Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2115 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-03-12
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: AC-3, Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Colour, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, PAL, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Original language: English, French, German
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 97 minutes

Amazon.com
Helen Mirren reigns supreme in The Queen, a witty and ingenious look at a moment that rocked the house of Windsor: the week that followed the sudden death of Princess Diana in 1997. Diana's death came at just the same time that Prime Minister Tony Blair (played by the bright Michael Sheen) was settling into his new government--and trying to figure out the delicate relationship between 10 Downing Street and Queen Elizabeth II (Mirren). A large portion of the British population was trying to figure out the Windsors that week, as Elizabeth remained stiff-upper-lip and largely mum about the death of the beloved princess. In Peter Morgan's skillful script, we watch as Blair grows increasingly impatient with the Royals, who are sequestered in their Scottish estate while the public demands some show of grief. Prince Philip (James Cromwell, in good form) clumsily decides to take Diana's sons hunting, while a sympathetically-treated Prince Charles (Alex Jennings) displays some frustration with his mother's eerie calm.

None of this conveys how funny the film is, or how deftly it flows from one scene to the next. Director Stephen Frears (Dirty Pretty Things) deserves great credit for that, and for the performances, and for the movie's marvelous sense of well-roundedness; you could see this movie and groan at the cluelessness of the Royals and their outmoded existence, or you might just sympathise with showing reserve in a world that values gross public displays of emotion. But either way, you'll marvel at Mirren, who makes the Queen far more alert and human than one might ever have imagined. --Robert Horton

Synopsis
There was an unprecedented outpouring of grief by the British public following the death of Princess Diana in 1997. After an austere response by the Royal Family to Diana’s death, Queen Elizabeth II attempts to reconnect with the nation. THE QUEEN takes a look at an eventful period of British history. In 1997, the British monarchy was reeling from scandal and divorce. Prince Charles and Princess Diana had recently separated. In addition, Labour swept to power after 18 years of Tory rule, led by the charismatic Tony Blair. When Diana--known affectionately by the tabloids and the public as the People’s Princess--dies in a Paris tunnel while being chased by paparazzi, a shocked nation displays an unprecedented outpouring of grief and turns to its monarch for support. Instead, Queen Elizabeth II decides to stay in Balmoral Castle in order to protect her grandsons William and Harry from the display of grief. Unwilling to share the Windsors’ feelings about the death with the nation, the monarchy slides into increasing unpopularity. Following Labour’s overwhelming victory at the polls, newly elected Prime Minister Tony Blair attempts to get the Queen to take the necessary measures to win back the monarchy’s popularity. Helen Mirren (CALENDER GIRLS, ELIZABETH 1) gives an astonishing performance as the monarch. She injects a sense of vulnerability and complexity to a person who is very private about her personal life. Michael Sheen (BLOOD DIAMOND) also produces an excellent display as Tony Blair, having to use all the diplomacy he can muster. Stephen Frears’ (HIGH FIDELITY, DIRTY PRETTY THINGS) film is a superb reconstruction of what may have happened behind the scenes during a traumatic period.

Customer Reviews

A simple and incisive piece of filmwork
I originally had no intentions of watching this film let alone buying it, but then I got curious, so I picked it up for a couple of pounds.

I'm very pleased that I did, I think this gives a very good account of what happened or what may have happened in the aftermath of the death of Princess Diana.

There are excellent portrayals of The Queen (Dame Helen Mirren), Prince Phillip (James Cromwell) and Tony Blair (Michael Sheen), strangely enough there is very little screen time given to Prince Charles, which I found a little strange.

I was never a great fan of Princess Diana, nor for that matter Tony Blair, although it does not harp on about how "wonderful" Princess Diana was, it does grind on me a bit how much they appear to credit Blair as if everything that was handled well was down to him sticking his nose in to that was none of his business, mind you he was always very good at that, so I can quite believe that he did make a nuisance of himself toward the Royal family.

I can well believe that both The Queen and Prince Phillip were sick and tired of Blairs constant interference and pestering too.

Overall though a great effort that tends not preach, but attempts to give a good account of what was happening in the country at that time, I think they succeed in doing this very well indeed.

rubbish!
Helen Mirren played the part superbly but alas, it makes pretty nauseating viewing. You'd think the whole country was in a state of utter despair when Princess Diana died (and did some moron really write a card saying "they have your blood on their hands"? How stupid have we become as a nation if so?). There was no other viewpoint to be shown and you'd have thought the whole country was baying for the Queen's blood rather than just the spiteful press..

As for Tony Blair being the champion of the Royal Family, saving them "from themselves", yeah right.
As for Cherie Blair complaining about "extravagance", well, let's stop there...
Pass the sickbag!
When the actor and actrsss playing the part of the Blair's come across as likeable and not sleazy you just know it can't be right...
Oh and did Prince Charles really grovel to the Labour Party?
By all means watch it but be very careful about believing this drivel.

When the death of a Lady made the Monarchy totter.
To confront the Queen of England, Tony Blair and the death of Lady Diana, the Princess of Wales, was dramatic at the time but has totally aged today. And the film has aged to. This big vignette, this enormous cameo in normal life that this week after the tragic end of a young woman was has become quaint, charmingly quaint but with little meaning left. During that week, or even that summer, the monarchy nearly fell in England but the Queen, though surrounded by too many people who were deaf and blind, managed to hear the piece of advice given to her by Tony Blair and she followed it and saved that monarchy. Is that what happened or not? That is not the problem. It is reassuring to believe it is what happened. But it is also important to understand that in today's world what counts is public opinion. We may think public opinion is looking for emotional and sentimental empathy instead of real deep inner grief. But this public opinion remains the yardstick with which we are to measure and determine our behavior. Apparently Stephen Frears wants to make us believe that Elizabeth II did feel and understand the necessity to accept that rule. Something of the kind surely happened. Yet the film is in no way transcendingly immortal. The best part remains Helen Mirren who is embodying a Queen that is superbly heart raking and soul moving.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne & University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines