Saturday, August 18, 2007
The Queen [2006]Dvd
I really enjoyed this film and found it better than I expected. Everyone knows Mirren was superb, but Sheen had Blair's voice to perfection and I thought all the actors did well, particularly the unsung heroes, four corgis of Her Majesty. Other reviews set the scene of unresponsive, out of touch queen versus the people's new prime minister. But I did not find this to be an anti-monarchist film at all. Blair is an instant convert to royalism it seems and the film faithfully portrays why the Queen behaved as she did. One does what one perceives to be one's duty and does not wear one's heart on one's sleeve. I confess all my sympathies were with the Queen in her distance from the gushing emotion and pseudo-grief of Joe Public. I think the story about the stag was to show the Queen had more feeling for dumb animals than a dead princess, but then the stag had not given her any distress in the past. I think the message portrayed was that it was not merely that the Queen did not show the emotion of grief over Diana but that she was not really feeling her loss, apart from her concern for the two boys. Of course one knows that a lot of what was portrayed here is mere speculation but the one historic thing I question is the congregation in Westminster Abbey applauding Althrop's speech. Did they? If so I must at the time have been so disgusted by his speech that I missed the applause. Thankfully the parts of his speech in which he criticized the royal family were left out. Message of the film.? The monarchy must modernise. Personally I am happier with the monarchy than with pseudo-emotion from the great British public.
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3 comments:
I felt much compassion for the Queen Elizabeth. I still am trying to figure out how I can better understand the sovreignty of God by understanding the British monarchy. Perhaps I have that idea backward. Comprehending and appreciating the sovreignty of God has come very slowly for me. I agree about the public show of emotion. People should know better how to posses themselves. It is something the Queen does know.
I enjoyed this film even though I am an ardent Republican. This film was fair it did not take sides. I believe the monarchy is not relevant in modern society.
I am somewhat puzzled by Mimi's comment about trying to understand God through the British monarchy. The Christian God is Triune and is not reflected in the British monarchy. In the Trinity there are three persons of equality, and this should be reflected in humanity with equality of persons. You don't get that if you have a monarchy or any other hierachical system.
Monarchy may not have been relevant to the USA since 1776 but for the UK it remains, IMO, the most pragmatically advantageous form of government. It is for example an asset to have a head of state above politics and a great tourist attraction.
AFAIK no-one has liked monarchy to the triune nature of God but to his sovereignty. He is to be honoured because he is sovereign by nature. The monarch is to be honoured because he or she has been made sovereign . That this becoming sovereign has nothing to do with democratic choice makes it IMO more like the sovereignty of God than that of an elected head of state. By contrast, our monarch has to receive public acceptance at a coronation while God remains God whether we believe in him or not.
Oe thing made clear in the film is that the Queen recards her office as a sacred calling, a duty she must discharge. Few Christians have such a high and responsible view of their work.
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