After a career as a supporting actor and, at the same time, writing best-sellers, he became the essential screenwriter of the British aristocracy, revealed and Oscar-winning thanks to
Gosford Park
, by Robert Altman, then worldwide acclaimed for his painting of the
upper class
and his backstage in
Downton Abbey
.
Two years after a first film extending the series, Julian Fellowes reconnects (1) again with the Crawleys and their servants: while the Downton Abbey estate is hosting a film shoot in this new adventure, part of the family travels to France on the trail of the dowager Lady Violet's love past.
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The verb is delectable, the artistic direction majestic, the renewal assured, and Maggie Smith, earthy, remains incomparable.
But if the screenwriter is obviously enjoying his cult characters, it is out of the question for him to rest on his laurels: on the strength of the success of season 1, he is working on the sequel to
The Gilded Age
(2)
,
an equally fascinating series on New York high society of the 1880s.
In video,
Downton Abbey 2: a new era
, the trailer
Madame Figaro.–
How did the idea for this film shoot come to life at Downton Abbey?
Julian Fellowes.–
It all started with the pivotal year in which our story takes place: 1928. Our producer's grandfather was then an assistant on the set of
Blackmail
, by Alfred Hitchcock.
Aware of the revolution underway, the production of the film, originally silent, had decided to pass it by talking.
An ideal starting point for our story.
Bringing cinema to Downton also means confronting two environments, two eras?
The aristocracy has long managed to live according to the codes of the 19th century, well beyond the end of this era.
But, little by little, money and power began to run out, benefiting new powerful people.
The film industry allowed me to explore the values and rules of this new era that was taking hold in British society in the 1930s and to which high society had to adapt in order to survive.
This is what the heroes of
Downton Abbey experience,
forced to host this filming to afford a new roof.
Part of the plot takes place in France. Why such a choice ?
I quite simply have a soft spot for the south of France, where I had a great time.
The history of France has also always interested me a lot, especially the period from Louis XIV to the end of the Second Empire.
For any historian, traveling in your country is so stimulating: everything is still there!
It also amused me to take my characters out of their comfort zone, through this journey or filming that invades their space.
I've always enjoyed writing about times of change, about the challenge that younger generations face to impose a different vision than what their parents take for granted.
Full screen
On the set of
Downton Abbey 2.
Ben Blackall / 2021 Focus Features, LLC
Some issues are still relevant...
It is essential that my stories have a contemporary echo, but the link must never seem artificial: it is the reality of the time that takes precedence, as when I evoke homosexuality at Downton.
I do not know the percentage of homosexuals in the 1920s, but there is no reason to believe that it was less.
The only difference is the way we managed it: we got married to hide this “unmentionable” truth.
The "hardened bachelor" card was not a sufficient parade.
For
The Gilded Age,
I discovered thanks to the book
Black Gotham
, by Carla Peterson, that there was an African-American bourgeoisie in New York in the second half of the 19th century.
A revelation, because this part of the story allowed me to address current issues of inclusion by anchoring my story in an American reality, very different from what was happening in England.
It was essential because I didn't want to repeat myself after
Downton Abbey.
Your female characters are powerful, often in leadership positions. A militant choice?
There have been smart, ambitious women all along.
I didn't invent anything.
All Western worldly societies have been led by women of influence and power but, for some of them, limiting oneself to this sphere was not enough.
To describe Bertha Russell in
The Gilded Age,
I was also inspired by Alva Vanderbilt: after taking control of New York society – formerly dominated by Mrs Astor – she launched herself into politics, actively campaigning for women's right to vote.
I admire this type of career: she didn't have to break all the rules or live on the fringes to earn her place.
She took it sailing very skillfully.
Will there be a sequel to
Downton Abbey?
This film could be a nice conclusion, however it would also be quite interesting to see how Mary manages the estate and how delicate this function can be vis-à-vis her second husband... And then, selfishly, when you have such good actors, your writing looks better than it is, so a sequel would suit me just fine!
(1)
Downton Abbey 2: a new era,
by Simon Curtis, with Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery, Dominic West…
(2)
The Gilded Age,
season 1, on OCS.
