«Not The Big Ceremonial Events But The People Themselves - Very Intreresting!»
I enjoyed this movie because I love history and always wonder what life was like behind the scenes. Even though I often enjoy watching the big ceremonial scenes with the crowns, robes, and history, there is always curiosity about 'the rest' of it. This movie was about the family discussions behind the scenes, not the big ceremonial events, and while we don't know how close it comes to what really happened, I found it believable. While the story told by this movie is very much about the decision of the king to leave when the country will not accept his flawed would-be queen, we don't go through what was obviously many months of emotional and political negotiations prior to the final decision. That was only briefly treated in this presentation, and I'm glad. The more interesting part was Bertie & Elizabeth and their story apart from the battle we've all heard before.
The movie starts as Bertie and Elizabeth meet, Bertie being fully devoted to his brother, the future king. Bertie seemed humble, particularly since he had a severe problem with stuttering. We get to watch as he struggles to overcome his speech difficulties, finally with success, exceptions being when he was overcome with anger or emotion. At one such time he was lashing out at his brother the king, who had given up his throne and subsequently shown no signs of having any good character at all. Bertie finally had enough, his speech problems briefly recurring as he responded to that moment.
We see a few 'party' scenes where Bertie's brother meets the woman he would give up the throne for, and believe me, they don't come off too well. This movie is not sympathetic to Edward and Mrs. Simpson, showing them to be petty, lazy, uncaring, and ignorant.
In one impressive scene, Bertie and Elizabeth come to have dinner with the King and happen upon Mrs. Simpson carrying on about how common and silly Elizabeth, the current Queen Elizabeth's mother, was. She was making fun of her and even doing a demeaning imitation of her, while unknown to Mrs. Simpson, Elizabeth watched. Elizabeth, in response to their stunned looks when they realized she was there, said effectively and with great dignity, "We came to have dinner with the King." Mrs. Simpson was subsequently shunned and shut out of any family or official events.
We see the differences in the brothers. Bertie showed bravery as he literally spent his life trying to save his country. On the other hand, Edward tricked Bertie into giving him money by pretending he didn't have any. When he realized that, as well as the fact that Edward & Mrs. Simpson were traveling outside the country as if they were ambassadors, befriending Hitler, etc., Bertie lost respect for his brother. He also didn't have time for his brother's demands, because he devoted long, hard hours to his war-time work, which eventually contributed to his early death. Even his mother tried to intervene when she realized he was working himself to death, but stopped herself, because she realized that he was doing his duty. Finally, Edward was allowed to attend the funeral and Mrs. Simpson was not allowed. The movie doesn't go past his death and only briefly showed how his daughter was prepared for her role as Queen.
[Friday, April 30, 2010]
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«W A N T E D......T O.....S E E.....M O R E.....D E T A I L S»
As an Anglophile, (and a "Royalophile"), I had looked forward very, very eagerly to seeing this TV-movie. It was on PBS, which alone betokened quality. As a person who had read, amongst other books on Royalty, the excellent memoir, "The Little Princesses", by Marion Crawford, governess to both Princess Elizabeth, (now Queen) Elizabeth II, and her elfin, enchanting, extremely talented, and, in the end, tragic sister, Princess Margaret (Rose), and who, in the course of her historic manuscript, had also touched on the characters and personalities of the girls' parents, (the "Bertie and Elizabeth" of the title of this TV-movie), and other people -- both royalty, and fellow members of the Duke & Duchessn of York's Household -- I was excited to see, not only Ms. Crawford's book brought partially to life, but also. hopefully, some other books on the English Royalty, which I had also read, also brought to life as well.
Although the music, and the settings were first rate, the dialogue and story line were highly disappointing. I'll be the first to
admit I don't know everything about the Royal family, or
"Bertie and Elizabeth" at that time -- but I DO know that Prince Albert, (the "Bertie" of the title -- and later, George VI), proposed to Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon THREE times before she accepted. The official line is that she was very wary of taking on royal responsibilities, though some say that she was more drawn to Prince Edward, (later the Duke of Windsor), who was first in line for the throne, rather than Bertie, who was only second. Whatever the reasons, it IS documented that "Bertie", (Prince Albert), had to propose THREE times before Elizabeth said, "Yes". In this TV-drama, however, this important, (and very dramatic!), detail was totally left out! Instead of creating the circumstances where Elizabeth, perhaps, said, "I must think of this", the first time, and "the idea of such responsibility is devastating", the second....all the while making poor Prince Albert beside himself with anxiety, (he loved this girl, after all), and, perhaps, fury, (being a Prince, he was not used to being refused!) -- situations adding mightily to suspense and drama in the story -- Elizabeth, here, simply says, "Yes!" the first time, and Bertie, (Prince Albert), is shown to be beside himself with joy. Such exhibiton of emotion as is shown by Bertie here is NOT usual with Royalty -- especially English royalty -- and yet not only was the emotion shown, but the unusualness of this emotion coming out, was NOT!
Prince Albert had a pronounced stammer during his early years. This came from his very, very strict upbringing -- which included the wearing of heavy leg braces as a child, to correct knock-knees. He and his siblings also had their lessons in a very large and dark school-room in the palace. One of the most moving parts of "The Little Princesses", for me, was Ms. Crawford's telling of the then-new king, looking for a room in which his daughters would have as THEIR school-room. He looked into his own, old, dark, and cavernous schoolroom for a moment, then shutting the door, said quietly, "No, not here...." This dramatic and memorable moment, which told much of the King's character -- along with his heroic and eventually successful over-coming of his stammer -- were, neither of them, explored in this TV movie.
Yes, the great reluctance of Bertie and Elizabeth to become King and Queen IS shown. What is NOT shown are things like the plan of Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, (which is discuszed in "The Little Princesses"), to perhaps build a tunnel between Buckingham Palace and 145 Picadilly, (the official residence of the heretofore Duke and Duchess of York), so they could visit it on occassion, (a plan never fulfulled), or the very HUGENESS of Buckingham Palace -- which necessitated some servants using roller-skates to get around! (And the mice(!) that lived in the Palace before modernization took place!)
And although the air-raids of World War II were shown, along with the "royal refugees" of European countries who took shelter in Buckingham Palace -- the delightful "pantomimes" presented by the Princesses and other junior members of the aristocracy, to raise money for the war effort, which took place at Windsor Castle, were not shown at all....or even mentioned!
I read, in "The Little Princesses", that Prince Albert -- like the much later American footballer, Rosie Greer -- enjoyed doing the earstwhile feminine pastime of needlepoint. But Prince Albert found that doing backgrounds in needlepoint was boring....and so he gave over doing background needlepoint stitching to the children's governess, Marion Crawford. These facts -- which might have started men doing needlepoint, (as they now use scent -- a definite "no-no" only a few decades back), and, perhaps, giving a nice little rise in sales of English needlepoint accessories -- was not shown either!
Talk about missing dramatic moments in the script!
A few good and telling moments were, however, thankfully shown.
Yes, Mrs. Simpson is shown here -- and she does try to put poor Elizabeth down a few pegs -- but the inherent dignity of the best of the aristocracy, when meeting the very worst of American vulgarity, shines brightly and quietly triumphs. (As an American, however, I do wish a NON-vulgar American was also a character in this drama.)
Princess Margaret is shown to be disappointed in her "second" role.
Bertie wisely tells her that "being second isn't all that bad" -- but Princess Margaret's talents for mimicry and music, are never shown. Other royal characters -- such as Queen Mary and King George V -- are hardly shown at all. Also missing, (entirely), are Elizabeth's parents, the Earl and Countess of Strathmore, and the children's Nanny -- the redoubtable and, (to readers of "The Little Princesses"), truly unforgettable "Alah".
With so many gaps, and so many really dramatic incidents left out,
anyone with even a little more knowledge than most people have, of the English Royal Family in the 1930s and 1940s, is to be greatly disappointed in this "skimming-the-high-points-and-leaving-many-out", version of Bertie and Elizabeth's lives. Like someone who has "read the book", but is truly disappointed in the movie, I must give this historical drama only two stars. One star would mean "I hate it", and, well -- with it's period costuming, regal sets, good music, and actors who TRY hard to become their characters -- I can't exactly do that. Two stars means "I don't like it", and, sadly, that is what my final opinion of this TV-Movie must be. So many dramatic details which could easily have been put in, were inexplicably left out. So many characters which could have been explored, and/or more fully explored, were also missing. It's too bad that more was not made of this royal, dramatic, and fascinating time in English history. I suppose I'll just have to wait until the next screen re=telling of this story, and hope that more of the salient, and truly fascinating details, will be in this next, hopefully quite-soon-to-be-presented, version.
[Sunday, January 31, 2010]
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