By Vanessa HoThe lasting image in history that most people associate with Queen Victoria, Britain's longest reigning monarch to date, is of a plump, dour, old woman always in black, forever in mourning for her beloved husband, Prince Albert.
However, in The Young Victoria, playing at the 28th Annual Vancouver International Film Festival (http://www.viff.org/tixSYS/2009/filmguide/films/2982), director Jean-Marc Valle (C.RA.Z.Y) and Oscar-winning screenwriter Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park) presents us with a Victoria (Emliy Blunt) that is vivacious, spunky, strong-willed yet naive.
The film explores her early reign, starting with the year before her she ascends the throne and her struggle with her mother's (Miranda Richardson) advisor, John Conroy (the very villainous Mark Strong) over the issue of Regency. Regency you see is in place when a monarch is unable to rule themselves because of illness or disability or because they are too young. You see, Victoria is 17 and it looks like King William IV (Jim Broadbent bringing nice drunken comic relief) is on death's door and with a Regency in place, it means that Victoria's mother will rule England (but it is really Conroy that will rule). This is where the strong-willed Victoria comes in as she refuses to sign anything that would take away her rights and be controlled
When Victoria turns 18, Regency is no longer needed and soon enough King William IV passes away and she ascends the throne. However, because she is so young and inexperienced, Victoria relies heavily on Lord Melbourne, the British Prime Minister, for advice on everything on who to hire for her household, events to attend and what issues she should be involved in or not.
Sprinked throughout all of this political intrigue is a love story between Victoria and her cousin Albert (Rupert Friend). While initially, they were an arranged match for political reasons (Albert was the nephew of the ambitous Leopold, King of the Belgians), it ended up being a love match.
It really is the love story of Victoria and Albert that gives the film its heart. Blunt and Friend have such great chemistry that is playful, sweet and loving. This chemistry is very evident during Albert's third and final visit to Victoria in England. When Albert enters the room, the camera focuses on Blunt's face and you can just see in her eyes that she deeply loves this man that has just walked into the room.
While this is very much a romantized view of their romance, I think I much prefer it than what the history books tell us.
As well, some of the facts presented were not historically accurate either such as Prince Albert taking a bullet during one of the failed assination attempts on Victoria's life but I can understand that Fellowes wanted to add some drama to the film.
Blunt should also be commended here as Victoria. Early on, just as Queen Victoria is coronated she still shows us that while she is Queen and the weight of a whole nation on her shoulders, Blunt still shows us that she is a teenager that wants to have fun and be mischevious.
The Young Victoria plays October 7, 2009 at 11am at the Visa Screening Room at the Granville 7 Cinemas.
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