'I am come hither to die'
Lady Jane, 1986. Dir. Trevor NUNN. Acted Helena BONHAM CARTER, Cary ELWES. Paramount Pictures.
First things first - this is based on true historical events (the sad, sad story of Lady Jane Grey, queen for nine days, who 'ruled' between Henry VIII's children Edward VI and Mary I), but is terribly historically inaccurate in terms of the focus of the film. Still, it's grand drama, and while the real story is so much more tragic on a number of levels, there's something about this movie - I'll suspend my disbelief, even as I'm chattering away to jencallisto about what's inaccurate where.
Probably most notable for being HBC's first leading role (very early in her career, too); it was filmed before Room With a View but released after. It's interesting, because she has moments of being unsure of herself and making bobbles, but it's somewhat fitting with her character - an unwilling (often unsure) pawn in a big political game (at least in popular conception; quick perusal of some more recent scholarship indicates a different picture, though I can't say how successful the historians are in arguing their points yet). Also Elwes' breakthrough, and he and his bangs are in fine form here. Patrick Stewart and a number of members from one of the best Shakespeare companies are also on screen.
Pretty, if subdued; historically inaccurate in spots (the real Jane & her husband didn't get along at all, Jane certainly wasn't a social reformer, and so on); but 'fun,' if you can call a movie that ends with executions 'fun.' And they do get a lot right. She was quite brilliant and precocious, her parents were unloving (again, this is being challenged in spots, but there are some irrefutable facts that make Jane's mother, Frances Brandon, come off like quite a heel indeed), and the terrible scene on the scaffold actually did happen like that (we think). The politics are more or less spot on, as well. Not a flawless film by any means, but very enjoyable (I think). I remembered the end from early childhood - I was probably 4 or so the first time I saw it - and asked my mum about it years later, and she finally figured out what I was talking about. One just needs to go in expecting some eye rolling moments and (if you know your Tudor history) some inaccuracies, but you're golden if you can just suspend disbelief for 2 hours. I've watched the film scores of times at this point & still manage to.
Caps and a few other popular depictions of Jane below the cut - the icon today was actually identified as Jane Grey for a very long time, but is now thought to be Catherine Parr (Henry VIII's last wife), with whom Jane lived for some time.
Jane Grey is the one monarch from the past 500 years that the Nat'l Portrait Gallery in London has no (proven) contemporary portrait of & none are known to survive. However, she proved a semi-popular subject for engravers and painters, and has been misidentified a number of times. The last portrait was discovered in the past few years, and is thought to be a copy of a contemporary painting.
Le Supplice de Jeanne Grey (1833)
Paul Delaroche
Catherine Parr (c. 1545)
Master John; long misidentified as Jane Grey
Streatham Portrait
c. 1590s, probably copy of 1550s original (identified as Jane Grey based on a few factors that seem reasonably convincing)
First things first - this is based on true historical events (the sad, sad story of Lady Jane Grey, queen for nine days, who 'ruled' between Henry VIII's children Edward VI and Mary I), but is terribly historically inaccurate in terms of the focus of the film. Still, it's grand drama, and while the real story is so much more tragic on a number of levels, there's something about this movie - I'll suspend my disbelief, even as I'm chattering away to jencallisto about what's inaccurate where.
Probably most notable for being HBC's first leading role (very early in her career, too); it was filmed before Room With a View but released after. It's interesting, because she has moments of being unsure of herself and making bobbles, but it's somewhat fitting with her character - an unwilling (often unsure) pawn in a big political game (at least in popular conception; quick perusal of some more recent scholarship indicates a different picture, though I can't say how successful the historians are in arguing their points yet). Also Elwes' breakthrough, and he and his bangs are in fine form here. Patrick Stewart and a number of members from one of the best Shakespeare companies are also on screen.
Pretty, if subdued; historically inaccurate in spots (the real Jane & her husband didn't get along at all, Jane certainly wasn't a social reformer, and so on); but 'fun,' if you can call a movie that ends with executions 'fun.' And they do get a lot right. She was quite brilliant and precocious, her parents were unloving (again, this is being challenged in spots, but there are some irrefutable facts that make Jane's mother, Frances Brandon, come off like quite a heel indeed), and the terrible scene on the scaffold actually did happen like that (we think). The politics are more or less spot on, as well. Not a flawless film by any means, but very enjoyable (I think). I remembered the end from early childhood - I was probably 4 or so the first time I saw it - and asked my mum about it years later, and she finally figured out what I was talking about. One just needs to go in expecting some eye rolling moments and (if you know your Tudor history) some inaccuracies, but you're golden if you can just suspend disbelief for 2 hours. I've watched the film scores of times at this point & still manage to.
Caps and a few other popular depictions of Jane below the cut - the icon today was actually identified as Jane Grey for a very long time, but is now thought to be Catherine Parr (Henry VIII's last wife), with whom Jane lived for some time.
Jane Grey is the one monarch from the past 500 years that the Nat'l Portrait Gallery in London has no (proven) contemporary portrait of & none are known to survive. However, she proved a semi-popular subject for engravers and painters, and has been misidentified a number of times. The last portrait was discovered in the past few years, and is thought to be a copy of a contemporary painting.
Le Supplice de Jeanne Grey (1833)
Paul Delaroche
Catherine Parr (c. 1545)
Master John; long misidentified as Jane Grey
Streatham Portrait
c. 1590s, probably copy of 1550s original (identified as Jane Grey based on a few factors that seem reasonably convincing)