1991-1997 – the time of another crisis in Buckingham Palace. The Windsors are stuck somewhere between a conservative past and a progressive future. The public expresses dissatisfaction with the huge costs of maintaining the royal family, which most consider to be an obsolete institution. Elizabeth (Imelda Staunton) and Philip (Jonathan Pryce) do not understand the new generation, and the spouses themselves have long moved away from each other. The Queen is trying to keep the yacht Britannia close to her heart, while the children unanimously want one thing – to destroy their own marriages and live in love. Diana (Elizabeth Debicki), a cornered bird, just craves ordinary human warmth, understanding and attention.
The Crown creates a buzz no worse than those to whom the series is dedicated. In the weeks leading up to the release of the new season, show creator Peter Morgan faced a barrage of criticism, with Prince William asking not to use the infamous mother interview that he thought ruined Diana’s life, and Judi Dench writing an open letter condemning the show’s creators for misrepresenting the story. . As it turned out, the worried and angry had nothing to worry about: the authors are not trying to denigrate anyone’s reputation, but simply draw an approximate portrait of the monarchy at the end of the century. Even fans and close associates of Camilla Parker-Bowles can sleep peacefully: Charles’s future wife is portrayed not as an insidious lover, but as a woman unhappy because of her feelings, to whom the media have never been supportive. In a tragic love triangle, all parties are victims of a system that is merciless and devours everyone who allows himself to destroy the illusion of a fairy tale.
Despite the fact that the soul of the season is the broken Diana played by Elizabeth Debicki, the heart of the series continues to be Elizabeth – the cornerstone of everything that happens around. As once Olivia Coleman, Imelda Staunton appears to the public looking back and humbly watching the slow extinction of a woman. Young Claire Foy appears on the screen in fragments of memories that remind the audience what path the royal person has gone – from an insecure girl who wanted a quiet life near her beloved, to a steadfast sovereign forever subordinate to the crown in her obedient devotion.
All episodes are enveloped by the bitter motive of farewell. Elizabeth says goodbye to her adored yacht, Margaret to her first love, Diana to Charles, Charles to Diana, William to childhood, Russia to communism, Britain to the remaining colonies, and everything around to the 20th century. A memorial service for something irretrievably gone is intertwined with talk of a gap between generations. The chasm is illustrated not only within the monarchy, but also in the Al Fayed family, and in the inner workings of the BBC, and finally in Downing Street: Labor Tony Blair bypasses Conservative John Major and heralds a new chapter in British history.
Farewell, like a heavy door, slams one page shut and opens the next. The season is riddled with symbolism – like the fire at Windsor Castle and the forced transition to more modern technology – and the tone of the show is revealed with more sadness due to the recent death of the Queen. The death of Elizabeth II serves as a reminder that even something indestructible must eventually come to an end. Whether it’s one of the most expensive shows in history or the monarchy itself, nothing can last forever.
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“The Crown” is an excellent series in every sense. It will serve as a historical “educational program” for you, show the everyday side of the monarch’s life, excellent acting, and bring aesthetic pleasure.
The series was filmed about the life of the current Queen Elizabeth and, accordingly, claims to be a certain historical accuracy – and here you can get a good idea of some facts. So, for example, the Great Smog of 1952 is shown here, the authors talked about the lost masterpiece of painting in the form of a portrait of Winston Churchill on his 80th birthday, and in general, the gradual disclosure of the characters of the royal family makes you crawl on the Internet for their biography.
The main thing, it seems to me, is that there is a life of a monarch. We all probably once thought, they say: “I wish I could wave my hand to the crowd and live in luxury while true politicians solve problems!”. However, this is not at all the case. Being a monarch is a heavy burden that requires great strength. Behind the constant smile on his face are decisions that tear a person apart from the inside, behind-the-scenes games, gossip and intrigues that evaluate views and constant comparisons with their predecessors. People of the big political game are constantly trying to manipulate the young queen, and here, more than ever, you should show what kind of dough you are. There is no longer a person here, there is only a monarch, and everything is for the good of the state.
Claire Foy bears a striking resemblance to a real queen, right to the point of goosebumps. Her acting is wonderful, wonderful and deserves other epithets. However, I remember most of all Matt Smith and John Lithgow in the roles of Prince Philip and Winston Churchill. Smith’s screen time dwindles from episode to episode, but his character and acting are amazing – he did a great job as a husband with the toughest wife in the world. The image of the Prime Minister of Britain is beautiful – either a grumbling old man, or an excellent politician, or a real teacher. Cigars and whiskey included. Unless, John Lithgow is not exactly like the real Churchill, but you get used to it.
The series is worth watching in HD and only in HD! For everything is filmed at the highest level! Oh, how many small details, accessories and decorations are here. One appearance of offices and corridors is worth something. All these costume decorations, awards, ceremonial items look amazing and complement the already beautifully recreated picture of the post-war period – from cars to the city itself. This aspect in the “Crown” is simply at the highest level!
Summing up, let’s say that this is a wonderful show that tells us about the everyday side of the life of the Monarch, and what difficult decisions (and hardships) he has to take (and endure) for the good of the state, flavored with great actors and amazing scenery.
The series “The Crown” is positioned as an expensive historical canvas, designed to show the life of the current Queen of Great Britain from all sides. The time shown in the series covers the period – the coronation and the first years of the reign. The creators of the series tried to immerse the viewer in intricate palace intrigues, complex political decisions, as well as family problems and joys. What came of it?
The series is quite expensive (budget $156,000,000). Although it is very difficult to understand where the money is spent. The creators say that the costumes and interiors were recreated, attention was paid to every little thing in order to convey the royal environment with the utmost realism. Did it succeed? Maybe. Although only historians and art historians can unambiguously answer this question. Can be compared with the film “The King’s Speech!” (budget $15,000,000), since the film tells about the same time and also concerns the royal family of Great Britain. Both in the film and in the series, the era is presented quite realistically, at least no one rides a gyro scooter and posts cats on social networks. But the filmmakers managed to stay within a smaller budget without sacrificing the realism of props, costumes and sets.
The series “Crown” is quite chamber, many scenes take place in rooms with a small number of actors involved in the frame. And again, you can draw analogies with the film “The King’s Speech!”. It is not clear why many scenes in the series take place in dim rooms, apparently to give some understatement and intimacy. But it doesn’t feel like anything. Unlike the film, where muted colors complement the emotions of the main characters, the series is simply dark. I would like to offer to turn on the light and add emotions to what is happening.
The acting of the series also leaves much to be desired. You don’t worry about the main characters, they are simple cardboard figures that do not convey the feelings that utter flat remarks. For example, the drama in the scene with the artist and the prime minister is not disclosed. The path from hostility to friendship is not felt. In the same “The King’s Speech!” the characters are masterfully developed. Their fears and hopes are intertwined with obligations and reality. Minor characters of The King’s Speech! appear for a very short time, but manage to open up and add shades to the main picture. In the series, secondary characters play the role of scenery and do not carry a special semantic and emotional load. The drama of the royal family is not disclosed. Difficult relationships between spouses come down to: “I loved only you! And you?” And you don’t have to say, “Oh! You don’t understand anything. She is a queen. She does not belong to herself, she does not belong to the family. She belongs to her title and must live up to it!” That’s not necessary! Everyone chooses who to be and the main priorities in life are also determined by the person himself. And in the UK, there are precedents when people of royal blood chose their personal lives and refused the title. And after that they lived a life that suited them. Fortunately, they did not have to work as loaders to feed their families. So there is always a choice.
A lot of the episodes are very long and boring. Some points are incomprehensible. The creators of the series wanted to show the queen’s passion for horses, this is understandable. But why does her gender of the series care about how much money a stallion brings in at the races and how much as a breeder? Why so much time devoted to her presence at the mating?
Summarizing the above. The Crown is a dull, drawn-out, boring series with inexpressive acting and a mediocre script. This is a series to fill in excess free time or background picture. I understand the high rating of the series on imdb, many viewers are citizens of the United Kingdom and they are interested in learning about the life of the Queen. But I perceived this series as an ordinary historical film, albeit with high expectations. However, they did not materialize. Do you want to revisit it – definitely not. The same “King speaks!” I have watched it twice and will watch it again.