by Carolyn Blum
☆☆☆☆
TW: Mentions of eating disorder
Spencer is one of those films that really makes you feel like you are the main character. Your thoughts are their thoughts and their actions are your actions. The movie pulls you in and doesn’t let go until you are safely back in your car away from the watchful eyes of the royal family.
Spencer, directed by Pablo Larraín, was released on November 5, 2021 and takes a fabled look at Princess Diana, arguably one of the western world’s most beloved figures, and her complicated relationship with being a royal. The movie spans over three excruciatingly long days in the winter of 1991; Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. Rumors of divorce and affairs between the princess and her husband, Prince Charles, have been put on hold in favor of the festivities held at the queen's estate. Diana knows what is expected of her, but she cannot seem to come to terms with the fact that she is no longer free to do as she pleases; causing turmoil and anguish as each day drags on.
The film, while based on true events, is mainly a work of fiction in order to highlight and exaggerate the royal’s treatment of Diana and its effects on her psyche, which was done beautifully well. Kristen Stewart, who plays Diana, leans into the absurdity of the princess’s situation: A woman trapped by her own family whose position puts her in line to be queen; a celebrity at the highest level, all taking place in the 1990s. This is Kristen’s movie. She reminds us that Diana is not just a character, a made-up thing to send a message or tell a story, she was a real person and Kristen’s performance is as real as it can get. She shows us the other side of the tabloid cameras, a woman desperately looking for companionship when none is around or allowed. She is unwillingly tasked with modernizing the Royal’s image while adhering to their strict, outdated traditions and expectations which they depend on to separate themselves from the rest of the world. She is asked to do this all and somehow cope on her own. The pressure proves to be too much, as it would be for anyone, and Diana’s bulimia grows worse. Family dinners become an obstacle course and each end with her running down the hall to find the nearest bathroom. Kristen plays this with such authenticity that at times it can be hard to watch.
The cinematography brings her struggles to life by constantly using excruciatingly close-up shots of Diana on the brink of falling apart. The camera always seems to focus on her at the worst times; when she is forcing herself to throw up in the bathroom, when she is late for dinner or the royal photos, and when she can barely hold herself together in front of her children. The audience desperately wants the camera to leave her alone and focus on someone else for a change, but it won’t. It keeps closing in, waiting for her to crack.
Bringing everything together are the costumes and the haunting score. The costumes in Spencer are utilized to their full extent, serving both as metaphors as well as a way to bring the characters to life even more. Diana’s breath-taking outfits are each a marvel in their own right, but are yet another tool used against her as she struggles to hand over her ability to make decisions for herself, even about the clothes she wears. The wardrobe really helps to capture the moment, the time and place of the movie, reminding us that these events took place not all that long ago.
To further highlight Diana’s deteriorating mental state and immerse the audience even more, an increasingly distressing soundtrack was composed. Utilizing high pitched strings and the clinking of glass, composer Jonny Greenwood overwhelms the audience, making them feel as if they are spiraling out of control alongside the princess.
Spencer, overall, is a cinematic lesson in how to do a movie right. It elicits a reaction from the audience, one of outrage and pain for what Diana was forced to endure. The movie is a fantastical take on a true story, but makes every moment feel all too real. It’s a movie that doesn’t leave you running back for more necessarily, but rather further instills a deep dislike for the royal family and a newfound appreciation for the freedom we sometimes forget we had.
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