“a fable from a true tragedy”
This week I watched Spencer, a film directed by Pablo Larraín and starring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana. On the surface, Spencer follows Princess Diana over her final three-day Christmas holiday with the royal family before divorcing Prince Charles.
Spencer is a psychological thriller disguised as a biopic. We follow Diana as she spirals deeper into her bulimia and depression. Atmospheric shots capture the quiet brutality of the Queen’s Estate, while the unrelenting eyes of the paparazzi constantly threaten their gaze.
Kristen Stewart gives a stunning performance while perfectly capturing Diana’s quiet rebellion. Stewart carves her own path through the pristine halls, searching for relief, while the audience prays she can find it. We see her soften in quiet moments with her sons or running on the beach engulfed in sunlight.
I personally enjoyed the deviations from realism in this film, which included everything from Anne Boleyn’s ghost to that spine-tingling pearl eating scene. Those elements of the film remind the viewers that Diana is not well, and allows us to feel just as confused and distressed as she is.
Pablo Larraín knits together a stylish, tightly woven tale of an ordinary woman under impossible pressure, fighting tooth and nail to get back to herself.