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Summary: Lady Jane finally on DVD!
Review: I have loved this movie ever since I first saw it at 15. It made me fall in love with Cary Elwes and Helena Bonham Carter, both superb actors who should get more credit (and more roles!). I love the story, although it is tragic, albeit romantic at the same time. It does not bother me that it is in some respect historically inaccurate. So is "Braveheart" and that is my favorite movie of all time. The important thing is this movie made me want to know more, and since first seeing it I have become obsessed with English royalty and history. It is also a very well acted, well written, and well directed historical drama with beautiful costumes. Highly recommended to those who love a movie that's well done.
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Summary: THANK GOD!!!
Review: I, for one, am SO very thankful that Lady Jane is now out on DVD. I was obsessed with this movie as a teenager and am so thrilled that I can now own it--instead of watching my worn out recording from TV. (In the past, it's been 100 bucks or so for the VHS version...)Yipee! This is a beautiful film! Although not quite historically accurate, it's a moving love story that will melt hearts!
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Summary: "Blue Lagoon" goes Renaissance
Review: It's a shame that the interesting and relatively untapped story of Lady Jane got this sugary sweet treatment. It alternates between nubile pulp romance and engrossing costume drama. So when it's good, it's very good...and when it's corny, it's ridiculous (even the score is over the top). Excellent supporting cast. DVD offers no compelling special features...it would have been nice to have some extra Tudor treat in there!
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Summary: Heart-breaking
Review: This is one of those movies that change your life, forever. Helena Bonham Carter pulls off yet another grand perfomance as the innocent and puppet-like true character of Lady Jane Grey, the doomed 9 day Queen of England. Though the romance side of this movie is fictional, one can see it as what "might have been" if she had not been beheaded. Quotes from Plato fall into place and fall into your heart. Fabulous cast, costume, music, scenes from many castles, and a heart-breaking story of the cruelties during Tudor reign, this belongs on DVD soon, please! If you enjoyed Elizabeth, you will cherish this!
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Summary: The TALE OF A TRAGICE TUDOR QUEEN
Review: I trully engoyed this movie it is extremly touching and quiet romantic ,the only reson i gave this nice movie four stars is because they realy ignore some important facts about the late lady Jane Grey personal life i dont belive that she fill in love with Gilford Dudlly the man she was tourtured by her parents to marry and the film does not bring a bite about her life before her marrige that i belive is quiet importent for you to have the full story ,but anyway ignore what i just said i loved this movie so much i am preparied to watch it 10 times a day but be carfull it can get realy tragice at the end irealy realy desire you to see this masterpice it is just adorable and irealy advise you to watch another movie i adore witch is Anne of a thousand days witch speaks about the second wife of Henry VIII ,Anne Boleyn it is another facinating romantic tragidy and theBBC 'S masterpice Elizabeth R staring Glenda Jackson it deservis a try so check tem up i beat you you will love them
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Summary: Helena Bonham Carter is amazing in her film debut
Review: As is noted elsewhere, there is some artistic license taken with the actual story of Lady Jane Grey. Most notably, Lady Jane and Guildford Dudley were not in love by any documents of the era, which renders the whole "love story" of this film invalid. But as a simple period piece I really love this movie, and here's why:
1. Helena Bonham Carter gives a truly astonishing performance in her first movie. This film began a string of "period costume drama" performances for the actress that have since been surplanted with modern roles such as "Fight Club" and "Planet of the Apes". Her language - both spoken and simple gestures - are so expressive and she portrays a young woman who is well educated and full of passion.
2. The central conflict at the end of the film comes in her unwillingness to give up her religious beliefs. She is a protestant and her cousin, Queen Mary, is a staunch Catholic. Mary wants to make up for a lifetime of slights and abuses given to her Mother, Catherine of Aragon, whom Henry VIII divorced when Mary was unable to bear a male heir to Henry. The real Lady Jane was not only a protestant, but carried on correspondence with the great protestant minds of her day including John Calvin. It is not often that any popular form of entertainment is made depicting a person willing to die for their religious beliefs. I am not advocating protestantism, per se, only admiring this film's willingness to demonstrate a strong faith which doesn't involve religious fanaticism.
3. The real Guildford Dudley wasn't the love of Lady Jane, but Cary Elwes' performance here stands up well next to Bonham Carter's superlative one. I suspect this role may have led to his being cast in "The Princess Bride". Pretty much no extras on this DVD, but this is a truly fine film (albeit historically misleading), and it's not one of those $30 DVD's either.
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Summary: Sober Enough for A Historical Drama
Review: Trevor Nunn's film on the historical Lady Jane Grey, Queen of England for nine days before losing her head in the religion driven politics of the day. Helena Bonham Carter plays a credible role as the young queen-to-be who is manipulated by the intrigues of her parents and others into assuming the throne. Cary Elwes plays a perhaps less convincing role as Guilford of Northumberland, a Don Giovanni type bachelor who is not in a hurry to get married for political reasons. The story seems to keep up its mood of historical drama until the prince and princess are united; it then almost desintegrates into a childish a fairy tale fantasy that is completely at odds with the drama. Prince and princess begin looking at the other with puppy eyes and dreaming silly things they would do. In short, the characters decend into a type of gibberish dialogue that can't possibly reflect the attitudes of those days. Fortunately,the tragic elements of history come to save the day and take Lady Jane Grey to the block. The filming is good as are the settings and costumes. The plot rolls along smoothly and credibly and the actors play their roles quite well for the most part. The young cast is also supported by seasoned actors such as Patrick Stewart playing Jane's father. Overall, a pretty good movie to watch.
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Summary: a beautiful, well acted, exciting story
Review: As long as you aren't a history purist and don't mind plenty of dramatic license, this is a great movie. This was Helena Bonham Carter's first feature film. She was as brilliant then as she is now. The story centers on the life of Lady Jane, who was named as the successor to Henry VIII's sickly son, Edward. Jane, a devout protestant, is forced into the role by her scheming parents in their attempt to reject the return of Catholicism that the rightful heir, Mary, would bring. Their plot begins with the forced marriage to Guilford Dudley, played by Cary Elwes. What begins as a battle develops into a beautiful love story, only to be torn apart again when Mary returns to claim her throne. I've seen this movie dozens of times and it still makes me cry.
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Summary: A historical tragedy turned into more of a fictional romance
Review: One of the most interesting instances of genetic and gender in the history of Western Civilization is found with the death of King Edward VI of England at the age of 15 in 1553. Too young to leave heirs, his older half-sisters Mary and Elizabeth Tudor were both considered illegitimate because of the martial history of their father Henry VIII. Going through the Tudor family the only other potential claimants, Mary of Scotland and Lady Jane Grey, were also female. It seemed that God that determined that a woman would sit on the throne of England and the political question was who that woman would be. The one with the best claim was Mary Tudor, but she was a devout Catholic and the creation of the Anglican Church had created a religious schism in England that would turn ugly with her on the throne. Lady Jane first became connected with the English crown as a potential mate for young Edward, who was more interested in Mary of Scotland or another foreign princess. Jane was supposedly betrothed to the duke of Somerset's son, Lord Hertford, but was then informed by her parents that she was to wed Guildford Dudley, the youngest son of the duke of Northumberland. Handsome and only one year her senior, Jane did not like him and refused the marriage until her mother literally beat her into submission. The couple were married in May of 1553 and lived apart, although the marriage was consummated the following month at the expressed command of Northumberland. Jane was then informed that she had been named Edward's heir three days before the king's death. Northumberland kept Edward's death a secret in order to stop Mary Tudor from claiming the crown and made a speech announcing Jane was the new queen. Forced to accept the title, Jane dismissed the idea that her husband would be made king. When Northumberland went forth with his army to meet that of Mary, who was marching on London, the royal council declared Mary queen and Jane's own father signed the declaration. On November 13 Jane and Guildford we tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. Jane believed the Queen would pardon her, but the revolt against Mary by Sir Thomas Wyatt in February 1554 hardened her heart against her enemies. Within days Guildford was executed, with Jane being beheaded on February 11th. None of this historical information consistutes a spoiler because anyone familiar with the kings and queens of England knows that there was never a Queen Jane and even those unfamiliar with the specifics of English history will be aware early on that this is going to be a tragic tale. Even so, the 1986 film "Lady Jane" from director Trevor Nunn would more properly be considered a historical romance, with the emphasis more on the romance than the history as the marriage between Jane (Helena Bonham Carter) and Guilford (Cary Elwes) is turned into a tragic love story. Jane is presented as an intellectual (you would like to see her and Elizabeth Tudor have a conversation), and given a sense of nobility in that she and her husband apparently intend to rule in their own names, not only because it will thwart the plans of John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland (John Wood), but also because it is the right thing to do. In bed they tend to talk about their idealistic plans, such as not branding men or sending them into slavery because they are starving. This new version of Lady Jane's marriage and her new found political ambitions work to add to the tragedy of her execution at the hands of Bloody Mary, even though her being an unwilling pawn in the machinations of some one else's power games makes her enough of a tragic figure. You have to appreciate the irony that these two privileged children of the British class system were idealistic friends of the common folk. The cast features the standard collection of British character actors, with Michael Hordern as Doctor Feckenham, Mary's teacher, Jane Lapotaire as Princess Mary, Joss Ackland as Sir John Bridges, and Sara Kestleman as Frances Grey, Duchess of Suffolk and Jane's mother. For me the low moment in the film is when Jane is betrayed by her father, especially since Patrick Stewart plays Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk. Of course, both Bonham Carter and Elwes have gone on to much better films, although I was surprised that she made this after "A Room With a View," one of those much better films. "Lady Jane" runs a bit long, especially given that Jane's "reign" only lasted nine days, and while the fictional romance has its moments I would hope that one day the bleak reality of what happened to this young girl becomes the subject of another film.
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Summary: Undelivered
Review: While Helena Carter is terrific in her role as Lady Jane (Queen Jane for 9 days), the movie as a whole falls short because it doesn't present the sequence of events convincingly. The build-up to Lady Jane's crowning moment is rather lame and a little confusing, and the nine days of her "reign" are not documented well. There's also too much of a love story, with her persistence in her faith more like a sideshow or afterthought. Overall it's still an enjoyable experience, if it does frustrate the viewer a little.
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