THE YOUNG VICTORIA
UK, 2009, 98 minutes, Colour.
Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson, Mark Strong, Jim Broadbent, Harriet Walter, Rachel Sterling, Jesper Christenson, Thomas Kretschmann, Julian Glover, Michael Moloney.
Directed by Jean- Marc Vallee.
Here is a worthwhile period drama and glance back at English heritage. It has beautiful and regal settings (including the interiors for Buckingham Palace), attractive locations, lots of regency costumes and everything to delight audiences who relish the look of a film. But, it has a lot more for those whose appreciation of detail is more 'big picture' and cursory. It takes us back to the late 1830s and someone we have rarely met or even know about, the young Victoria.
The film also has the advantage of a solid performance by Emily Blunt who takes us inside the mind and feelings of the young princess and the young queen. She is nicely matched by Rupert Friend as Prince Albert (after his somewhat wooden performance as the effete hero of Stephen Frears' Belle Epoque film, Cheri), bringing him alive as a person and not merely a consort let alone the person who lingered for forty years as a memory in Victoria's life. And the fine acting extends to the supporting roles, Paul Bettany as a youngish Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne (the actor being almost twenty years younger than Melbourne was at the time), Miranda Richardson as Victoria's dominating mother and Mark Strong as her Svengali-like companion, the ambitious Sir John Conroy who plotted for Victoria's signing an agreement for a regency by her mother. She didn't sign and William IV dies just after she turned 18 and she assumed the throne.
Jim Broadbent does a very interesting cameo as William IV and Harriet Walter is Queen Adelaide who seems to have given Victoria better advice than her mother.
The literate and historically grounded screenplay is by actor and writer Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park, Separate Lies) and the director is Canadian, Jean- Marc Vallee (CRAZY).
The film-making background is quite impressive – and, at 95 minutes, the film is not likely to outlast its welcome.
So, what is it telling us about this Young Victoria?
The first thing is that she was so protected from real life as she grew up that it is difficult to know what her true personality was at that time. She could not go anywhere in the house unaccompanied. She had little social life. She was not allowed to read novels until she was 16 (and read Sir Walter Scott). She was the victim of a life of observing protocols.
Apart from her grief in losing her father when young,she did not rate so highly in her mother's affections, despite protestations on the part of her mother that she did. Her mother was under the control of Sir John Conroy who was determined that Victoria should sign a concession to regency document before she turned 18, allowing her mother to rule (and Conroy to rule her). Whatever it was in Victoria, she refused to sign.
Another issue was her marriage. With the family interconnections amongst the 19th century rulers of Europe, there was always an eager eye for a profitable arranged marriage. Leopold of Belgium features largely in the film, eager for a marriage that would supply him with British support should he experience trouble. This was made known to a cousin in the Saxe-Coburg? family, Albert.
When Albert visited Victoria, they became friends, he a perfect gentleman and she an independent but susceptible young woman. The film suggests at least affection at first sight but the love gradually grew through correspondence and Victoria's difficulties in the first years of her reign, over-reliance on Melbourne, a clash with Prime Minister, Robert Peel, the management of her household and some unpopularity with the people.
The film makes the relationship between Victoria and Albert something of a tender blossoming of love, shared interests (although a clash when Albert felt that he was being sidelined in affairs of state and Victoria treated him with a heavy hand followed by reconciliation) and the final information about their 20 years' marriage, their children, Albert's death and the queen's devotion.
Obviously, Victoria was able to develop a personality and a character.
1.A successful British heritage film? Historical drama? Period, characters? Quality?
2.The brevity of the film, the portrait of the young Victoria, insight into her character and life, the tradition of screen versions of Victoria: Anna Neagle, Irene Dunne, Judi Dench?
3.The 1830s, England, its culture, the place of royalty, wealth, the buildings, Buckingham Palace, the interiors, the city, costumes and décor, affluence and beauty? The comparisons with the court in Brussels? The palaces in Germany? The musical score?
4.The background of British history: the long reign of George III, his regency, the role of George IV, William IV, Victoria’s age, the death of her father, becoming the only heir? Sir John Conroy and her mother, the demand that she sign a regency release, her refusal? Victoria being protected, kept from William and Queen Adelaide, over-sheltered?
5.This dramatised by the sequence of the attempt to force her signing the regency, her refusal? By the banquet with William IV and Queen Adelaide, his speech, his attack on her mother and her mother walking out, his being disappointed at Victoria’s absence from the palace? The discussions with Queen Adelaide, fondness, advice?
6.Emily Blunt as Victoria: from eighteen onwards, as a character, her being overprotected, not allowed to be unaccompanied, on the stairs, her not reading novels, no social life, the fixed protocols of training, being prepared to be a monarch? Her strength of character, accepting the situation, defying it, her ignorance of life in general, her wilful nature?
7.Sir John Conroy, his character, his influence at the court? His plans, sinister? His control of Victoria’s mother? The mother, her character, her relationship with the royalty on the Continent? Her relationship with Sir John, her treatment of her daughter, her being spurned by her daughter?
8.The palace staff, the ladies-in-waiting, confidantes, controlling Victoria, spying on her? The maids, the world of the servants?
9.Leopold and his advisers in Belgium, the relationship with the British throne, the plans for an arranged marriage, wanting British support for his military needs? His plans, including Albert? The scenes with his discussions and advice?
10.Germany, the adviser and go-between, diplomacy, discussions? Albert, his brother, his feelings?
11.Albert and his age, the Belgian connections, the British connections? To be in an arranged marriage? His personality, polite and proper? His interests – and social concern, ‘modern’? The visits to London, meeting Victoria, formally, informally? Their sharing talk, the bond with Victoria?
12.The king’s death, Victoria becoming queen, the commotion in the early hours? Her mother and reaction? Her friendship with Lord Melbourne, the previous meetings with Melbourne? Decorum, protocols? The build-up to the coronation and the visualising of the ceremony?
13.Lord Melbourne, his place in politics, prime minister? His ambitions, connections, using them? Friendship with Victoria? Her reliance on him for advice? His place, anti-Sir John Conroy? Reliable? His bad advice when she became queen, her lack of popularity? Time healing this for Victoria?
14.Sir Robert Peel, the clash with Lord Melbourne, the election, his giving advice to the queen, especially about the staff and loyalties, his defeat, humiliation, later victory? A changed relationship with Victoria?
15.The themes of politics, royalty and their relationship to the politicians, to the governance of the country? To popularity with the people – and Victoria experiencing both popularity and unpopularity?
16.The decision that her mother should leave the court, the exiling of Sir John Conroy – and his not being at the coronation?
17.The various attendants, their loyalties, the group of women surrounding Victoria?
18.Albert, his dancing, Schubert, Sir Walter Scott? The conversations with Victoria, mellowing? The letters and her looking forward to them? Disappointment when they did not arrive?
19.Albert’s arrival, the issue of proposing, Victoria reflecting on it and planning? Albert’s love for Victoria? The marriage, the private scenes in their room?
20.Albert, being seen as the prince consort, his finding himself isolated, the clash and argument with Victoria? The later situation and their apologising to each other? The decision to involve Albert in different affairs, programs?
21.The final information about Victoria and Albert, twenty years of marriage, their nine children, the various descendants of Victoria around Europe? The contribution made by Albert? The aftermath of Albert’s death and Victoria’s semi-reclusion? Her long reign?
