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Drama
Rated: R
Stars: Kristen Stewart, Timothy Spall, Jack Farthing, Sally Hawkins
Director: Paulo Lorraine
Writer: Steven Knight
The movie begins with these words: “A fable from a true tragedy.” That quote stayed with me the entire movie. I was constantly saying to myself “Did this happen? Is it a version of what happened? Is this pure fiction?” After leaving the theater I did a little research and now I understand that a few of the things in the film are based on true facts but most of the film is a fictional account of the writer, Steven Knight.
This was filmed at various locations in England and Germany to represent Sandringham Castle where the Royal Family spends each Christmas. The period is at the end of the marriage between Charles and Dianna.
For me one of the most interesting scenes comes early in the movie and show the entourage that arriving ahead of The Royals to open the house for the three-day holiday. Truck after truck comes down the driveway then a huge staff of uniformed men bring elaborate food, flowers, and wine into the kitchen in lovely baskets. As they complete the setup the camera pans to a sign above the kitchen that says “Quiet, They Can Hear You.” That bone chilling sign sets the tone of the story, and it is carried throughout the film.
The focus of the film is on Dianna and how incredibly unhappy she was at the end of her marriage, and it depicts her as being moody, depressed, and childlike. Symbolically, she is obsessed with a book about Anne Boleyn and relates to Anne’s plight by imagining that Boleyn is with her at times. There are also other scenes that are dream like sequences that show Dianna breaking into her childhood home, dancing in halls, and running in fields. This all seemed a bit too much for me. Kristen Stewart did a good job getting Dianna’s accent right and certainly looked the part, but I never really felt sorry for her. In fact, I felt sorry for the young boys who portrayed William and Harry because they were the victims of her mood swings and emotional state.
For people who like fashion, there is one scene that shows Stewart wearing some the most famous dresses Dianna ever wore. While it did not make sense to me why it was in the film, I did appreciate the costume department’s effort and skill.
I enjoyed the film and really liked the set designs and costumes but, in the end, I was left with the feeling that Dianna would not have liked this representation of her.
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