The Queen

by Gregory Luther

It's that time of the year generally known as "Awards Season" when all the studios and their indie offspring release their prestige pictures. These films generally run the gamut from those screaming, "Please give me a statue" to others that are actually worth the time of people not filling out ballots. This critic is happy to report that The Queen firmly falls in the latter category. The film from director, Stephen Frears (who directed Dame Judi Dench to an Oscar nomination last year in Mrs. Henderson Presents) is far from the typical Hollywood "greatest hits" biopic. Instead it is a concentrated study on celebrity and one very specific moment in our internationally shared memory. The moment in question of course is the period following the shocking death of Princess Diana, an event regarded by many to be the first incident to permanently ingrain its circumstances and surrounding environment on those too young to experience Nixon's resignation firsthand (Sadly there would later be several memorable world events to top it). As one can infer from the title, The Queen focuses on the people closest to this moment of international awareness, the British Royal Family and particularly Diana's former mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II.

As an American, I've always seen the United Kingdom as a culture very similar to our own. Perhaps it's something as simple as the fact that we speak the same language or maybe it's because of extensive time I've spent there, but regardless of the reason I've always thought of the British as being "like us". Because of this, it almost seems like more of a shock being exposed to British concepts that are completely alien to what we have here, and there are few things more alien to us than the British Monarchy. There is a scene very early in the film where Tony Blair (wonderfully played by Michael Sheen) has his first meeting with Queen Elizabeth after being elected Prime Minister (Excuse me, Labor Prime Minister, which they make sure he remembers). We all have certain people who we'd be completely starstruck to meet, but it's quite remarkable to see such awe and admiration displayed by a leader of one of the most powerful nations in the world. Yet at the same time, it's not much of a stretch to understand it. She instantly commands the room when they meet, first asking, "Do you know how to start a nuclear attack?" and then casually mentioning that her first Prime Minister was Winston Churchill. The focus quickly shifts to an even more glamorous figure however. As Mrs. Blair states, "It's always about Diana".

A few months later we arrive at the infamous night of Princess Di's fatal car wreck. The Royal Family's chilly reaction is quite shocking to witness. "She's even more annoying dead than alive" Prince Phillip (James Cromwell) says in a cold contempt that would seem cheesy if it wasn't entirely believable. Her ex-husband, Prince Charles displays a greater amount of feeling after the tragedy, gaining the audience's sympathy until we learn he's really just scared the public is going to blame him for the whole thing. The royal consensus is that Diana wasn't royalty anymore, so the affair is not their concern. When they finally give in and agree to a funeral ceremony, it's obvious how grudgingly this concession has been made. As The Queen Mother describes the guests who will be present, you can hear the disdain in her voice when she says the word "celebrities". We may not be terribly familiar with royalty in America, but we certainly are well versed in celebrity culture. It's certainly ridiculous the way the media follows around actors, musicians, and fashionistas, and yet these people have all accomplished something in their lives to earn their notoriety. The Royal Family are the ultimate celebrities, people famous for simply being (at worst a stuffier version of our own Paris Hilton). I'm not trying to diminish what they must go through on a daily basis, but it just sounds like the pot calling the kettle black to me. The response from the Prime Minister's office is much different. There's a concerted effort to honor Diana's memory and give the people an outlet to mourn her. It's easy to connect more with this side of the coin, but in actuality it's simply a shrewdly calculated political move. We're just more used to political spin doctoring on this side of the pond, so it seems like the more acceptable reaction. In the end, no one comes out looking particularly good.

Behind the camera, director Stephen Frears does an effective job of bringing us back in time to 1997. I wouldn't say I'm overly familiar with the filmmaker (though High Fidelity is a favorite of mine), but my impression has always been that he can efficiently translate a story without getting his fingerprints all over the film. He does however put in some nice touches. Many period pieces feel the need to constantly remind you of what time it is with winking and inside jokes. Frears instead opts to pepper subtle cues throughout. Whether it's a Playstation 1 sitting on top of a television, a child's drawing of Pikachu, or a slightly bigger cell phone answered with the push of a button rather than being flipped open, we get a sense of where we are without being hit over the head with it. Another thing I liked was the use of news footage. Many times this practice pulls the viewer out of the picture and reminds them "This part of the movie is real. The rest of what you are seeing is made up". That isn't the case here though. It's a little awkward in the scene leading up to Diana's death, but for the rest of the film, the footage feels appropriate since it's how the characters in the film and the public at large are seeing the events play out. It also helps convey the disconnection between the Royal Family, the people of Great Britain, and the fallen princess. As anyone who follows Oscar buzz knows however, the real star on display is Dame Helen Mirren who plays the titular character. I know what Queen Elizabeth II looks like, and watching Dame Mirren on screen, I know that's not her, yet for the film's 97 minute runtime she simply is Queen Elizabeth. We see many sides to the Queen, all portrayed flawlessly by Dame Mirren, even an elusive soft side. Near the end of the film, we finally see some cracks of emotion come from her. This is not brought out for Diana however (at least not on the surface) but for a deer "stalked" and eventually killed by outsiders. She briefly sheds her tears and promptly restores her façade when it is apparent that people (who know little of what's actually going on) are looking. A better summation of celebrity is hard to find.