The Young Victoria
I had this strange desire to watch “Jane Eyre”, but then I ended up with “The Young Victoria” instead, figuring that they’d be somewhat similar. Historic costumes, a fairly Biedermeier-like atmosphere of love – that was what I was looking for. My parents saw this film and really liked it, so I had to give it a try too.
From what I see, the screenshots of “Jane Eyre” are actually prettier. In Victoria’s younger days, clothes were more… frilly, I suppose? Some of Victoria’s costumes make me wonder if it was one of my roommates from my first semester at Tech who color-coordinated them – sooo bad, really. In comparison to that, I prefer the fleeting simplicity of “Jane Eyre”. But sadly I really dislike Mia Wasikowska (at least in “Alice in Wonderland” I did), whereas I think Emily Blunt is rather pleasant, and very suitable for the Victoria role.
This is one of those films which makes you want to find out all about its history – in fact, it is much more about politics rather than the love story, where nothing really happens. There is not even a love rival! I am not quite sure how I feel about Victoria myself. I admire her for having been able to stay queen for 64 years, and for fostering reforms beneficial to her country. But on the other hand, I wonder how much she actually contributed to it herself, having spent a good part of her life mourning the death of her husband, precisely when the Industrial Revolution was at its peak. (Also, in just 4 years, Elizabeth II will actually overtake her in length of, ahem. She will have to survive to the age of 89, and it sounds feasible.) But I digress. I have a certain admiration for England at her time, perhaps the only time when England was truly shining, and while bourgeoisie is so criticized in Germany, it feels much more positive there. Oddly enough, bourgeois morals should have been even more restricting in the UK but garnered in Victorian dresses and bonnets, you get this superficial impression that society seemed very happy at the time.
All in all, “The Young Victoria” is not a particularly relevant film. It is slow-paced, rather interesting and romantic in its strangely british cold kind of way, fulfilling its cliché. I liked it, but I don’t think anybody else would.