Am I the only loyal subject who has not seen Dame Helen’s Oscar winning performance in The Queen? Is it as fantastic as everyone says? If you have seen it, which do you think was the best part of the film, what made it so outstanding?
Dame Helen’s crowning glory
It is extremely good Elee and deals with an compelling subject, the end of the Britain as we used to understand it (and the beginning of touchy feely land ). It seems to me that something was lost utterly from these shores at this time .Image was elevated above substance and celebrity was promoted above seniority.
To see the Queen herself lose her bearings is heart rendingly true to the experience of us all, dramatising a longing for something finer than this squalid Big Brother obsessed disconnected carpark we call England . The queen stands for the country, and the film uses the old Shakespearian dramatic conceit of her emotional state reflecting the state of the nation.
She sees Stag , a Landseer vision of nobility at an early point and shoos it away in an unaccustomed moment of sentimentality. That stag stands for the beauty of the vision of Britain, of the country the country she knew, that proved itself courageous standing alone in her lifetime. In her childhood, her father, a man entirely unfitted to the pressure, took on the role of providing hope it was niot something he wanted but it was his duty . The film makes much of this memory and it is in this context that to her, the Diana emoting, is just incomprehensible .
There is never any wallowing though , if for a moment the stag symbolises much more than that ,she is not a silly woman and latterly congratulates the City banker who shoots it appallingly so it runs in pain for miles. This sort of restraint and reality gives the film some spine . When she is forced to climb down and present a flower and she sees for the first time that the people are angry with her it is a terrible moment, and when she offers to lay some flowers for a little girl who says ., “ They are for you� …..I completely lost it …..waaaaa !!
It is far to kind to the mountebank Blair who cynically connived to whip up the mush for his own ghastly ends but sets right the balance of the Diana Madness. I never understood it in the first place . What a vapid and pointless woman she was .
Very good indeed and I recommend you get the DVD and watch it . the episode with the stag is pivotal but the D of E gets some great one liners as well . On the subject of the guest list for Westminster he is unforgettable !! Elton John…… well you can imagine
I have not seen it either Ellee – but after the recommendation given here – I shall get out the DVD. Michelle
Newmania, wow, what a review, I have placed my dvd order with Amazon.
“Newmania, wow, what a review, I have placed my dvd order with Amazon.” _ me too!
A posting of some passion from Mr N. I have to agree on the vapidity of the “People’s Princess” and the predominance of celebrity culture and spin doctoring over duty and moral clarity. I will certainly see the film when it arrives on these shores.
I haven’t seen it either. Newmania’s comment above is apt.
Newmania should be on commission!
Newmania, I agree with you about Diana.
I never could stand the woman.
The day of her funeral I was working a wedding at a hotel (Uni holidays). We did set up in the morning and had three hours free before the guests arrived, The manager said I could go watch the funeral in a room they’d set aside. He seemed personally affronted by my decision to go the pub instead.
I think it’s hard to fault the job the Queen does, she’s not put a foot wrong in 55 years.
Whether the monarchy can surive her remains to be seen.
I haven’t seen it, but will when I can. Herlen is a fine actress. Forrest Whitaker deserved his win. I saw him in the tv series ‘The Shield’ last year. He was brilliant.
I’ve seen the film and totally agree with Newmania. Helen Mirren deserved her oscar.
I haven’t seen it, Ellee, but the DVD is now available here. I’ve just used Dame Helen’s speech in a lesson – the students liked the bit about HM’s hairstyle!
Good on Dame Helen Mirren, good on the Queen. They both make me feel extremely proud.
Helen!
E-K, Absolutely spot on, there is a real feelgood factor about this, I can’t wait to see the dvd.
I’m going to have to see this film- everyone seems to be raving about it.
Last King of Scotland also.
Problem for me is, as a twenty a day smoker, the cinema is a rarity. The only film in recent years I’ve seen big screen are The Passion of Christ, LOR 1&2 and the latest Bond.
Jean-Luc, The shield is one of the few TV programme I will still watch, though Friday and Saturday nights are often bad slots for me. CSI as well.
E-K, you’re becoming something of a legend in these parts….?
I’m ashamed to say I haven’t seen it, either. However, I plan to.
Joe, you might want to check out “The Wire” if you haven’t seen it – I was put on to it by a friend in the States, and he was right; it’s one of the best things on TV.
I haven’t seen it but I want to. Mother’s Day is coming up so I may drop some hints. I haven’t seen Happy Feet either. More hints there I think.
I’m a legend here too, Joe – in my own wardrobe. Hey !!! Thanks for the tip on the other page:
“Glad to see you enjoy the finer things, Kevin – be careful what you say as Blair’s people can see everything” or something to that effect.
I’m ‘fraid it’s a bit late to start warning me now but thanks anyway. And yes – I do like the finer things which is why I just know that I’m going to hate the gulag soup.
That was a joke, Mr Blair.