THE IRON LADY

UK, 2011, 106 minutes, Colour.
Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent, Olivia Colman, Iain Glen, Harry Lloyd, Anthony Head, Richard E. Grant, Roger Allam, Nicholas Farrell, Julian Wadham, Nick Dunning, Alexandra Roach, Michael Pennington, John Sessions.
Directed by Phyllida Lloyd.

‘I don’t understand feelings’.

Sometimes it is more than a little difficult for a reviewer to put aside personal dislikes or even bias when it comes to a film that is a portrait of a person that is disliked. Though, come to think of it, I quite enjoyed some of the films about Genghis Khan! What about Margaret Thatcher!

Margaret Thatcher was stimulated and motivated by an engagement with a very wide world. She was definitely decisive. Her range of interests and perception was wide and intuitive. No trouble in discerning that she favoured the hard-headed approach to politics and to life. But, how would she be presented on screen? How would the screenwriter, in this case, Abi Morgan who had written the adaptation of Brick Lane, the series The Hour and the provocative, award-winning Shame? Here’s hoping.

The fascinating aspect of the screenplay is that we see Meryl Streep as two Margaret Thatchers. In 1984, F. Murray Abraham deserved two Oscar nominations for his portrayal of Salieri in Amadeus. He was superb as the old and bitter Salieri. He was superb as the middle-aged and bitter Salieri. So, it is with Meryl Streep as the 80ish Margaret and the middle-aged Margaret. Alexandra Roach is able to carry the very young Margaret Roberts as well. Meryl Streep does not simply do an impersonation. She incarnates Margaret Thatcher, the voice, the look, the details of hand and eye movement, the determination, the strength, the stubborn adherence to what she saw as principles.

The film is always interesting, moving as it does from the more immediate past to Grantham during the war to her wedding to Dennis Thatcher to her political career and downfall. Meryl Streep is more than ably supported by Jim Broadbent as Dennis, a genial ghostly presence to his wife in old age, a stalwart supporter (sometimes despite her and her ambitions) during her career. Iain Glen is her father, a Conservative Methodist greengrocer who impressed his values on his strong-minded daughter – a bit of God helps those who help themselves, a policy she continued as leader, no sympathy for slackers. British character actors bring the Tory politicians to life.

Another strength of the film is the depiction of Margaret’s assertion in the face of male Tory chauvinism and disbelief about her abilities and ambitions, her quick journey from popularity to being disliked in the early 1980s riot times and union challenge to her imperious launching of the Falklands war, to recovery and then her inability to see how it was she who was putting the writing on the wall for her leadership. The cabinet scene where she humiliates Geoffrey Howe has the cabinet members squirming but also us, the audience, as we see her not realising what she is doing.

No problem in seeing Margaret as stimulated by the world from the time she is young during World War II, her determination to stand for parliament, her challenging powers that be and her subsequent election. Once she is in parliament, she starts to throw punches (and in the fashion where male politicians deride women by using vocabulary that they would not use to describe another male (like ‘shrill’)) and is mocked as ‘screeching’. She takes lessons in speech and undergoes a makeover (hair, hats and handbags). On the world stage, she is dominant.

No problem in seeing Mrs Thatcher as being decisive. She has her principles and puts them into action. It is interesting to see her approach to the Falklands war and the behaviour of the ‘Argentine thugs’. She seeks advice, listens to the military and the politicians and attacks.

In case anyone doubted whether Mrs Thatcher was comfortable in her objective approach to truth, she is given a speech where she discusses her inability to understand feeling and feelings. She explains that thought, thinking, is most important. This leads to words. Words lead to actions. She is very clear that principles and logic have a priority in living one’s life, and certainly in politics. The screenwriter has drawn on many of Mrs Thatcher’s policy statements about leadership, about the role of England, about British prosperity and her perceived threats by the unions. It is only at the end, when people, including fellow Tories, saw her as becoming entrenched – her speech about the poll tax applying to everyone no matter what their economic situation for the privilege of living in England during the ill-fated cabinet meeting brings this home most dramatically.

As she is threatened by the 1991 vote for the party leadership (and by that time she was 65), she wavers. She is not herself. She is not decisive. Dennis advises her to throw in the towel. She does, but it is a bitter experience for someone who was convinced of her own supremacy.

But, the film also shows us some personal moments, some more subjective moments, especially with Dennis – though she has no trouble in telling what to do, what to wear, how to behave (even when he is really a ghost). A symbol of this is her love for Rodgers and Hammerstein, particularly, The King and I and ‘Shall we dance’. This is a recurring motif, even to her having the DVD in her old age and knowing where Yul Brynner came from and how many times he had played the King of Siam on stage. As regards her twin children, she looks at home movies of their childhood, but she takes Carol for granted even at the end whereas she prefers Mark and is disappointed that he does not come to see her.

All the world’s a stage. It certainly was for Margaret Thatcher. This film concentrates on her political life in the UK. She is glimpsed dancing with Ronald Reagan. She has views about the emerging European Union (anti). She attends, just as she is to be ousted, an event in Paris celebrating the end of the Cold War.

So, Meryl Streep as and in The Iron Lady? A wonderful screen performance (directed by Phyllida Lloyd who also directed her singing and dancing in Mamma Mia).helping us appreciate Margaret Thatcher whether we like her or not, whether we approve of her or not. She was a supreme commander, commenting to the press that every day was a battle for her. Sadly, as the film shows, she did not read the final warplay accurately and she lost and retreated into some isolation and experienced some of the ravages of ageing.


1. Interest in the film? In Margaret Thatcher? For and against?

2. Margaret Thatcher’s place in the 20th century, in UK history, as leader of the Tories, as prime minister? Policies, in the UK? In Europe? Relationships with the US? The end of the Cold War? The Falklands War?

3. The film as a portrait of a person, how much sympathy, interest, understanding?

4. The structure of the film: the older Margaret Thatcher, Denis and his appearances? The young Margaret Thatcher at home, with her father, entry into politics, marriage? The middle-aged Margaret Thatcher and her political career? The intermingling of the three strands?

5. The United Kingdom in the 1940s, Grantham, the war, London in the 60s, 70s and 80s, Parliament? The homes? An authentic feel?

6. The visual styles, for each period, colour grading, tone of the period? The musical score? The British anthems?

7. The title, Margaret Thatcher’s reputation? The familiar images? The real Margaret Thatcher, the Margaret Thatcher of public relations?

8. Mrs Thatcher’s policies and stances, the conservative background, her father and his speeches, her Methodist background, working class, the greengrocer? Seeing poverty at close hand? Her scholarship? Her studies at Oxford, joining the Conservative Party? Representing the middle class? Her attitude towards wealth and its distribution? Her attitude towards individuals rather than society making their own success? The television interview about American policy and her admiration for success? Her attitude towards the unions, the uprisings, her crushing the unions? Prosperity in Britain in the mid-1980s? Her despising of slackers? Her despising of the miners? The Falklands crisis, her attitude, the advice taken, her decisions? Her dislike of the European Union? The importance of the poll tax, and her not believing that everybody was equal? The privilege of living in Britain? The background of the home movies representing her family, her relationship with Denis, the children and their growing up?

9. Her condemnation of feeling, her emphasis on thought? Thought, words, actions? Right and wrong? Her being definite, on her principles?

10. Margaret Thatcher at the end, alone, lonely, making up Denis’s presents? Her interactions with him? Yet still ordering him about? In the house, sorting out Denis’s clothes and her reluctance to let them go? Going down the street to buy the milk, surprised at the price? Her being guarded? The various assistants? Her appointments, concerts, Parliament? The book-signings – and signing Margaret Roberts? Her love of Rodgers and Hammerstein, her knowledge about Yul Brynner and his background? The carers whispering and concerned about her? Carol’s visits, looking after her? The meal with the guests, her mind wandering, the questions? The mess in the house as she took out Denis’s clothes? Her being made-up, still looking strong? Audience sympathy for her?

11. Her imagination, Denis, Denis and his style, jovial, his way of speaking, his appearances, disappearing? The conversations, the reminiscences? Her ordering him about? What to wear etc? The memories of the past – his warning her about ambition, his urging her to throw in the towel, his leaving for South Africa? The finale and his leaving without his shoes?

12. Margaret Roberts, in Grantham, listening to her father and his Tory speeches, her mother concerned about cups of tea? Ideals? Her working – and the other girls looking down on her? The war sequences, the cover on the butter, the bombs? The strong influence of her family and upbringing?

13. The scholarship to Oxford, meeting the politicians, answering them? Their chauvinist attitudes towards her? Denis, amused, his support? The marriage, dancing to Shall We Dance? Her love for Denis? Standing for Finchley, the election results, winning, exhilaration? Her going to Parliament, the men ousting her, the overhead scene as she struggled into Parliament with the men, the women’s toilet with the ironing board? In Parliament, her speech, her forcefulness towards the opposition, the accusations that she was screeching?

14. The support of Airey Neve and Reece? Their advice, changing her, her elocution lessons, the redoing of her hair, the question of hats, handbags? Watching her on the television and her speech about American success? Her being transformed, the photos – and the popular image of Mrs Thatcher thereafter?

15. Her decision to go for the leadership, her motivations, Denis and his advice, the role of ambition, her saying that she simply wanted to make a point? Succeeding?

16. Her election as prime minister, the St Francis prayer outside Number Ten? The photo opportunities with the team? Her relationship with Edward Heath – and her sitting on the end of the table in his cabinet trying to make a point? Conservative policies? 1980-81 and the miners’ strike, the riots? Her unpopularity?

17. The Falklands War, her accusing the Argentine generals of being thugs, the advice of the military, the advice of the parliamentarians, pro and con? Taking an opportunity for British patriotism? Her decision, the progress of the war, her presence in the war room, the American delegate coming, her standing up against him – and then playing mother and offering him tea? The sinking of the Belgrano? The retaliations? The scenes of war, the deaths of American military, her statements of grief, writing letters to the mothers, saying she was a mother herself? The victory, giving her strength, the parades through London? The repercussions? The place of the British in the Falklands, the clash with the Argentinians?

18. The 1980s, prosperity and change? Her popularity?

19. Her manner of dealing with people, hard work, talking with the doctor, not needing sleep, signing documents? The build-up to her domination of her cabinet? The ministers? The issue of the poll tax?

20. Her meeting in Cabinet, her bullying Geoffrey Howe, his resignation and the consequences?

21. The campaign against her, Michael Heseltine standing for leader? Denis and his advice, telling her to leave? Her going to France for the ceremony at the end of the Cold War? The collapse of the Berlin Wall? The scenes of television news? Her return, pledges of loyalty but the difficult situation? Her dilemma, her resigning? Leaving Number Ten, the acclaim from the staff?

22. The importance of her family, Carol coming to look after her and taking Carol for granted? Her favouritism of Mark? Watching the home movies? The phone call from Mark – and his inability to come to London?

23. What was the audience left with in terms of opinions on Margaret Thatcher, the portrait of her life, her achievement, for good or for ill?