Young Victoria
Wednesday, March 4th, 2009 02:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
caddymanI am trying to make fewer posts during the working day, since I am hoping that by showing a little additional diligence I might be able to make my temporary promotion permanent. Even if that doesn’t work, I can at least fall back on righteous indignation at being passed over again at some point. In the meantime, it never hurts to earn a little goodwill from time to time.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that I ban myself from LJing at lunchtime and I don’t see why it should, especially where there is fun to be had.
A few days ago, Furtle and I were discussing in a rather haphazard fashion, whether or not there were any forthcoming movies we wanted to shell out golden splonders on at the cinema. On the basis of encouraging rumours atop a twenty-year wait, I of course bagsied Watchmen. Furtle expressed a desire to see The Young Victoria the movie that purports to focus on the neglected early part of Victoria’s reign.
Julian Fellowes, the Oscar-winning scriptwriter of Gosford Park was hired to write the movie and he is quoted as saying “If I have made people realise that Victoria was not just a dumpy little woman in black with a handkerchief on her head then I’ve done something worthwhile.” By all accounts he’s succeeded. Prior to this film who knew that Prince Albert was an action hero in the Schwarzenegger mode?
Fellowes has ‘improved’ history. It wasn’t quite good enough, so he beefed it up. In the emotional climax of the movie, Victoria and Albert are in an open-topped coach when a gun man attacks. Seeing the danger, Prince Albert dives in front of his bride and takes the assassin’s bullet meant for her. This is the moment she realises the depths of his feeling for her and with trueGerman British stoicism fights down the impulse to do a Jackie Kennedy and clamber out of the back of the carriage covered in her husband’s gore.
The scene is based upon an incident on Constitution Hill on 10 June 1840 when a chap called Edward Oxford tried to shoot the couple. His gun jammed or misfired and there were no casualties.
Of course, the home life of Queen Victoria wasn’t especially exciting so maybe history really does need improving. If so, they haven’t gone far enough:
Next week: Vicky and Al: It’s Payback Time. Thrill as the young royals forge a global empire; a saga set against the sweeping plains of Africa, the soaring mountains of Asia and the tea plantations of Ceylon. Don’t miss the thundering climax as accompanied only by the Light Tank Brigade, Al storms the Russian guns at Sevastopol!
Of course, this doesn’t mean that I ban myself from LJing at lunchtime and I don’t see why it should, especially where there is fun to be had.
A few days ago, Furtle and I were discussing in a rather haphazard fashion, whether or not there were any forthcoming movies we wanted to shell out golden splonders on at the cinema. On the basis of encouraging rumours atop a twenty-year wait, I of course bagsied Watchmen. Furtle expressed a desire to see The Young Victoria the movie that purports to focus on the neglected early part of Victoria’s reign.
Julian Fellowes, the Oscar-winning scriptwriter of Gosford Park was hired to write the movie and he is quoted as saying “If I have made people realise that Victoria was not just a dumpy little woman in black with a handkerchief on her head then I’ve done something worthwhile.” By all accounts he’s succeeded. Prior to this film who knew that Prince Albert was an action hero in the Schwarzenegger mode?
Fellowes has ‘improved’ history. It wasn’t quite good enough, so he beefed it up. In the emotional climax of the movie, Victoria and Albert are in an open-topped coach when a gun man attacks. Seeing the danger, Prince Albert dives in front of his bride and takes the assassin’s bullet meant for her. This is the moment she realises the depths of his feeling for her and with true
The scene is based upon an incident on Constitution Hill on 10 June 1840 when a chap called Edward Oxford tried to shoot the couple. His gun jammed or misfired and there were no casualties.
Of course, the home life of Queen Victoria wasn’t especially exciting so maybe history really does need improving. If so, they haven’t gone far enough:
Covered in her husband’s blood, the Monarch rises from the carriage and with a shout of “Amuse this, Mother F*ck*r” she pulls the cross from the top of the royal orb to reveal it to be an hand grenade. Hurling this at the would-be assassin, she rips her dress to allow her the freedom to run and commando-rolls onto the grass. (Crinolines are designed to absorb this kind of action). In a crouching run she makes for the trees in the park, whilst stripping down the sceptre and reassembling it as a repeating rifle.
“You don’t take down Saxe-Coburg and Gotha that easily, you anarchist bastard!”, a final roll, back to her feet and one precisely placed kill shot directly between the eyes.
Cut to tearful scene in hospital. Victoria paces up and down as Albert undergoes surgery. The news comes in from Baker Street that Sherlock Holmes has identified the assassin as a member of the Russian royal family. The camera zooms in on Florence Nightingale, bloodied rag in her hand: “As God is my witness, I shall take the troops to the Crimea and make the Czar pay for this!”
Next week: Vicky and Al: It’s Payback Time. Thrill as the young royals forge a global empire; a saga set against the sweeping plains of Africa, the soaring mountains of Asia and the tea plantations of Ceylon. Don’t miss the thundering climax as accompanied only by the Light Tank Brigade, Al storms the Russian guns at Sevastopol!
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(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-04 02:24 pm (UTC)Although I am a little concerned that the person responsible for one of the most tedious films ever produced i.e. Gosford, is involved! Not THE most tedious, as I have also seen Solaris and The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, in which I could actually feel myself ageing....
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-04 02:36 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-04 03:52 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-04 02:44 pm (UTC)I must go and sit down for a while.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-04 03:53 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-04 08:04 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-05 06:14 am (UTC)Gosford park was worth it for Richard E Grant's bitchy sneering and Clive Owen being (shock horror) not sh*te.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-04 03:25 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-04 08:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-04 02:35 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-04 04:12 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-04 04:17 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-04 06:45 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-04 06:48 pm (UTC)The full kit also includes Armills which practically count as golden armbands, so she should also be able to deflect bullets, making Albert's Heroic Sacrifice even more tragic.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-04 10:54 pm (UTC)Nice re-imagining though.
In all fairness though, from what I remember of the trailer, there's a man firing a pistol, but no sign of impact, merely Albert shielding her.
I suspect that I'll be seeing this when it comes out, after all it can't be worse than that Wilberforce film that came out.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-05 02:00 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-05 12:48 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-06 01:05 am (UTC)Actually both Zombie and Alien treatments exist. The Alien one is going to be called "Pride and Predator"
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-06 01:12 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-05 07:52 am (UTC)Anyway, seeing as most films alter history to make the English EVIL/WEAK/BORING etc, having our stuff sexed up a little makes a nice change.