The Queen Movie
Stuggles of the Royal Family after Diana's Death
The Queen movie takes us inside the bedrooms, kitchens, land rovers and private planes of the royal family the day of and following Diana's death.
I happened to be in London on the opening day of the movie, "The Queen", starring, Helen Mirren, Michael Sheen, James Cromwell, Helen McCrory, Alex Jennings, and Sylvia Syms.
It was my intention to see this movie in London but when checking on prices, I really didn't want to pay $24 to see a movie that eventually I could get for free at our public library.
However, a week later, when I was in Dublin, Ireland, where the Euro goes farther than the Sterling, I took the plunge after passing a theater on the bus and noted the time at 6:30 which seemed perfect. So I set off in plenty of time to find the theater...but guess what? I was walking in the wrong direction which I realized after walking a long time. Got some great photos of ancient churches however and exercise which never hurts. Heading back in the other direction, I took advantage of finally decent prices on internet services for 1 hour and walked back toward central Dublin. Wonder of wonders, exactly at 6:30 I happened upon the cinema I was looking for...so got to see "The Queen Movie" after all.
Constant presence of Pearls
I justify writing about The Queen movie here because of the constant presence of pearls. They're the only necklaces the queen and queen mother ever wear in the movie, double and triple strands. You can see dangle pearl earrings. And a video clip of Princess Diana wearing the pearl studded dress.
The Queen Movie Will Not Help the Monarchy
This brave movie in no way will help Britain's monarchy. In fact, it will help to bring about its doom. I don't know the motive behind making this movie, but it can only be destructive to any type of traditional royalty. How has this royalty managed to stay on so long anyway? It must bring LOTS of tourism, that's all I can say.
I toured Buckingham Palace during my visit to London. Yes, I'm one of the millions fascinated with royalty...that relic of past days. Could this photograph be prophetic? Notice the dark cloud over the palace.
The Queen Movie Dispels any Royal Romanticism
It's easy to look lovingly and with admiration on photos of the royal family, but The Queen Movie brings us inside the palace bedrooms, kitchens, land rovers and private planes, dispelling any myth that they are lovely. Even the queen mother is shown to be snippy and trite, something I'd never imagined. In "The Queen", Prince Philip is rude, snide, and cold hearted, while Queen Elizabeth remains stoic and proud. Her only tenderness shows in feelings for a 14 spike buck.
Is this movie slanted? Most certainly. Whoever wrote, directed and produced The Queen movie had specific intentions of what impressions the audience would take home with them. And they're not nice.
This movie cleverly manipulates one's mind into thinking what snobs these people are. It's a blatant attack on the royal family. Maybe this needs to come. I don't know. Not everyone can set off and start a new country and government. But it certainly spells doom and gloom for this long established entity.
Cinema Mightier than the Pen
The media has long attacked this family, but cinema may wield the final blow. It looks so real, so convincing, maybe not diabolical, but at least unfeeling and self-centered. That's what so dangerous about this movie. It isn't some fantastic conspiracy movie which tries convince us that Diana's death was planned and premeditated by the royal family. It's not Agatha Christie. Then we'd all walk away having been thoroughly entertained for 1 1/2 hours and think nothing more.
No, The Queen Movie attempts to portray reality, which is often far more scary than fiction. Can anyone really be so unfeeling as Prince Philip to go deer stalking, and take Diana's children with, the day after her death? Can the grandmother (the queen) really not even put her arm around her grandchildren in condolence?
Have all these billions being spent on this family really been wasted? Have the British people and government been fools for supporting this system so long? In the movie Tony Blair's wife mentioned the royal family's 40,000 acres at Balmoral. I don't know if that's an accurate amount, but the Queen needs directions to find her way to the hunting party only days after Diana's death...so it must be a massive place.
The Queen Movie Elizabeth at Balmoral
(photo: www.allmoviephoto.com)
Tony Blair, newly elected Prime Minister, with his "Cheshire cat smile," as the queen mother said, comes off in The Queen movie as saving the royal family from sheer abandonment and remains personally loyal to the queen.
Plucky Queen
This plucky queen drives her own land rover, fords rivers, names the mechanical breakdown, jaunts over to a neighboring estate to see a dead deer (but doesn't move an inch at Diana's death)...she's plucky and decisive. So, the system cannot be blamed for her stoicism...she can be. She's clearly in charge, only seeking advice from her mum, who advises badly, not seeing the big picture.
I talked with someone who'd already seen the movie. They said it was "good". That it showed the royal family innocent of wrong in Diana's death, it showed the strength of the queen.
Personally, as an outsider, I think only someone who really loved the queen could say that. I see this movie as total exposure. Yes, Diana harmed the royal family, by exposing their coldness and rejection of her, but people loved Diana, they'll stick by her. She gave of herself to the people and of course, was beautiful.
In Defense of the Queen Movie
I wrote the above as my initial reaction to the movie, now I'll note my secondary reactions.
In defense of Queen Elizabeth II, it will do heaps of good for royalists (mostly older people who love the queen) to see her in her bathrobe and in bed with Prince Philip. There was a chuckle which rippled through the theater as he said, "Move over, Cabbage."
Yes, this movie makes her real, like all the rest of us. She gets scolded by Prince Charles for her lack of motherly instincts, sets the picnic table by herself by the stream under the oaks, bringing some stew in case the planned roast doesn't turn out, disciplines and expertly controls her dogs, opens up to Tony Blair about her stoic training, worries about spending too much money on a private plane to Paris after Diana's death, and feels pulled in many directions when making decisions. In other words, she faces situations that any grandmother and mother could face.
There's nothing deep and mysterious about this family or movie...they, after all, are more like us than we ever imagined possible. Yes, we sometimes elevate them to a “god-like level”.
So in that respect, maybe this movie is good after all...bringing her humanity nearer to her people.
Maybe it's a cultural thing, but in Dublin, which isn't even a part of the UK, lots of older people sat faithfully at the end until every single credit was done showing...respect? Or is sitting through credits just a cultural thing?
After seeing this movie, I don't think the royal family will even watch it. Why should they? They already know who they are and the position they hold. Their fate is in the hands of God...and parliament...and the people of Great Britain.
Go to main Pearl Movie page after reading about The Queen Movie.
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