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Girl with a pearl earring - Scarlett Johansson, Colin Firth, Tom Wilkinson, Peter Webber
Threat advisory: Elevated - Significant risk of entertaining activities
Movie propaganda
Beauty inspires obsession.
The story of Griet (Scarlett Johansson), a 16-year-old Dutch girl who becomes a maid in the house of the painter Johannes Vermeer (Colin Firth). Her calm and perceptive manner not only helps her in her household duties but also attracts the painter's attention. Though different in upbringing, education and social standing, they have a similar way of looking at things. Vermeer slowly draws her into the world of his paintings - the still, luminous images of solitary women in domestic settings.
Theatrical propaganda posters

Target demographic movie keyword propaganda
- Film biography Holland Dutch paint Johannes Vermeer painting maid
Persons of interest
- Scarlett Johansson .... Griet
- Colin Firth .... Johannes Vermeer
- Tom Wilkinson .... Van Ruijven
- Judy Parfitt .... Maria Thins
- Cillian Murphy .... Pieter
- Essie Davis .... Catharina
- Joanna Scanlan .... Tanneke
- Alakina Mann .... Cornelia
- David Morrissey .... Van Leeuwenhoek
- Anaïs Nepper .... Lisbeth
- Nathan Nepper .... Baby Johannes
- Chris McHallem .... Griet's Father
- Gabrielle Reidy .... Griet's Mother
- Tracy Chevalier .... Author
- Olivia Hetreed .... Screenwriter
- Peter Webber .... Director
Cinematic intelligence sources
- Girl with a pearl earring official movie site
- Girl with a pearl earring QuickTime movie trailers
- Awards and film festivals:
- Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS - Oscars) 2004: Nominated: Oscar Best Achievement in Art Direction (Ben van Os - art director, Cecile Heideman - set decorator), Best Achievement in Cinematography (Eduardo Serra), Best Achievement in Costume Design (Dien van Straalen)
- Art Directors Guild 2004: Nominated: Excellence in Production Design Award Feature Film - Period or Fantasy Film (Ben van Os)
- British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) 2004: Nominated: Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film (Andy Paterson, Anand Tucker, Peter Webber), Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music (Alexandre Desplat), Best Cinematography (Eduardo Serra), Best Costume Design (Dien van Straalen), Best Make Up/Hair (Jenny Shircore), Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Scarlett Johansson), Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Judy Parfitt), Best Production Design (Ben van Os), Best Adapted Screenplay (Olivia Hetreed), Carl Foreman Award for the Most Promising Newcomer (Peter Webber)
- Camerimage International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography 2003: Won: Bronze Frog (Eduardo Serra); Nominated: Golden Frog (Eduardo Serra)
- Dinard British Film Festival (Festival du Film Britannique de Dinard) 2003: Won: Audience Award (Peter Webber), Golden Hitchcock (Peter Webber)
- Directors Guild of Great Britain 2004: Nominated: Outstanding Directorial Achievement in British Film (Peter Webber)
- Hollywood Foreign Press Association (Golden Globes) 2004: Nominated: Golden Globe Best Original Score - Motion Picture (Alexandre Desplat), Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama (Scarlett Johansson)
- International Press Academy Satellite Awards 2004: Nominated: Best Cinematography (Eduardo Serra)
- Los Angeles Film Critics Association 2004: Won: Best Cinematography (Eduardo Serra)
- Online Film Critics Society 2004: Nominated: Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography (Eduardo Serra), Best Costume Design
- San Diego Film Critics Society 2003: Won: Best Cinematography (Eduardo Serra)
- San Sebastián International Film Festival 2003: Won: Best Cinematography (Eduardo Serra), CICAE Award (Peter Webber); Nominated: Golden Seashell (Peter Webber)
- See also Copying Beethoven
- Studios and distributors:
Intelligence analyst
Special Agent Matti
Theatrical report
Girl with a pearl earring is a movie about a painter who paints picture of a girl. If you are interested in the times of Vermeer then it's a good look at life in the 17th century. No indoor plumbing, rigid class structures, effluent in the street... How accurate a portrait of Johannes Vermeer is it? Well, no-one knows a lot about him so there's a lot of artistic license being used here. Like Shakespeare in love, Girl with a pearl earring paints a good picture of the times though not the historical figures.
Security censorship classification
PG (Adult themes, sexual references)
Surveillance time
100 minutes (1:40 hours)
Not for public release in Australia before date
Film: 11 March 2004
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