FILM OF THE WEEK
Mary Queen of Scots Cert: 15A; Now showing
Some films should have been miniseries, maybe not even that mini, and Mary Queen of Scots is one. The film is dividing critics but this one rather enjoyed it. Although historical it is very zeitgeisty, for like The Favourite and the upcoming All Is True among others, it highlights just how long even the most privileged women have been hobbled and controlled, and it demands an answer as to why.
In 1560, Mary (Saoirse Ronan) returns to her native Scotland after her French husband dies. She is still only 18 but keen to take back the throne to which she is heir. She is also keenly aware of the equal claim she has to the throne of England on which her cousin Elizabeth (Margot Robbie) sits. Both women are regarded as unfit for their roles by virtue of their gender, both surrounded by men who would curb their power and who foster a sense of fear between the two.
Director Josie Rourke’s stage pedigree is visible in this, her first film. Written by Beau (House of Cards) Willimon there is a lot of history packed in and the first 20 minutes are rather fact heavy. There is also some dramatic licence, it is thought the two women never met in real life, and they do in a dramatic scene in the film. Religion and sexism are the great impediments to two powerful women, so each summons power from different versions of female sexuality. Elizabeth wields her virginity as a defence from any husband who would weaken her power, and Mary who sees marriage and child-bearing as ways to strengthen hers, a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy involving the cliches of femininity. The performances are great, Saoirse really owns it. There is perhaps too much in the story, but for me it worked. AINE O’CONNOR