The Young Victoria
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DVD details
Actor: Emily Blunt, Rupert FriendBrand: Sony
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); English (Original Language)
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 2.35:1
Running Time: 105 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2010-04-20
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures
DVD Reviews of The Young Victoria
DVD Review: E N C H A N T I N G .....H I S T O R Y......W I T H......A.....N I C E....S U R P R I S E..!
Summary: 5 Stars
As someone who has ALWAYS been interested in Royalty, (ALL Royalty, but especially English Royalty), and in costuming, (ELEGANT costuming, only, that is -- from Ancient Egypt to the present day), I obviously found this movie, "THE YOUNG VICTORIA", (especially with all of its attendant great publicity -- and Oscar-Winning costume design!), totally irresistable! Not having seen it in a movie theatre, I just had to take a chance and buy it here on Amazon.
And I am SO glad I did!
I had known, before-hand, that Princess, (later Queen) Victoria of England, (here so wonderfully played, with feeling, shading, and depth, by EMILY BLUNT), had had problems with her mother, the Duchess of Kent, (played with equal believablity by the late NATASHA RICHARDSON) -- but had not heretofore known the depths of them. Over-protected almost to a cocooning and smothering degree by her mother, (who makes it mandatory that Princess Victoria be accompanied every time she walks up and down the stairs, and forbids her daughter the reading of novels until the age of 17), and, even more evilly, by Sir John Conroy, (MARK STRONG -- in an equally deftly-shaded and believable performance). In fact, EVERYONE acting in this movie -- from Ms. Blunt to STEPHEN RALPHS -- uncredited as Prince Albert's archery coach -- was totally and wonderfully believable in their roles). Sir John has concocted a
scheme wherein Princess Victoria should sign away her rights to the throne -- because she is "too young and inexperienced", and that her mother, (with Sir John as the real power-behind-the-throne), should act as Regent, at least until the Princess reaches the age of 25 (!) At the beginning of the film, Princess Victoria shows her spunk by totally REFUSING to sign a paper attesting to this, although she is quite ill and physically weakened.
Later, when Victoria is better, a birthday ball is held for her uncle, William IV, (here, just listed as "King William", and played with three-dimensional bravado by JIM BROADBENT). I have, in my own reading, discovered that King William IV is said to have declared he wished to be able to live just long enough so that his neice, then 17, would be able to inherit the throne at age 18, and that no regency, (of her mother and John Conroy), should take place. I do not know whether this sentiment was actually given as vehemently as it is presented in the Birthday Ball scene, but I do know that this WAS what William IV wanted!
Victoria becomes Queen in due course, She is escorted downstairs, (for what is to be the last time), by her mother, to hear the news of her uncle's death from two courtiers who have come to tell her this. A very, very famous painting, of Victoria, young and sweet and in a long-sleeved white nightgown, receiving the homage of these two gentlemen, is, in this movie, beautifully -- if all too fleetingly -- reproduced and broght to life in the movie. She is now her OWN mystress, and climbs up the stairs to her room, ALONE, for the first time in her life. Her mother and Sir John are banished to their own, separate apartments within Buckingham Palace -- and Sir John is NOT permitted to attend the Coronation.
Attending the Coronation, (which, like most Coronations, probably went on for several hours, in reality, but is here, in this film, of sad necessity, collapsed into but a minute -- or less), is the young Prince Albert of Saxe-Colberg-Gotha, (played, so well -- with all the depth, intelligence and hauteur any viewer / royalophile could expect -- by RUPERT FRIEND). He has been helping and encouraging Princess Victoria a lot, through the film to this point. She feels happy, protected, and appreciated in his company....and it's not long before she, (as is proper in Royal circles), proposes marriage to him, and he gladly accepts!
Wise Queen Adelaide, (HARRIET WALKER), the consort and wideow of William IV, gives the young Queen Regnant much good advice. This includes the sending-away of Baroness Lezen, (JEANETTE HAIN), who had been Princess Victoria's council and friend during her childhood, a refuge from the stern, selfish regime of Princess Victoria's mother, the Duchess of Kent. In many ways, it was Barnoness Lezen made Princess Victoria's life at all bearable -- but, as a married woman, Queen Victoria had to let her go, as the position of Victoria's comforter and protector was now rightly that of Prince Albert. And Prince Albert, only....
Prince Albert notices that the fires in Buckingham Palace's fireplaces are never lit, and that the windows are SO dirty that he can hardly see out of them. And that dinner is set out, in a separate room, every night, for, (of all people!), King George III -- who has been dead for twenty years! He sets about organizing, and modernizing palace procedures -- and, presumably, also eliminating the nightly dinners held for King George III!
Victoria and Albert, it is interesting to note, (at least at the start of her reign, as herein depicted), were LIBERALLY-MINDED, and cared very much for the conditions under which the poorest of their subjects lived. However, the Conservative Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, (wonderfully played, with many levels of feeling, by PAUL BETTANY), though truly protective, and admiring of the Queen, and encouraging her to use her OWN power and decisions, against those who would STILL rule in her stead), still does NOT have these positive feelings towards "ordinary" people. It's the old "Robin Hood" concept again -- only this time, it is the earstwhile "Robin Hood", (and the here-even-more-powerful, earstwhile "Maid Marion"), who are, in fact, the Queen of England her Prince Consort, who care, truly and deeply, about the welfare of their "ordinary" subjects -- and the conservative Prime Minister, (still, however, a commoner himself), who belittles the importance of non-royal, non-aristocratic people!
The costumes in this movie, (designed by SANDY POWELL), are appropriate, (as in the black mourning costumes worn after the passing of William IV), beautiful, breath-taking, but not overly so. Lavish, yes -- overly-ostentatious, no. Historical accuracy is what was aimed for here, and costume designer SANDY POWELL more than deserved her Oscar.
It is too bad that this movie ends with the birth of Queen Victoria's first child -- of nine. She and Prince Albert reigned together for a total of twenty years -- during which, I hazard to guess, the companionship of her beloved Albert kept Victoria young feeling and young-looking, in spite of growing slightly older, as it also, contemporaniously, also added to wisdom beyond her years, Happiness can do a great many things -- and I hoped to see them even more played out in this movie, which I expected to end with Albert's death, or, at the very least, the birth of their last child. The length of this film, I suppose, did not allow for all these things to be played out -- but mention of all of them, (plus the myriad Royal Houses that the descendants of Queen Victoria so admirably filled) - is at least given, briefly, in sentence-form, at the very end of the film. Mention is also made of the cause of Albert's death -- typhoid fever -- and his age at his death. Only 42! :_(
The DVD has extras of deleted scenes, a conversation with producer SARAH FERGUSON, (yes -- THAT Sarah Ferguson!), a section on "The Real Victoria", interviewing actress Emily Blunt discussing her reading of Victoria's diaries and letters, and many more extras.
For me, it is the spunkiness and assertiveness of Princess Victoria -- then, of Queen Victoria -- which truly stand out. In fact, the "nice surprise" in this movie, (for me, anyway), is that, along with being historical, engrossing, and beautifully-done by all conerned, it is also a gentle, yet definite lesson in assertiveness-training! Even being a Princess can have its perils, as this movie explains all too well. There are those who would rule in Victoria's stead in this movie -- just as there are people who, (and instituions, which) would, for most people, tell us how to think, and act, and feel. Living by the rule, "My freedom to swing my arm ends, where your nose begins", is often harder to impress on other people, (and institutions), than it is to be believed by one's self. Queen Victoria could so easily have become but a footnote in history, and remembered only as "Princess Victoria"), had she not decided to use her own mind and her own will. She had advisors, of course -- but in the end, it was HER decisions that counted. (A contemporary of Queen Victoria, Abraham Lincoln, once put it this way. His advisors gathered with him, and an idea was put to a vote. All the advisors voted "Yea", but Lincoln voted "Nay". After the voting, Lincoln said: "The 'Nays' have it!") Being one's OWN person is perhaps one of the most important things in life. Many women who consider themselves "ladies", however, are often shy and non-assertive -- evne when they WANT to be assertive. Such women, (like me!), are often drawn to romantic, costume dramas. I highly recommend this movie to anyone -- but especially to romantic, non-assertive women who wish to become no less romantic, but also more assertive.
One of Queen Victoria's royal duties -- that of presenting an exemplary image, to which others, in their own perhaps less-grand, (but still crucially-important, to themselves and to those in their own smaller spheres), can stive to emulate -- remains intact, and, with the aid of this movie, and of the sterling performances within -- continues, (alongside the equally-sterling examples of modern-day Royalty), to this very day, and to years and years beyond it, as well!
Long live the glorious memory of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert! And long may this film, dedicated to bringing their lives and memories, stay in print, to charm, entertain, and educate, many, many more generations of people, the world round!
Description of The Young Victoria
Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend star in the lavish historical drama, THE YOUNG VICTORIA. Resolved to establish her authority over those who rule in her stead, a young and inexperienced Queen Victoria (Blunt) draws strength from the love of Albert (Friend), the handsome prince who?s stolen her heart. Based on the courtship and early reign of England?s longest-serving monarch, THE YOUNG VICTORIA is a majestic tale of romance, intrigue and power.Bestsellers in DVD
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