MovieChat Forums > Victoria (2017) Discussion > Boring subject matter

Boring subject matter

posted 8 years ago by t-l-s
16 replies | jump to latest

Victoria's life is really not all that interesting:

She does very little, whilst not the full ceremonial cypher the Queen is today she holds little power but patronage and honours - and a good rebuke of a minister who could and did ignore her (she did notoriously did not get on with Gladstone - PM three times)
She is dominated by powerful male influence throughout her life from Sir John Conroy, to Lord Melborne, to Prince Albert and onwards even to the rough Mr Brown
She's actually quite nasty and petty - from Flora Hastings to the treatment of her own daughters
She spends vast amounts of time pregnant and confined (births 1840 (3 years after she came to the throne); 1841; 1843; 1844; 1846; 1848; 1850; 1853; 1857) doing very little.

I am sure they will turn this in to some feminist fantasy where she is clever, a woman beguiling and influencing the men around her, a proto feminist in a mans world but it is just that complete fantasy.

There are so many interesting British historical figures that could be the basis of a series and are completely ignored... of course they are almost all men and one might have to mention the empire - a major part of British history between the mid 17th century to the mid 20th

[–] alligatoruk 8 years ago

I am sure they will turn this in to some feminist fantasy where she is clever, a woman beguiling and influencing the men around her, a proto feminist in a mans world but it is just that complete fantasy.

Whilst they have made her headstrong and beguiling, I don't think they have shown her to be particularly clever, worldly or confident - at the moment she is very much shown as under the influence of her Prime Minister. She won't be pushed around by some around her but that doesn't mean she is making her own decisions.

[–] JohnSilence 8 years ago

I agree. Her life just wasn't very interesting. And frankly, neither was she.

[–] g_dekok 7 years ago

I can't agree with you here. Victoria was a very intelligent woman, who wanted and got her own way. Her mother's friend, Conroy refused to get the hint that he was not wanted at the court.

[–] debbieblackman17 8 years ago

I love costume drama's, but, my problem is with series like this based on real figures is that it can be abit boring when you know the person's life story and the show has to stick to that story so we know most (they can rewrite some parts their own way) of what is already going to happen and how it ends. I rather it based on fictional characters

[–] greenbudgie 8 years ago

I quite like documentaries on Queen Victoria where we just get all the facts in condensed form under an hour in length. Fleshing them out into a long drama series is not a good idea.

[–] hawaiigopher 8 years ago

one might have to mention the empire - a major part of British history between the mid 17th century to the mid 20th

Interesting you should mention that. The series seems to be completely omitting the early British conquests, in favor of court squabbles. The first episodes could have, at the very least, paid lip service to the First Anglo-Afghan War and/or the First Opium War.

[–] gill-mcgovern 8 years ago

If that's your opinion, what makes you want to post on a message board about this programme?

I suppose you're not keen on Poldark either, though.

[–] nickm-71961 8 years ago

another film about victoria about time they did one about a differant king or queen no more ideas thats why they remade poldork

[–] bobcobb301 8 years ago

I think there's a lot to talk about in her life. I just caught up with the third, and they're trying a bit too hard to make it Downton Abbey instead of telling the actual story. I liked how they touched on her sending criminals to Australia, which is a big thing they could have spent a lot of time on. They also could deal with the complications with other countries going on at the time.

So far they are making it interesting despite not delving too deep into anything controversial. Hopefully we do get there though.

[–] Sluggr-3 8 years ago

About a third of the screen time has focused on her asking "where's Lord M?" Perhaps that should be the series drinking-game cue.

My Chimp DNA seems to have lost its password temporarily. Sluggr-2

[–] bobcobb301 8 years ago

I love how she pronounces mama (muh-mah) though.

[–] bobcobb301 8 years ago

I'll give you that the 4th episode was a little boring, but at least they shook things up with her high/low relationship with Prince Albert. I think she lost a bit of herself in the process though going from a strong Queen to a lovestruck schoolgirl overnight.

[–] t-l-s 8 years ago

She didn't send anyone to Australia - the Government did

They have just tried to make her into a perfect feminist ideal monarch dull as dishwater and a historical anachronism - The Crown on the other hand shows how a drama about a constitutional monarch should be done

[–] seren0003 8 years ago

I think they've actually toned her down. She was supposed to have had quite a temper. Albert was a steadying figure. One question though, if you hate it this much, why watch?