|
|
FIREBRAND (2024)
Director: Karim Aïnouz Cast: Alicia Vikander, Jude Law, Eddie Marsan, Simon Russell Beale, Sam Riley, Ruby Bentall, Mia Threapleton, Bryony Hannah, Erin Doherty, Amr Waked, Patsy Ferran, Paul Tinto, Anna Mawn, Junia Rees MPAA
Rating: Running Time: 2:00 Release Date: 6/14/24 (limited) |
|
Review by Mark Dujsik | June 13, 2024 Firebrand throws us into the middle of a lot. There's sectarian strife in England, as religious groups begin to rise in opposition to the king—ironically because that king began a new populist church in the country, away from Rome and excising Latin in favor of the common tongue. All of that, of course, stems from the king's multiple marriages in his desperation for a male heir to the throne, which resulted in annulments and/or executions of several of those wives. The king is off to war in France again, leaving control of his kingdom to the woman at the center of this story: his sixth and who will be his final wife. The screenplay, an adaptation of Elizabeth Freemantle's novel Queen's Gambit, depends on a certain knowledge of British royal history, especially the bloody reign of Henry VIII, whose rule makes a good case that monarchy is always one character flaw away from tyranny. That Henry had many flaws is neither a secret nor outside the realm of popular historical knowledge, and it's probably letting the man off easy that the most commonly held idea of him is his obesity. The other, of course, is that most students in the United Kingdom recall the fates of his wives with a helpful memory tool: divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. The survivor—in that her marriage to Henry ended with the king's death, since another wife outlived him—was Katherine Parr. The movie, written by sisters Henrietta and Jessica Ashworth, tells Parr's story with the notion that she was smarter, more cunning, and, ultimately, more influential on what would follow her husband's reign than Henry himself. Well, that's not immediately, obviously, since there is the matter of his daughter who would become a queen and earn the nickname "Bloody Mary" for following her father's example under a different system of religious beliefs. It's slightly important to bring up some of this, if only because the movie's limited scope leaves it feeling as if some major parts of its story's history are incomplete. Scholars will probably dismiss it, especially when Katherine, played by Alicia Vikander, turns one final table on the king, but for as much drama as there is in history, scholars aren't always the best judges of what makes for good dramatic license. The ending here feels right, even if it probably has no foundation in reality or historical record. All of this rambling has something of a point, and that has to do with the confounding effect of director Karim Aïnouz's movie, which mostly works in its dramatized ideas about Parr, her relationship with Henry, and the palace intrigue that results from their, to put it mildly, differences of opinion about many, many things. The movie is also steeped in real history, which only matters here because so much of it is tantalizing but also underdeveloped by the screenplay. It's a key component of the drama, helping us to understand why Katherine does what she does and the assorted ways Henry is an antagonistic force. In only giving that history lip service, the movie feels as if it's missing a vital element of its storytelling. Ignoring that for a moment, the depiction of the marriage here is compelling. It doesn't even exist at first in the tale, since the king is off on another wartime expedition and Katherine is holding her own as the queen regent. The king is spoken of in hushed tones and, when it's announced that he's returning from France earlier than expected, genuine fear. The build-up to Henry's arrival is suspenseful, particularly since Katherine is consorting with Anne Askew (Erin Doherty), an old friend and now the leader of a religious sect that stands in opposition to the king. Katherine more or less agrees with Anne but cannot say it in any forum, because there's a campaign to rid the country of heretics. When the king is the head of both state and church, anyone who undermines the rule of that king is both a traitor and heretic. Henry here is played by Jude Law as a most dangerous foe for Katherine. He's a pathetic man, leaving the battlefield because he is too heavy to and has an infected wound that prevents him from mounting a horse, but he is so certain and in need of his power that all of his behavior is about maintaining it. Katherine worries for her life and gradually starts to rebel after Henry has Anne executed, and eventually, the king's trusted bishop Stephen Gardiner (Simon Russell Beale) suspects Katherine might not have Henry's best interests at heart. There are many players here, including—but not limited to—two brothers (played by Eddie Marsan and Sam Riley) of Henry's wife who died after giving the king his only male heir, assorted advisors and ladies-in-waiting, and three children who will later become monarchs. When the movie isn't focused on the conflict between the royal spouses, the story becomes lost amidst characters having conversations about matters that it only half-heartedly establishes and develops. It doesn't matter if Firebrand is historically accurate, of course, but it does matter that whatever history a movie is trying to tell or speculate about is communicated with at least some depth. If we're not provided the context for a historical drama, we're ultimately denied a sense of both history and drama. Copyright © 2024 by Mark Dujsik. All rights reserved. |
Buy Related Products
|
(for
some violent content, brief gore and sexuality/nudity)
