[ad_1]
It is more than disconcerting when a “period drama” is about events that you remember all too clearly because you experienced them. Not only do you wonder how old you are, if you are like me, you spend all your time shouting at the TV screen: “No, no, no! This is not the case at all! “
So, yeah, that’s how I looked at the fourth season of The crown, the Netflix series based loosely – and on the rehearsals of the last few episodes, very loosely indeed – on the life and times of Queen Elizabeth II and her family. And now that I’m done binging on the series, here are some of my completely random thoughts and observations.
• This season of the show owes more to writer Peter Morgan’s imagination than to history. Even in previous series, Morgan had played fast and loose with the facts (Prince Philip was never involved in the Perfume affair; and he never had an affair with a dancer) but the plot remained true to the essential facts. This is not at all true for the fourth season. Instead, Morgan gleefully does things to carry the plot forward, which has the effect of making even events rooted in reality seem fictitious.
• The nuanced representation of royalty in previous seasons has given way to an almost caricatured quality. The queen is depicted as a cold, clumsy woman, so distant from her children that she asks her courtiers to write down notes on each child’s hobbies and interests before meeting them, so that she is not “unprepared”. The sensitive Prince Charles of the third season is nowhere to be found; instead the heir to the throne is a self-pitying figure consumed by the jealousy of his young wife. Princess Margaret is reduced to a rude presence with a total lack of charm and grace. Suffice it to say that it is difficult to recognize these characters as the same ones they populated The crownthe universe of in seasons two and three.
“Is turning other people’s lives into our entertainment ever a good idea? There are no simple answers; but it’s worth thinking about “
• I’m not a Margaret Thatcher fan but, honestly, the Iron Lady deserved better than the petite, parody-like performance Gillian Anderson delivers in her portrayal of the British Prime Minister. Anderson interprets her as an old hump, perpetually wearing, both tired and worn. You never, ever had a hint of the force of nature that Thatcher, a truly transforming figure, was during this time. And this is truly a missed opportunity.
• The best thing about the show is Emma Corrin’s performance as Princess Diana. She has the right Diana charm and shyness, that slight tilt of her head as she looks at the world through her lashes, that quivering smile. But where the show fails – and this is Morgan’s failure rather than Corrin’s – is that it fails to capture the essence of Diana’s personality. Yes, she was naive in some ways, but in many others she was cunning and manipulative. He may have started out as Shy Di, but he soon learned to interpret the media like a master. There were a myriad of dimensions to her personality and projecting her as a mere victim is doing her injustice.
• Was the fashion of the 80s really as bad as it is portrayed in this series? I was a college kid, and then a young pro, during this decade and always thought we dressed reasonably smart. But I couldn’t help but shiver in front of the young Lady Diana’s wardrobe in this series. All those pie-crusted collars, quirky cardigans, and meringue-like dresses look so hopelessly dated, even downright scruffy. This made me rush back to my photo albums from this time to revisit my “look” during this time. And you know what, the series is absolutely right. The 1980s is truly the decade that fashion has forgotten.
• And finally, is it right to make a TV series about people who are still alive and likely to be hurt by the portrait of their inner life? How would Charles and Camilla feel, for example, about being reduced to adulterous fornicators? And how would Prince William and Harry feel about looking at their “mother” with her head stuck in a toilet? Is turning other people’s lives into our entertainment ever a good idea? There are no simple answers; but it’s still worth thinking about.
The views expressed by the editor are personal
From HT Brunch, November 29, 2020
Follow us on twitter.com/HTBrunch
Connect with us at facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunch
.
[ad_2]
Source link
