Author's note: The following movie review was published yesterday, Sunday February 17th, on Spanish language. It may contain spoilers.
On Saturday night I've watched this movie by Yorgos Lanthimos, whose work I've started to being familiar with; this is the first movie I've watched from him, movie that left me speechless due to its symbolic elements, its visual spectacle, the baroque music and the three main actresses' acting. In fact, I had to stop the movie three times and research a little more about the lives of Anne Stuart, queen of the Great Britain (portrayed by Olivia Colman); Sarah Churchill, duchess Marlborough; and the latter's cousin, Abigail Hill, baroness Masham, in order to understand the historical (beginning of XVIII century) and political contexts (War of the Spanish Succession).
The film was divided on 8 acts. Each act represents a quote said by the main characters, and each quote symbolizes the process of rise and fall of two women who had a significant influence on a queen marked by tragedy, the indecision and the emotional instability. Such process, of course, was taken advantage of by England's two predominant political parties, the Whigs (conservative party) and the Tories (liberal party) in order to get the balance on their favor.
Now, if there's something I loved so much about this film is the use of symbolism; my favourite example of it was the presence of the rabbits on the queen's rooms. Each rabbit represents a child, whether born and dead within few months, or an abortion. Anne give each rabbit a name, the one she wished to give to her child if he or she could have lived more time. This is a tragic symbol because it's a constant reminder of Anne's physical condition in the aspect of motherhood as a consequence of the constant incest practiced on the European royal houses.
Another aspect I loved was the way in which Lanthimos approached to Sarah and Anne's relationship. Friends (and, according to some historians, lovers) since adolescence, these two women had a dependent relationship, one that applies very well the sentence hit me but don't leave me; a scene that serves very well of example about it was the rudeness with which Sarah enters to the queen's room and, taking her by the neck, demands Abigail's exile from court. Despite the queen refused, on her look we can see a fear that only an emotionally dependent person could have at the feeling of fail to his or her affections' subject.
That situation seemed to repeat with Abigail who, feeling attacked by her cousin, decides to strip her good girl mask and play the authentic Game of Thrones. But, in a lucid moment, Anne decides to not permit to be humillated by anyone else and obliges Abigail, at the end, to massage her legs.
To think that these women, in real life, starred a story of love, revenge, power and obssession that few (or the whole court) knew very well.
