The Other Boleyn Girl

As part of my research I am watching films/dramas and documentaries from the Elizabethan time period – which is nescassary as my main character is Queen Elizabeth the First – but what I also need is back ground on the Tudor period of history completely as obviously the desception of the Punk occures when Elizabeth was a princess and not a Queen!

So this means all those Henry the VIII films – the first one to come through on my love film list was The Other Boleyn Girl. I am awear that these films are not ‘historically accurate’ but I think they will give me a feel for the era, at least an over view of the history at the time if not the societal structure and maybe as has actually happened – a few ideas!

The film itself was well made but still had me thinking insipid romance – I don’t really like romantic films so I would say the failing is me and not the film. The costums where fantastic, the lighting and camera craft brilliant and the characterisation good.

And it only bent a few cough historical bits – it also made me cry with the impending doom you can see for shadowed from the beginning.

The film got better as it went on and I was enthralled by the end – if feeling alittle queasy and like I wanted to shot gun the entire Tudor court.

Anyway the film is actually more about Mary – Anne Boleyn’s sister (Anne being one of the wives of Henry). The film portrayed Mary as his mistriss before Anne with the result of a son. The film ends with Mary taking the young princess Elizabeth away and has her playing with her son! Perfect for my needs.

Why? Let me explain – I am using the local legend of the Bisley Boy and for that I need an illigitamate son of the King to be playing with the young Elizabeth at the local Tudor Court where Elizabeth actually stayed and were the local rumour is a ‘bastard’ of the King actually lived. This infact would be even better becuase they would be cousins and half siblings meaning genetically they would be even closer than normal half siblings and therefore the resemblance would be more marked. But the Punk is taking his place so why does the resemblance matter?

I’ll answer that one later.

I’ve already done some reading around this subject and the viladity of events as portrayed in the film – it gets quiet complex so will have to wait for the next post!

Again I’m still looking for suggestions for good Elizabethan stuff – books, films, funky facts etc…

Posted: Saturday, October 24th, 2009 @ 11:13 am
Categories: Uncategorized.
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