I saw one installment of the David Starkey series at a friend's home (haven't had TV reception at my own place for four years) and while I found the subject fascinating--of course!--and the treatment of interest, I also found Starkey annoying. Alistar Cooke was wonderful at providing ironic narrative, and I've also appreciated Janet Suzman's voiceovers. Judi Dench? Another great voice and non-annoying presence. But Starkey reminded me of David Frost, who has always reminded me of Charles Dickens' Uriah Heep.
Katharine Hepburn hated playing the role of Mary Stuart and frequently stated in later years that she found Mary to have been a dunce. I found the film of interest, both for its subject and star, but far prefer most of Hepburn's other films to
Mary of Scotland. The Vanessa Redgrave film I enjoyed very much, but not for accuracy . . . for the wild romanticism of the thing. Glenda Jackson at the time admitted that her original Elizabeth R was being "prettied up" for film, and of course she was right. As for the meeting that supposedly occurs between these two women? Well, I've never had a problem with it. This is, after all, drama. And the screenwriter has found it intriguing to bring them together--a sort of "what if" that many of us on this discussion board have played with the Romanovs. Most people who care about history know that the meeting never took place--or that it was exceptionally unlikely
--and if they don't already know, they'll read about the truth in their independent research. But this type of thing is a sort of exercise, and for those of us who are interested in the personalities involved . . . well, why not? Elizabeth and Mary were fascinated with each other, shared ancestors, and were charismatic women who could rally powerful support. Plus, the film's end is also the historically correct end: Mary is executed. Now, if the film had decided to put Mary on a ship on its way to America, where she ended up becoming Pochantas's best friend, and then the two of them traveled across the Louisiana Purchase and wrote journals about seeing the Pacific Ocean . . . now,
that I might object to!
