Lady Jane

Rating:
Summary: Great!
Review: Okay, okay. This was an awesome movie. I cried and cried afterwards. It stinks that I can't find enough info on if Jane and Guildford actually loved each other. Really, I did love this movie, I wasn't joking.

Rating:
Summary: THE REIGN OF QUEEN JANE...A NINE DAY WONDER
Review: This is a beautifully rendered period piece, with outstanding performances by the entire cast. A very young, petite and exquisite Helen Bonham Carter plays the title role of Lady Jane Grey, who was fifth in the line of succession to the throne of England upon the death of King Henry VIII in 1547. The first was Edward, King Henry VIII's only son. The second in the line of succession was Henry VIII's oldest daughter, Mary. The third was his other daughter, Elizabeth. The fourth was Lady Frances Grey, the Dutchess of Suffolk, and mother to Lady Jane Grey.

Upon the death of King Henry VIII, his only son, nine year old Edward, became King Edward VI of England. His uncle, the Duke of Somerset, brother to Edward's mother, Jane Seymour, third wife of Henry VIII, ruled as Regent. In 1552, he was removed and beheaded. The ruthlessly ambitious John Dudley, the feared Duke of Northumberland, took his place as Regent. Here, the role of John Dudley is marvelously played with implacable and sinister resolve by John Wood.

King Edward VI, touchingly played by William Saire, very much likes his cousin, the quiet, religious, and intelligent Lady Jane Grey, and treats her kindly. Both are devout believers in the Reformed Church. In fact, her ambitious mother, the Dutchess of Suffolk, marvelously played with icy malice by Sara Kestelman, expects that they will probably wed. She does not count on Edward dying a premature death. The Duke of Northumberland, however, knows that the King is ill and will probably die. He realizes that with Edward's death his Regency and all the power that such office confers will be no more.

So, in the Spring of 1953, he tells Frances that the King is ill and likely to die and proposes to Frances that Jane, instead, marry his somewhat dissolute youngest son, Guilford, dashingly played by the very young and handsome, Cary Elwes. Together they intrigue, as they know that Mary, a staunch Catholic, is next in the line of succession. Dudley tells her that since she is the fourth in the line of succession that she waive her rights to her daughter, Jane, who is fifth in line. He will have Edward sign a decree making Jane his successor, under the pretext of keeping the Reformed Church in and the Catholic Church out. This way England will remain Protestant.

When her parents, the Duke and Duchess of Suffolk, inform Jane of the proposed match, she protests and objects. After being beaten by her mother, she relents and marries Guilford. They fall in love as only the very young can, impractical and full of high ideals. Then, their bliss is rendered asunder, when the perfidy of both their parents becomes apparent upon the death of King Edward VI. Jane and Guilford are hustled out of their home and taken to Court. There, Jane is informed that Edward decreed her his successor. She becomes a most reluctant Queen at the age of sixteen. It was a reign that would last all of nine days.

What happens to Jane and Guilford, as well as all the other players in this first class drama, is well worth watching. In addition to the those performances already noted, Jane LaPotaire is magnificent as Queen Mary, and Patrick Stewart is marvelous as Henry Grey, the Duke of Suffolk, Jane's father, whose ill advised action in seeking to restore Jane to the throne was the functional equivalent of signing her death warrant himself. Look also for a touching performance by Jill Bennett in the role of Miss Ellen, Jane's attendant, who showed Jane the tenderness her parents failed to provide. With a first class cast and beautiful sets and costumes, this is a most enjoyable film. While not totally historically accurate, it is still a notable historical drama and a very enjoyable one at that.

Rating:
Summary: Legendary love story
Review: I have been trying to track down a copy of this movie ever since I saw it back in 1986. I went to the movies with my girlfriend and we cried for hours afterwards. We then took her sister a few weeks later and started crying half-way through. I think the love story between Jane and Guildford is even better than Rose and Jack in Titanic. I can't wait until my copy arrives here in Australia.

Rating:
Summary: Visually delightful - story poor
Review: The story of the real Lady Jane, tragic and fascinating, would make a wonderful screen play. Unfortunately, the writers of this film's script adapted a few facts and sandwiched stock, pat fiction in between.

Helena Bonham Carter, at once beautiful and earnest, does give the viewer a flavour of the intellectual, devout, and manipulated Jane, and the acting, scenery, and music are first rate and the reason for my high rating. There is a sense of Edward VI's concern for the sucession, how Jane was used as a pawn, and such historical truths as, for example, how the poor were reduced to destitution when there no longer was monastery land to farm.

Beyond that, the circumstances of Jane's life and brief reign are so distorted as to make the book verge on the farcical. Whatever factors there were in Jane's situation, no part of it was in any way a "love story." The depiction of the madly romancing couple managing all sorts of reforms (for example, "their shilling") within a matter of a week practically reduces Jane's story to camp. One could get the absurd impression that Jane's being manipulated, even beaten, into a marriage with Dudley was a piece of good fortune with a happy, if brief, outcome.

Of course, those who believe that history in no way matters are welcome to compose fictional love stories... but, when anyone had as intriguing a true story as did Jane, it is preferable for such love stories to not borrow her name.

Rating:
Summary: Engrossing movie,don't get hung on history,bring out tissues
Review: The acting is superb and makes you feel that you are part of the action. However you do feel like telling them what to do or say. The story is loosely based on a sixteen-year-old girl on the throne of England for just nine days. Naturally the costumes and scenery add to the movie. If there was any music I did not notice it.
For those who want historical accuracy, go watch a documentary. That does not make this anything less than great entertainment. It has religion for the religious, love fort the loveless, and teaches us to stick our neck out for our principles.
Did I mention that this is an engrossing film?

Rating:
Summary: Jane must have been replaced by a clone
Review: One of the worst movies I've seen in my life.I researched a bit and found that the real Lady Jane was very different from this 'clone'.They made her sound like an idiot who backs up the wrong things and doesn't use her head,Also,Jane Grey was suppose to have 'sandy hair',not dark brown.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best movies ever!
Review: Even if this movie is not 100% historically accurate, it still makes for a great story! From the very beginning this movie had me captivated. The filming is exqusite, the costumes superb, and the story absolutely beautiful. The romance between Jane and Guillford is shown perfectly from their first kiss to the very end when Guillford is sent to his death on Tower Hill. We may never know if their romance was really think this or not, but it's nice to imagine it was. Mary is played absolutly sinisterly and Jane and Guillford are played perfectly. This an excellent movie for anyone who wants to see a beautiful, but doomed romance.

Rating:
Summary: So Tragic And Yet So Beautiful
Review: I believe that although this film is not historically accurate, the emotions expressed through the brilliant acting far outweigh any negative aspects. Sadly, it is true that Queen Jane was executed for something she was unwilling to do and had to be manipulated into. As the great niece to King Henry VIII and cousin to Princesses Mary and Elizabeth, not to mention King Edward, she should have been treated as a Queen, not some common criminal of the time. One of the points that really irritates me is that once Mary was on the throne she married Philip of Spain who turned out to hate her and resent her for her lack of childbearing ability and then she fanatically burned Protestants at the stake and by the end of her 5 year miserable reign, the people were praying every day for Mary to die so her half sister Elizabeth could be Queen. Jane, if she had been allowed to remain Queen would have done a lot of good for England. The costumes were brilliant as was the scenery and above all the music-it is so moving and so heart wrenching, I want the soundtrack so badly, could someone email me if they know how to acquire it-see email above. I just think this film is brilliant because it emphasises the youth of Jane when she was forced to marry and become Queen, then a brutal execution following the harping of that twisted crow Princess Mary-known as Bloody Mary. It was a tragedy and yet I think "their souls took flight to the world that is invisible and there arriving are sure of bliss and forever dwell in paradise".

Rating:
Summary: Take a stand for what you believe
Review: I have seen this movie several times. This last Sept. I had the great honor of actually visiting the Castle Warwick in England where Queen Jane reined. There in the history book of who has reined in the Castle from the 1200 to current is Jane and a short account of her rein. Although I'm sure the storyline has been altered for this movie, it is true that King Edward did approve of her marriage to Dudley & her father-in-law wanted her in power to be able to control the throne from Cathalithism. I would recommend this movie to everyone if for nothing more than to tell you, YOU can make a difference if you stand up for what you believe.

Rating:
Summary: Why can't filmakers show real history?
Review: Let's start with what's good about this movie. The cast is wonderful, the costumes superb, etc.

And, they even got part of the history right. In the 16th century people did argue passionately (and die) over religion, poor innocent Jane was the puppet of ruthlessly ambitious adults.

Blast it! That dumb love story ruined the whoe movie. There is absolutely no evidence that Jane and Guilford Dudley ever loved each other. Nor did they attempt to reform the coinage, build public schools, redistribute income... I think Jane's story is even more tragic when you realize that her horrible parents forced her into a loveless marriage to further their own ends.

But yet, the execution scene was true to the historical accounts. Can you imagine the horror of watching a blinfolded sixteen year old groping for the executioner's block, and asking: "Where is it? What do I do?"

If you ever go to London, visit the British Library where Jane's prayerbook is on display. The night before she died, she wrote a letter to her sister on the endpapers. The handwriting never wavers. What courage this innocent child had.