By Chris Evangelista/Dec. 13, 2017 10:30 am EST
Based on the novel of the same name by Hannah Kent, Burial Rites focuses on the true story of Agnes Magnúsdóttir, who was the last woman to be publicly executed in Iceland in the 1800s (which I guess is kind of a spoiler for the film? But not really since this is a true story?). Here’s the official synopsis for the book:
Horrified at the prospect of housing a convicted murderer, the family at first avoids Agnes. Only Tóti, a priest Agnes has mysteriously chosen to be her spiritual guardian, seeks to understand her. But as Agnes’s death looms, the farmer’s wife and their daughters learn there is another side to the sensational story they’ve heard.
Set against Iceland’s stark landscape, Hannah Kent brings to vivid life the story of Agnes, who, charged with the brutal murder of her former master, is sent to an isolated farm to await execution.
In 1828, Agnes Magnúsdóttir and a man named Friðrik Sigurðsson were charged with the murder of two other men. Magnúsdóttir and Sigurðsson were executed in 1830. In 1869, Iceland abolished the death penalty, making Agnes Magnúsdóttir the last woman executed in the country. Clearly this must be a bit of a passion project for Lawrence, since the film has been kicking around since 2013 and the actress has remained attached throughout. Interestingly enough, the story of Agnes Magnúsdóttir has been brought to the screen once before. In 1995, director Egill Eðvarðsson adapted the true tale into the Icelandic film Agnes. Don’t worry, I didn’t see it either.
