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Wallis And Edward
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Abdication - the nightmare of the Royal Family
Review date: 2008-06-09 Rating: 8 out of 10
The abdication of Edward VIII and his marriage with Wallis Simpson is very often portrayed as one of the great love stories of the 20th century. A King given up his throne for the woman he loves... how very romantic. The love of Eward and Wallis triggered a constitutional crisis of first order and a split in the Royal Family as Edward became HRH Duke of Windsor but his wife only The Duchess of Windsor and no HRH.
The movie is not an accurate picture but is pretty much indicates what happened and shows the main characters in a way I feel is pretty close to reality. Edward was the glamour prince of the 1920th. His boyish (not very manly looks) appealed to many and he was seen as the modern way of life compared to his rather stiff and conservative parents.But he is shown - and rightly so - as an immature boy who seems to believe in his own glamour and behaves rather selfish. There is something very shallow about him. His sense of duty is highly underdeveloped and he rather needs guidance. Wallis is of course much stronger, but as well ambitious. Whether her ambition is money or position is difficult to assess, but here money comes with position. Interesting are the scenes when she realizes that when marrying Edward after abdication she will be completely bound to him. While he follows her a bit like a puppy dog, it is his position (not his personality) that sets the stage. There is something desperate about it which is difficult to describe but one feels.
The Duchess herself made this clear in her famous statement summing up her life after the marriage."You have no idea how hard it is to live out a great romance."
The movie is not a fantastic one, the acting not too bad, the 30s' era is well re-created. It is enjoyable and gives an easy access to the drama of the day.
Similar Products
- Edward And Mrs Simpson
- Masterpiece Theatre: Bertie & Elizabeth [2002] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Victoria And Albert [2001]
- Nicholas And Alexandra [1971]
- Edward VIII - The King Who Threw Away A Crown
Reviews
Abridged
Review date: 2006-05-20 Rating: 6 out of 10
This film was essentially a cut down version of the Edward and Mrs Simpson series of the 70s/80s. I thought that that version was too long winded, spanning seven one hour episodes. This version meanwhile is far too short and the cast aren't quite right somehow. If you've seen the Edward and Mrs Simpson series, you'll be sorely disappointed with this one.
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
David Westhead
Richard Johnson
Stephen Campbell Moore
Joely Richardson
David Calder
Creators:
Joely Richardson (Primary Contributor)
Stephen Campbell Moore (Primary Contributor)
Director(s):
Recording label: Acorn Media
Manufacturer: Acorn Media
EAN: 5036193094408
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2006-01-09
Audience rating: Parental Guidance
Running time: 94 minutes
Language: English (Original Language)