|
|
|
|
| Select
a Category: HOME | MOVIE REVIEWS | 4 STAR REVIEWS | TRAILERS ABOUT US | CONTACT US | LINKS | PUBLISHING PERMISSION |
|
|
|
THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL 2 Stars – Disturbing Few people have caused as many historical debates as has Anne
Boleyn
(Natalie
Portman).
Considered
by
some
to
be
one
of
the
most
significant
queens
in
British
history,
Anne’s
motives
and
the
accusations
against
her
of
adultery,
incest
and
treason
have
long
been
topics
of
debate.
Some
believe
she
was
deeply
religious
and
a
protestant
reformer
whose
influence
on
Henry
the
VIII
(Eric
Bana)
caused
him
to
break
with
Rome
and
establish
the
Church
of
England.
Other
historians
present
her
as
an
ambitious
and
manipulative
woman
who
used
her
charm
to
beguile
the
King
but
did
not
allow
him
to
have
her
until
he
annulled
his
marriage
to
Queen
Katherine
of
Aragon
(Ana
Torrent)
and
made
Anne
his
queen. Since the Pope would not annul the marriage,
Anne
convinced
Henry
to
break
with
Rome
and
make
himself
head
of
the
Church
of
England. But this film, “The Other Boleyn Girl,” is about Anne’s sister,
Mary
(Scarlett
Johansson).
Although
her
tale
cannot
be
told
without
weaving
into
it
the
life
of
her
sister,
British
novelist
Philippa
Gregory
set
out
in
2002
to
tell
the
story
from
Mary’s
perspective.
Virtually
leaving
out
the
religious
aspects
of
the
two
sisters’
lives,
the
novel
and
the
film
take
a
decidedly
unsympathetic
view
of
both
Anne
and
Mary,
as
well
as
the
family
that
encouraged
their
behaviors. Historians agree that Mary was a mistress of the king. Although she had been married as a teenager,
Mary
agrees
to
the
Kings
advances
with
her
weak
husband’s
acquiescence. It is also agreed by historians that Anne took
Henry
from
Mary’s
arms.
Additionally,
historians
agree
that
Anne’s
daughter
Elizabeth,
born
during
Anne’s
brief
time
as
queen,
became
one
of
the
longest
ruling
queens
in
England’s
history.
Directed
by
Justin
Chadwick,
this
film
presents
a
possible
explanation
of
the
intricacies
of
Mary
and
Anne’s
relationship
and
the
cause
for
Elizabeth’s
coming
to
the
throne.
Historically, Mary’s father Sir Thomas Boleyn (Mark Rylance)
was
an
honored
aristocrat
of
the
court
of
both
Henry
the
VII
and
Henry
the
VIII.
In
this
film,
he
is
presented
as
a
conniving
opportunistic
father
who
uses
his
daughters
to
gain
property
and
power
by
offering
Anne
as
a
mistress,
and
even
when
the
King
falls
for
Mary
he
encourages
her
to
be
an
adulteress
with
the
monarch.
When Mary’s pregnancy confines her to bed rest, Sir Thomas asks Anne
to
distract
the
King
from
other
women.
Working
in
partnership
with
his
wife’s
brother,
the
Duke
of
Norfolk
(David
Morrissey),
their
plan
for
Mary’s
place
in
the
King’s
heart
is
high-jacked
by
Anne
whose
competitive
ambition
seeks
to
remove
Mary
and
make
herself
not
just
the
King’s
mistress
but
his
queen. The moral implications and consequences within the film are
many.
Marriage
without
love
which
instead
seeks
power
and
position
is
an
empty,
futile
arrangement. Manipulation of lust creates a desire which,
even
when
finally
experienced,
does
not
produce
love
but
disgust
and
distrust.
Competition,
whether
between
sisters
or
families,
creates
massive
injustice
and
cruelty. And the sins of adultery, greed and pride will
take
over
an
individual’s
soul.
Discussion:
________________ Cinema In Focus is a social and spiritual movie commentary.
Hal
Conklin
is
former
mayor
of
Santa
Barbara
and
Denny
Wayman
is
pastor
of
the
Free
Methodist
Church.
For
more
reviews:
http://www.cinemainfocus.com.
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
| Select
a Category: HOME | MOVIE REVIEWS | 4 STAR REVIEWS | TRAILERS ABOUT US | CONTACT US | LINKS | PUBLISHING PERMISSION |
|
|
© 2000-2007 Cinema In Focus
