society, as she is both privileged due to her upbringing and ostracized due to her race. The narrative follows Dido's search for love and acceptance, and her growing awareness of the injustices of slavery. The Zong case provides a backdrop for the film, raising questions about morality, justice, and the value of human life. Belle's influence on Lord Mansfield, and his eventual ruling in the Zong case, is a key element of the plot.