Review of Lady Jane

Introduction

This film produced in 1986 deals with the shortest reign of a Tudor monarch which if it had been successful could have radically altered the face of this country. The plan put forward by the Lord Protector of England, John Dudley, was that on the death of Edward, Jane should succeed as the true Protestant Queen of England, Ireland and France.

To this end John Dudley marries his dissolute son Guildford, to Jane, against her very strong will. Curiously they fall in love and resolve to stand firm against the machinations of their parents. When Edward dies, Jane is made Queen but Mary is also determined to be the ruler of England and is mustering an army in Norfolk. Jane`s reign is cut short after only nine days and she awaits her fate parted from Guildford in the Tower of London.

All this took place when Jane was only 16 years old and unable to direct her own affairs.

Video

This film has survived well with a reasonable colour quality added to by the richness of the location and costume

Audio

I had real problems with the sound and found it very difficult to get the levels right Every time I turned up the volume to hear the dialogue I was drowned by the sound of music
The music itself falls into the traditional `merrie England` type. Script wise at least there is a semblance of trying to make the people speak in less modern parlance. Unlike recent TV dramas these people have been brought up to speak `proper`.

Features

Nowt but photos.

Conclusion

Taking great liberties with a dramatic slice of history this social commentary fro the 80s set in `not so merrie old England` somehow fails to have any bite. Positing good Queen Jane as a potential social reformer seems to be based more on hope than any real history Her husband who changes overnight from dissolute wastrel to one hot lover is also made of wishful thinking The real story of Jane as a young woman who had no say in her life because she was a woman is a hugely ironic one given that she was followed by two of the strongest monarchs who also happened to be women Jane`s life and death was a matter of politics played out by her family and other politicians where the prize could be great wealth and power but to lose meant certain death.
This film is a soft focus richly costumed play-history and lacks the dramatic tension of other more recent films such as `Elizabeth`. Disappointing despite the array of fine British talent. Helena Bonham Carter pouts her way through a difficult role in which she as an already twenty year old manages to convince as a mature teenager. The film also features a certain Patrick Stewart before he hit the heights of a Paramount pay-packet.

Directed by Trevor Nunn and with his buddies from the RSC featuring this becomes a moderately entertaining mistelling of a fascinating period of history .The settings and costumes are fine but I was unmoved by the made up love story because I like my history straight thank you. Not for historian purists and not for me.