The Young Victoria (2009)

Beneath the icy exterior of every iron-willed dowager queen beats the heart of a princess in love, or so period biopic The Young Victoria would have us believe. Thanks to its stellar performances and true-to-history script, it successfully convinces.

The film opens with a teenage girl sick in bed. The girl is attended by her nurse, her mother (who seems only marginally interested in the girl’s recovery), and a man trying to force her to sign a legal document. A somewhat clumsy flashback explains how this girl is Victoria (Emily Blunt), the sole heir apparent to the throne of England. Because of her one-of-a-kind status, she is essentially imprisoned throughout her childhood by her mother, the Duchess of Kent (Miranda Richardson) with the influence of her personal secretary and bedfellow, Sir John Conroy (Mark Strong).

Not only is Victoria kept away from court, she is not allowed to play with other children, sleep without her mother beside her, or walk up and down stairs without holding someone’s hand even when she’s 17 years old. It’s all because the Duchess and Sir John are trying to keep their meal ticket safe, while wishing and hoping that the sickly king kicks the bucket before Victoria comes of age. Then they, as Victoria’s regents, can rule England.

Meanwhile, her maternal uncle Leopold, the King of the Belgians (Thomas Kretschmann), is hatching a plan of his own: to get his nephew, Victoria’s first cousin, Albert (Rupert Friend) into her heart and her bed before she can ascend to the throne, guaranteeing that the Belgians will always have a friend in England. It would be a fine political match if Victoria and Albert didn’t go and fall ass-over-teakettle in love at first sight. The heat between the two of them – at one point, over perhaps the sexiest, fully-clothed game of chess ever on the big screen – could warm even the chilliest drawing room.

This is where The Young Victoria takes off. The rest of the film unfolds like a charming Victorian novel (more Brontë sisters than Dickens, thank heavens), filled with all its manners and mannerisms. Smitten as she is, Victoria wants to rule as an independent queen before becoming anyone’s wife. So the royal lovebirds must suffice to send each other perfume-scented letters and handwritten Schubert lieder across Europe’s long distances. That is, until Albert is compelled to run to Victoria’s side to protect her from her political adviser, Lord Melbourne (Paul Bettany), whom she esteems too highly and writes about too frequently for her lover’s liking.

Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée from a script by Julian Fellowes, The Young Victoria is gorgeous in its period details. From the lavish gowns and fitted tailcoats (which are perfect for handsome Friend’s long, lean physique) to the staid quiet of the story itself, the film captures the very essence of the Victorian era. The script never strays too far into period melodrama territory, and sticks to the slow and silent intrigues that plague the royals. It means that there aren’t any big action sequences (save for an attempt on the pregnant queen’s life) or naked frolics through the grounds of Buckingham Palace. Instead, there are plenty of moments for the talented cast to deliver subtle, nuanced performances.

Blunt, who famously stole the show as the bitchy head assistant in The Devil Wears Prada, proves that she can carry a film without the help of Meryl Streep or Anne Hathaway. Her Victoria blossoms both deliberately and effortlessly from a lonely, defiant teenager to a blushing woman in love to a stalwart monarch who must learn to share her duties with Albert. Thanks to Blunt’s clear understanding of the soul of the woman (the character, if not the actual queen), you forget that beautiful Blunt, with her pouty mouth and porcelain skin, looks nothing like the dowdy real-life Victoria.

The rest of the cast delivers fine performances to go along with Blunt’s. Friend also allows Albert to grow up before our eyes – from poor, nervous pawn in pursuit of a rich wife to a strong, loving, protective husband – sporting a believable German accent the whole time, to boot. As his rival Melbourne, Bettany is both devious and affable.

In real-life, Prince Albert died at the age of 42, and Queen Victoria went on to rule England without him by her side for another 40 years. Seeing the depth of the romance between Victoria and her beloved Albert, the mournful dowager years suddenly make sense. Without her prince charming, Victoria is strong enough to reign but not enough to sparkle. The Young Victoria sparkles in her place.

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