Well it’s another wet weekend so I went off to the DVD store again. I had wanted to see The Queen when it was in cinema release, but time got away, so today was the perfect opportunity. It was fantastic and Helen Mirren provide to be a very worthy Oscar recipient.
I, like most young women, was deeply shocked and saddened by the death of Diana Princess of Wales. Maybe it was the fact that she was so young, had two young boys and worked tirelessly for charity but I, like most people, watched in disbelief as the Palace and the Establishment were silent for days after the death of this “People’s Princess”. How wonderful then to see the movie and see “inside” the Palace and come to understand why the Queen’s upbringing and background had ill prepared her for such an outpouring of sentiment towards a person who had been the source of many years of frustration and embarrassment to her.
The Queen goes behind the scenes of Balmoral Castle and shows the interaction between Elizabeth II and the newly elected Prime Minister Tony Blair following the death of Diana. To the Queen it is seen as a private matter whilst Blair presents the case to modernise the monarchy strict protocol based reaction in the wake of demand for a public display of mourning.
To see the transformation of the character throughout the course of the week’s events led me to understand why perhaps it is, that Elisabeth II is one of the most loved monarchs in history and probably while in her lifetime, Australia will not become a republic. Charles was also given a very sympathetic treatment in this film and I wonder how close to the real world this film really gets. Even though you know the ending, there is enough to sustain your interest and the real life footage intertwined with the actors is very well done. I liked this film a lot.
The Queen
Director: Stephen Frears
Writer: Peter Morgan
Released: September 2006
Rating: 4 stars
