Quite a lively account of Queen Victoria as a person since her husband passed away. There isn't too much drama or suspense. There is instead a lot of attention todetailssuch court life and etiquette costume etc. But it is neither as boring as one would expect from such movies.
This rather gloomy film tells the story of an imaginary love affair between Queen Victoria and her Highland servant John Brown. In reality, their relationship was much more intersting and lively than the soppy one portrayed in the film. john Brown had a brisk, no-nonsense manner of talking to the Queen which outraged everybody else, but which she loved. Moreover, Queen Victoria was a matriarch who ruled her entire family with a rod ofiron, you would never guess that from seeing the timid, shrinking creature she is portrayed as being in this film. And as for Henry Ponsonby (Geoffrey plamer), who is portrayed in this film as a miserable git, the one thing everybody always sazys about him is what fun he was, and what a wonderful sense of humour he had. you'd never guess it from this film. nor was there every any estrangement between John Brown and the Queen,as this film implies. he stayed with her until his death, and was as rude and outspoken at the end as at the beginning. this melancholy film does not do justice to any of the characters portrayed in it. However, if you like gloomy romances, you'll probably love it.
That is the question. Of course, when one thinks of Victoria, the idea of prudishness, conservatism, and a very reserved manner in action and morality naturally come to mind. It was never unusual for monarchs, male or female, to have lovers outside of their marriages (indeed, it might be considered unusual for a monarch to have been thought to have remained faithful), but Victoria? The epitome of a repressive, almost oppresive morality? Surely not.
Don't be so sure.
Four years after the death of Prince Albert, to whom Victoria was completely devoted, and for whom she mourned in quite public and dramatic fashion, against the protests of her children and her ministers, John Brown, a favourite ghillie of the royal couple, was brought back into service of the Queen household.
Victoria's favouritism toward him, coupled with his own brash and blunt behaviour, caused him to be envied and disliked by members of her family, her household service, her ministers, and largely by the public. There were parodies of John Brown's activities, done up in the form of mock Court Circulars (the official listing of royal engagements), which appeared in the press on both sides of the Atlantic.
It is unknown if Brown actually kept a diary (the movie speculates such, but also states that no diary was ever found). There was a large black trunk of correspondence found after Victoria's death, between the Queen and her doctor at the time, Profeit, regarding John Brown. This came into the possession of her new doctor, Reid, who recorded 'most compromising' secrets into his green memorandum book. Alas, this book was burned by Reid's son, and the trunk was not found. Did it refer to a secret marriage between Victoria and John Brown, as was often speculated?
This is, in truth, unlikely -- Victoria's devotion to Albert never waned in her life, and there was a certain innocence, lack of pretense and guile in Victoria that the more political and suspicious (particularly in the press) would not have known. Both Brown and Victoria were outraged at the rumours. Brown was a servant who put no stock in class divisions and the artificiality of social conventions -- his familiarity with the Queen (in fact no different from his direct and familiar manner of relating to everyone) was simply his manner.
But then, everyone likes a good, juicy scandal, don't they? So much more interesting than decades of mourning, which makes for rather boring news leaders.
The film takes up the story with Brown's arrival at the royal residence on the Isle of Wight (an inaccuracy, as he was presented at Windsor first). The story is romantic yet reserved, and the cinematography is stunning. From the cloud-cast home on the Isle of Wight to the stately and foreboding Windsor scenes, to the unspoiled Highlands around Balmoral, this film has had great care infused in the details of costume, setting, and atmosphere.
Judi Dench gives perhaps the greatest performance of her life as the Queen, showing real emotion through the Victorian reserve in an admirable fashion (for which she was nominated for the Academy Award, and won the Golden Globe, as best actress). In a really surprising casting, Billy Connolly, best known as a comic, turns in a first class performance as John Brown, the brash Scotsman who becomes completely devoted to his Queen. Geoffrey Palmer, a solid actor known in many BBC productions, plays the Queen's private secretary, Sir Henry Ponsonby, who is continually amazed at the liberties taken by Brown (Ponsonby, in reality, saw Brown as a first class servant, and remarked so frequently in correspondence with others). This film was first proposed as a BBC television production, but ended up being so well performed and executed that it was transferred to become a cinematic release.
Given the high profile scandals of the royal family today, this story seems almost timid. But, history does repeat itself, so one can never be entirely sure, until such time as the royal archives are opened to scholars, perhaps a few centuries from now, and the truth may be known to posterity.
A really well done film. A few historical inaccuracies, but they do not affect the quality of the story.. Dame Judi is wonderful!
It is very seldom that I get to watch the movie of this quality. It is absolutely brilliant.
This is a story of a unique friendship formed between two very unlike characters: Queen Victoria and her servant Mr. Brown. As the story developed I was completely absorbed by the lives of these two people, as if I was actually part of it rather then watching the film.
Story is incredibly well told (though I do wish filmmakers were not in such a rush to end it), cinematography is absolutely beautiful and as far as the historical part of the movie it was perfectly captured. And then there are actors involved in this movie.
I do not think that my knowledge of English language will allow me to fully describe superb talent of Judi Dench, which by all means is unmatched by anyone alive today. Her performance was absolutely flawless. Academy should be ashamed for not awarding her with an Oscar and choosing Helen Hunt's performance over hers. Not even a contest in my opinion.
As incredible as Judi Dench is I'm sure it is very hard to find costars that will not be completely overshadowed by her. But Billy Connelly filled the screen with his brilliant performance. Perfect chemistry between the two. And of course - Geoffrey Palmer who happens to be Judi's long time costar from BBC's "As Time Goes By" (which I think is one of the best TV comedies of all time). When you get so caught up in a movie that you forget it's not a real life you know that actors are doing an incredible job.
This is an exceptionally well made film, a stunning piece of cinematography. And I think it should be a part of any movie-lovers collection. It certainly is part of mine.