Spencer Perfectly Captures the Heartbreaking Trauma of Princess Diana

Originally written by Gabe Kanae for The Nevada Sagebrush. Read the original article here.

The truth about the royal family is finally revealed on the big screen and it’s a real tragedy to watch.The widely-known story of the beloved Diana, princess of Wales, is depicted in Pablo Larraín’s “Spencer”.

The film is composed of happiness, youth, discovery, heartbreak and misery, representing all 36 years of her life in a compilation of just three days. These themes are inspiring, incredibly emotional and, in many ways, relatable.

Casting Diana in the film would be among the most essential tasks, especially after following the critically acclaimed portrayal of Diana by Emma Corrin in the Netflix show “The Crown”.

The official poster for the “Spencer” movie.

The well-known “Twilight” actress, Kristen Stewart, portrayed Diana in this rendition of the film. The beautifully talented Claire Mathon, known for shooting the phenomenal film “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”, is the cinematographer. The score of the film was created by the accomplished Jonny Greenwood, known for being the guitarist of Radiohead and his work on the score for “Inherent Vice”.

As a result of the talents of those involved, the audience gets to marvel at this incredible end product.

Each and every frames’ compilation mimics a painting. There is much to examine within this film and its vivid portrayal of the painful three days during the 1991 holiday season which Diana spent with the Royal Family.

Throughout the film, viewers witness many unreasonable expectations imposed on Diana. However, since the film takes place ten years after her introduction to the family, Diana is rebellious, overwhelmed and traumatized due to the lack of love she’s received from the family.

Diana is forced to hide her pain, heartbreak and personality to the press. They flutter her with camera flashes, not even three minutes after she had to witness the mistress of her current husband at a Christmas mass.

There were plenty of silent tears to be shed over this tragic scene.

The need to hide one’s true self from the people around them and the feeling of breaking down when alone is relatable to many. These hidden feelings are exposed on screen through scenarios of abuse in a relationship and the many consequences that come to the victim, including forms of self-hatred.

The film doesn’t hold back with its traumatic scenes.

To successfully give these scenes the meaning they have, Kristen Stewart plays the people’s princess with award-worthy skill.

The cinematography and directing capture the presence of isolation, entrapment, lack of privacy and peace Diana had been subjected to over the days and the amount of desperation she had to escape with her kids safely.

The screenwriting in the film is immersive and unforgettable.

It presents objects with meanings of the past, present and future, which are incorporated into the story to develop Diana. The other characters around her, though frustrating, are essential to building the world and their roles are properly placed.

One character standout was portrayed by Sally Hawkin, who plays Maggie, the lovingly empathic friend of the distressed princess.

The score in the film is filled with piano ballads, shocking beauty and a perfect match to the visuals and emotions each character experiences.

This is a film that needs to be taken seriously and it is one many should see. It’s a violent exposure of the consequences of heartbreak, silence, trauma and everbuilding stress. The capture of mental illness, eating disorders, self-harm and loneliness is one to learn from with the raw visuals of this masterclass film.

It is a film that doesn’t come around often though, especially for an icon as unique and important as Princess Diana. This film can spark up a message, teach a lesson of boundaries and most importantly leave it’s own unique mark in the drama genre.

Gabe Kanae can be reached at jaedynyoung@sagebrush.unr.edu or on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush.