Victoria And Albert

Reviewed by: Shannon Hammell
CONTRIBUTOR

Moral Rating:	Better than Average
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience:	Teens Adults
Genre:	Docudrama
Length:	3 hr. 20 min.
Year of Release:	2001
USA Release:

Featuring	Victoria Hamilton, Jonathan Firth, James Callis, David Suchet, Diana Rigg, Patrick Malahide, Roger Hammond, Penelope Wilton
Director	John Erman
Producer
Distributor

As both a history major AND history buff, I really found this movie to be a wonderful piece of work. There are some sexual situations and some profanity, but the film makes up for it with its rich, luscious cinematography and historical worth.

The “A&E” miniseries details the brief 20 years of marriage between Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The film focuses on the low and high points of the 20 year marriage as well as political intrigue.

This movie is not exactly a Christian film, but it has no anti-Christian material and it depicts Prince Albert and Victoria as two sensible, moral, and Christian individuals. However, Prince Albert is taught by a mentor that one should “marry first and love later.” While this may be valid advice, in this case it nearly cost Albert his marriage (he eventually falls in love with Victoria).

The film also depicts that a sinful lifestyle will lead an individual nowhere, which applies in this case to Prince Edward a.k.a “Bertie”. He is one of Victoria and Albert’s nine children who indulges in a worldly, sinful lifestyle.

Due to some of the content in this film, I’d recommend it to anyone ages 13 and up. There is some sexual situations, light profanity, smoking and alcohol, and a scene of childbirth.

Neutral—Queen Victoria is one of the most memorable and compelling female monarchs of the ages. Her ascension to the throne at the tender age of eighteen, and her ruling of nearly 65 years has become synonymous with the England that once was… the England of Pride and Prejudice and of Sherlock Holmes. Although not entirely correct to history, the film manages to take two cultural icons and transform them into living, breathing people. The costuming is gorgeous, the acting stellar (I particularly enjoyed seeing thespian actors David Suchet and Nigel Hawthorne in minor roles), the music memorable and the story excellently done. Since the reviewer didn’t really address the sexual content, I will. There is some female upper nudity in art. Victoria shyly asks her lady-in-waiting what will be expected of her on her wedding night. (Lady Henrietta merely blushes and skirts the issue). Several shots find Albert and Victoria snuggling and/or kissing. Victoria’s eldest son goes to a bawdy program in which cleavage-bearing women flaunt themselves suggestively (but without nudity). Albert bursts in upon a member of court cavorting with his mistress (fully clothed; she’s sitting on his lap and he’s untying her stays), but the scene is brief and my family found the good to outweigh the bad. Prince Albert believes in faithfulness in marriage, mainly due to the fact that his own family life was shattered due to an unfaithful father. He insists that as the most watched monarchs in the world, they must set an example for the Empire… and demands that the member of court imprudently unfaithful to his wife beneath their very roof be dismissed. …Another triumph from A&E that my family greatly enjoyed. Just pack the Kleenex… you’re going to need it.
My Ratings: [Better than Average / 4]

Charity Bishop, age 19