History Vs Hollywood
An abridged biopic that trims very little from history
What’s the half-life of truth in Radioactive?
Director: Marjane Satrapi Starring: Rosamund Pike, Sam Riley, Anya Taylor-joy Country: France Released: 2020
01 A stereotypically romantic movie moment shows Marie bumping into future husband Pierre Curie in the street and starting up a conversation. They were actually introduced by Polish professor Józef Wierusz-kowalski, who thought Pierre could offer her lab space.
02 The relationship between Marie and Pierre seems to be quite accurately done. They loved bike rides, as depicted, and she did wear a navy dress to her wedding, possibly as she intended to go to the lab after. She always wore dark clothing as the work was messy.
03 There are several sequences involving spiritualism and Pierre’s interest in seances. If anything, Radioactive seems to downplay these elements. Marie was sceptical, but still the couple helped a medium, Eusapia Palladino, to use X-rays in her performances.
04 Marie was known to keep vials of radium on her person and desk all the time, so having her show them off regularly seems accurate. It’s unclear if she ever took a vial to have by her bed as in the movie, but it does reflect how obsessed she was by radioactivity.
05 Marie’s daughter Irène convinces her to deploy mobile X-ray units during WWI. Marie even offers her Nobel medals to help pay for them. She did offer her medals, but at the start of the war. Marie did indeed personally attend to the wounded with Irène.