God Save the Queen!

Returning to 1997 is quite the uncanny experience. It seems so close, yet when we see a representation of what that world was like, we experience quite the shock. The film, The Queen, builds upon this feeling to the point where it makes us question our own memory. When we consider the legacy of Tony Blair, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, and Princess Diana, and then look at the film, we realize that we may have forgotten our own immediate past. It is funny that as calculating and political as Tony Blair is portrayed within The Queen, we are reminded of his relatively recent resignation from the position of Prime Minister. While Blair was able to control the aftermath of Princess Diana’s death, he was not able to control the United States’ foray into Iraq. 9/11 made life more immediate for the individual, and while there is still a surplus in celebrity worship, I do not believe that we could ever again witness the wailing and gnashing of teeth that surrounded the death of non-political, non-religious figure.

The legacy of the other three Britons has also shifted since the event portrayed within the film. There have been mentions to abolish the monarchy, but they will not gather steam as long as Queen Elizabeth is alive. Prince Charles is still portrayed as the dope that he was in 1997, but it seems as though people mistrust him more, at least with the conspiracy theorists that think that he killed Diana. If and when he assumes the monarchy, we may have reason to think that the monarchy will end with him. As short of a memory as people have, Londoners still remember Queen Elizabeth’s efforts during WWII, and they still appreciate that. Diana’s legacy, as explored within the film, experienced an immediate elevation. We no longer remember her as the floozy that the media portrayed her as, but rather for her humanitarian efforts.

I believe that the film was fair in its’ portrayal of the four Britons, as it seems perfectly reasonable that the events portrayed were the events which occurred. While some people may think that Queen Elizabeth was portrayed in a negative light, I think that the portrayal was beyond positive. The public was given a general understanding of how the Royals operate, and within this system we see that The Queen, even with all that she stands for, is subject to petty politics. I do not think that the film was unfair, but I think it cast a particularly truthful, ugly light upon the will of the masses. The grown men crying in the street after Diana’s death was a reality, a reality that we forgot about, perhaps wished to forget about. But it was there. It was there as the ugliest aspect of humanity, celebrity worship. People forgot what they were doing, and went to go “pray” for Princess Diana. We can only hope that this projection of worth onto celebrities will end, and maybe it did to the extent of Princess Diana, but I’m sure that another example will come along to show humanity at its’ most pathetic.

Jack Gustafson