Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana was an intriguing idea when the pictures of Spencer first hit the internet, it was remarkable as she really did look like her. The posture was spot on, obviously professional hairstylists and make-up artists worked hard to finish the look, but seeing those images did make me want to watch the film.
Earlier this week Kristen Stewart received an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of late Princess and it wasn’t a surprising nomination. This was an outstanding performance. But the movie itself, Spencer, is a different take on the life of the late royal, in particular her last Christmas with the royal family at Sandringham castle.
So, this is definitely a creative interpretation of what it was like for Princess Diana, firstly the location used for Sandringham castle, isn’t the actual Sandringham, it is remote German castle, surrounded by water, which looks nothing like Sandringham coincidentally.
Another aspect of the film, which I later found out to be true, is this strange tradition that the British royal family do, where they weigh themselves when they arrive for the Christmas celebrations, and again when they leave. It is an ancient tradition that demonstrates that if you have gained weight you have had a good time. Which is strange to say the least, but for someone like Princess Diana, who had suffered a life-long eating disorder, having to weigh oneself would have be an ordeal.
The film Spencer has definitely used a creative license when demonstrating the brutality that Princess Diana was experiencing while staying with the royals and especially the slow torture she felt was being done to her by everyone in the household.
But the film also highlights the extreme fragility of Lady Diana. This mental state was exacerbated during the Christmas period at Sandringham combined with the slow and very public dissolution of her marriage to Prince Charles. The film does portray Diana in a severe state of mental distress throughout the film.
Directed by Pablo Larrain, Spencer is a film about a fragile individual who is going through the final stages of a separation and divorce from her husband. But the stress of it all causes hallucinations that are so extreme that you can’t decipher what is real from fiction. This is a film that shows the emotional rollercoaster that was the mental state of Diana Spencer and it is a lot to watch.
Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana was a force of nature. This performance was full on. There were difficult highs and massive lows and Kristen Stewart executed it with precision and hence why she received an Oscar nomination for her performance.
Spencer is a very creative take on a period of time that has been covered recently by the likes of The Crown, so seeing this version was interesting. There are moments where you genuinely feel for this woman who is being forced into a very difficult situation for the love of her children, but then there are times were you can’t help but wonder why no one stepped in and helped someone who was clearly experiencing immense trauma.
Spencer is a fascinating take of a well told piece of history.
Spencer is currently available on Hulu.
