Brave Love is our 96 min Mock Epic movie, adapted from the writing of Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923). More at: Brave Love the movie
KM got a popularity boost at the time of World War 1 by mocking Germans in her early “German Pension” stories. "Brave Love", also an early story has a moment of German mocking. Meet Hans the long-suffering German waiter:
"Madame," said the German waiter appearing from nowhere with a thick bandage round his neck.
"What is the matter now?" said Mildred in a disgusted voice. "More boils again, Hans. Ugh! How dreadful you look."
"Ah, Madame, please to excuse," mumbled the German waiter.
"No I won't excuse you Hans. I'm sure it's because you don't wash."
She scolded him in a hard angry voice that Valerie and Mitka heard all the way up the stairs.
We have been seeing the adaptation of classic works to follow contemporary sensibilities. First it was Dr Suess, then Roald Dahl. Do we now do the unthinkable and censor Katherine Mansfield? Fortunately, Mansfield herself gives us some guidance from later in life. This from a 1920 letter to John Middleton Murry
Bogey I cannot have the German Pension republished under any circumstances. It is far too immature & I don’t even acknowledge it today; I mean I don’t ‘hold’ by it. I can’t go foisting that kind of stuff on the public – it’s not good enough … It’s positively juvenile and besides that it’s not what I mean: it’s a lie.
We think that a reason for republication was to cash in on the post war unpopularity of Germans. We also take for further guidance, evidence of Mansfield’s sympathy for the Germans in their treatment by the victorious allies.
A letter, Sunday, October 27, 1918 - To the Hon. Dorothy Brett ([edit] added October 24, 2023)
Really, in spite of all England shrieking and imploring everybody not to make Peace until they've had a rare kick at him and a rare nose-in-the-mud rubbing one does feel that Peace is in the Air.
"It is all about, my sister, Yet it is unborn”
A letter, Saturday, May 1, 1922 - to the Hon. Dorothy Brett
Manoukhin's partner here, a very exceptional Frenchman, started the subject yesterday, said, Why did not we English immediately join the French and take all vestige of power from Germany? This so disgusted me I turned to Manhoukhin and felt sure he would agree that it simply could not be done.
We needed to adapt Hans to fit in to a contemporary corporate workplace. We believe we are true to Mansfield’s later attitudes in removing the negative German moment and turning Hans around. Hans the mocked ugly waiter becomes Hans the honest company accountant mocked by his dodgy colleagues.
This article is an excerpt from "Brave Love” – A contemporary adaptation to film" by John Calder and Gerri Kimber, presented by Gerri Kimber at the Katherine Mansfield Society Conference, Pavillon de l’Erable, 70 Rue du Vieux Ru, Avon, Fontainebleau, France. Friday 13 Oct 2023
Read the complete version here.
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