ISSUE 66 SCREEN EDUCATION ©ATOM 28 reassess hisviewof her. wondering whetherheshould leaving human vulnerabilities, and a fractured study of hervery prime minister–presenting facade of theformer British Thatcher penetrates thesteely Lloyd’s filmabout Margaret Phyllidathe political biopic, Forgoing many conventions of Brian McFarlane

lead oneto thinkagainabouther. country responded to them.Andyet – viewing TheIron Ladymay few primeministers have ever beensodivisive inthewaytheir hectoring inherdealings withparliamentandsoon.Indeed, the distress ofordinary people, aggressive in foreign policy, to 1990.Shesooften seemedutterly blinkered inrelation to during herincumbencyasBritish primeminister from 1979 as theminers strike andtheFalklands War) thatsurfaced unsympathetic inherresponse to manyofthekey issues (such had muchdisliked inlife. Itwaseasyto findMargaret Thatcher based onanactualperson whosepoliciesandattitudesthey in thestrange positionofcoming to admire afilmcharacter A goodmanypeople, myselfincluded,mayfindthemselves Thatcher inlife andonscreen D film, butIthinkitisoneworth considering indetail. This isonly oneofthewaysinwhichwe mightapproach this makes ofTheIron Lady,ifshe’s found herself upto viewing it. her awareness maybe,isstill alive, andonewonders whatshe her image,butThatcher, depleted byageandillness though so sheispast beinghurtbyanything filmmakers can dowith (Phyllida Lloyd, 2011).Monroe hasbeendeadfor fiftyyears now, out –MerylStreep asMargaret Thatcher inTheIron Lady Curtis, 2011)and–thewinnerasitnottoo surprisingly turned Williams asMarilyn Monroe inMyWeek withMarilyn (Simon dramatising episodesinthelives offamous women: Michelle Best Actress were for performances aimedat Oscar presentations, two ofthenomineesfor the subjectoftheir­ ­characters have anymoral obligationtowards o you wonder iffilmsbasedonreal-life narratives? Attherecent 29 ISSUE 66 SCREEN EDUCATION ©ATOM (Scott Hicks, Hicks, (Scott Thatcher losing it losing Thatcher biopic of the long-established Lady has some elements The Iron history in a venerable a point it belongs – that is, up to genre figure, of a famous the life relate of films which purport to David Helfgott in Shine like a pianist whether it’s Jeffs, (Christine Plath in Sylvia 1996), a poet such as Sylvia in The Social pioneer Mark Zuckerberg 2003) or the Facebook – which paradigm Network (David Fincher, 2010). A common of a burning – is the presence embraces Lady mostly The Iron and of obstacles, and overcoming ambition, the encountering Morgan, Abi and writer some sort of public triumph. But Lloyd - a sort of retire of 1984; settling in to strike with the miners do not occur the past from ment with Denis. But these scenes happened in Margaret in which they order in the chronological in the mind of the old enact the confusion They life. Roberts’ me to And this leads Alzheimer’s. slipping into Margaret, in which this film might be viewed. another context The film doesn’t make it easy for us either. It doesn’t follow a a It doesn’t follow us either. it easy for The film doesn’t make elderly its habit is that of dipping from Instead, linear narrative. shop grocer in her father’s working pasts: various into present on the suits taking run as a candidate; deciding to in Grantham; twins; dealing marrying Denis and having the of Westminster; This doesn’t necessarily changing one’s mind about her as a mind about her as a changing one’s This doesn’t necessarily that likely still It’s she led. politician or about the government of a particular brand with ‘Thatcherism’ those who equate but even such views, to will adhere conservatism meritocratic thoughts about the woman second to so, the film may lead politician. By this I mean that Phyllida behind the strident as it did me, wonder, to you film may lead excellent Lloyd’s it is judgements. Essentially, in your severe been too if you’d this – of accepting of aspiration me about the importance for of the Roberts and the reality Margaret the young for reality - of her aspira surmount in the realising she had to obstacles she may seem as a politician, she dislikeable tions. However of class in matters some daunting prejudices overcome had to the top. and gender as she made her ambitious way to hatcher in The Iron Lady s on the role of Margaret Thatcher Meryl Streep take

ISSUE 66 SCREEN EDUCATION ©ATOM 30 the past isnoless real thanthepresent. breakfast table thatwe are inthepresence ofamindfor which from thefirst sequence involving thesupermarket andthe not jeopardised bythisapproach to structure. We must accept delusion. Part ofthefilm’s triumphisthatitsnarrative flow is it moves inandoutofpresent andpast, andbetween reality and reality: thisiswhere thefilmstarts and for therest ofitslength film’s structure isdetermined byMargaret’s loosening gripon sidering whythismightbeso.)Inthecase ofTheIron Lady , the often atthecentre ofafilm’s concerns. (Itmaybeworth con - age itself, and its concomitant problems of failing powers, is not Tokyo (1953)beingtwo Story of themost affective examples, old McCarey’s Make Way for Tomorrow (1937)andYasijuro several filmstudies ofoldpeople have beenundertaken, Leo time’, asonecommentator onthe subjectwrote. ‘Cinemagoing hasmore usually beenayoung person’s pas- is notathemethatoften explored infilm,perhapsbecause From onepointofview thisisamoving study inoldage,which film.recur throughoutthe will presencehis about ambiguity this state,and muddledmental representingfilm’sof the Margaret’sway is words,this other Innext. the not breakfastand minute,the tableone at sitting be to seems Denis but – returnshome she Broadbent)when (Jim Denis husband with price milk of topic the takesup career.her of aspect unsympathetic rememberthis who She thereforememberswill audience milk older resonateof with priceescalating the about supermarket a in complaining lady old this spectacleof The stateschools. to supplies freemilk the off cutting forrebuking her walls, other and school on graffiticommon was ‘MargaretSnatcher’ister, Milk Thatcher, min- prime beforebecame days she the in 1970s, the In film. therest of the forexpectations up sets it which in ways the forsequence opening this at brieflylooking worth is It milk. buy to out going Thatcher old the of is image opening The case. this in is it as mental and physical both decline, stateof protagonista in the showing recollection.impelledby usuallyare not Biopics vibrant of intermittentlyfull still is realitybut on grip its losing is that mind accessa togiving of means the is it that only ing, confus- way any in is this that suggest to want don’t I mind. of currentstateher and past her about us tells both which ory, strikesher.mem- memory this a dramatises when film The order,‘carers’in various her keepwhich to in try flat, the Alzheimer’s.aboutpotters and She age into alreadygone far is Streep),she (Meryl Thatcher their meet first we When to follow thepattern inastraightforward way. though they incorporate someoftheseelements, donotchoose reality and delusion. itmoveslength inandoutof andbetween present andpast, and for the on reality:rest thisiswhereof its thefilmstarts The film’s structure isdetermined byMargaret’s looseninggrip 1 Although Ozu’s ¯ dominant past. and inthiscase to contrasting theenfeebled present withthe are important signifiers ofmeaninginrelation to character, an Oscar for this)andcostume design.These‘technical’ aspects film’s brilliantmake-up (Mark CoulierandJRoy Hellandwon diminished senseofthepresent isfurtherunderlinedbythe age hasimposedonthem,andinMargaret’s case especially the Thatchers live outtheirdaysseemsattunedto thelimitsthat test against theThatcher regime. Theflatinwhichtheelderly and onthestreets whenthecrowds marshal theirforces to pro- as well) andthenoiseofpolitical outrage, bothinparliament the trademark brightbluecostumes butintheplaces depicted contrast withthesplashesofremembered vividhues(notjust in (mainly greys andsoft blues)andmuffled soundsofthepresent This structure isreinforced bythewaymuted colours 31 ISSUE 66 SCREEN EDUCATION ©ATOM oyd) begin their romance Margaret and Denis (Harry Lloyd) of class and gender compel sympathy for this difficult woman. this difficult woman. sympathy for and gender compel of class conducted Denis and Margaret, between romance The youthful The King and I (Walter from Dance?’ of ‘Shall We the strains to all who, for a woman insight into a touching Lang, 1956), offers that will of a tenderness of purpose, is capable her firmness later decades He can in this partnership. be an element always of the species ‘the female line about how Kipling’s read jokingly underlying but Denis possesses than the male’, deadly is more Though he performance. in Broadbent’s that is clear affection of history’, who changed the face a ‘woman may be married to little her in ‘a lovely calls Telegraph Daily as the conservative - and mother, if not conform wife she is also a devoted article’, of either. the stereotypes ing to h) refuses to let critics discourage her She has been mocked by other local girls for her aspirations, her aspirations, girls for other local by She has been mocked scene the political in her entry to and at a dinner party early on the relying background, her modest for she is patronised of profuse in matters guidance for Denis (Harry Lloyd) youthful of the need constituency the Dartford to has talked She cutlery. but it hasn’t preselection, in her bid for ‘good housekeeping’ for ease in the posher social situation instant equipped her for the Nor is she equipped for finds herself. in which she now Roberts, superiority when she is enjoined: ‘Miss masculinist being that the chaps join the ladies?’, the implication will you unimpeded by the need get on with serious discussion, want to this moment recall We of women. the presence to deferring for proposal, Denis’ to in response when Margaret, later a little who stand be one of those women ‘I will never him firmly: tells in this is an honesty on the arm of her husband.’ There silent as dealing with the prejudices just admiration, that compels Thatcher ascendant Thatcher is at Thatcher with the film’s that sympathy If one does feel the way the this may be due to persona, odds with the real-life influences on the formative focus chosen to have filmmakers Roberts Alfred of a grocer, She was the daughter in her life. of her early who has been the prime inspiration (Iain Glen), - a differ make about aspiring to principles He has strong life. Margaret and when the young individual effort through ence in the shop, gets a see working Roach), whom we (Alexandra he exhorts University, at Oxford announcing her place telegram lower- a modest from She has come me down.’ her, ‘Don’t let a way in her own and she makes background middle-class men. upper-class by chiefly dominated world A young Margaret (Alexandra Roac

ISSUE 66 SCREEN EDUCATION ©ATOM 32 of parliament. takes onthemalepreserve empathy for thiswomanwho makes usfeel of somesort thefilm but nevertheless ambitions andadvancement, exclusively focused on her and sheismore orless the rolesof womenat large, has nospecialfeeling for symbol for feminism. She She isnodoubtanawkward the facts ofherlife. bound byanoldwoman’s slackening andintermittent grasp of between thedomestic andthepublic,present andthepast, ance, whichissecured bythe storytelling structure thatmoves these two crucialelements are heldinakindofnarrative bal- as muchthestudy ofamarriageaspolitical career, and in Thatcher’s case, ahusbandandchildren. TheIron Ladyis more than politicsatwork inthelife ofa politician.There was, Morgan’s screenplay wantsusto accept theideathatthere is in abrightbluesuit,withpearlsandanaureole offair hair: film aimsto show somethingmore thanacombative politician thing oftheimmediacytelevision coverage. Second, the in thewanderingmindofoldwoman. They have some- vivid summaryform asthememoryofthemstakes itsclaim ing theminers strike andtheFalklands War are dealtwithin objections istwofold. First, suchepisodes asthoserepresent- about thisthatisn’talready well known. Myreply to these significance ofherpolitical life –thatitdoesn’ttell usanything I have heard complaints thatthefilmdoesn’tdojustice to the ity oftheinsertsfrom thecontentious past. elderly Thatcher’s confined life andtheloud, often kineticqual- contrast between thevisually andaurally subduedtones ofthe public life hasbeen.Assuggested above, there isnotable tumultuous past, ithasto show ussomething ofwhatthat whose mindisdriftingbetween hershadowy present andher because itssubject isanoldwoman called Margaret Thatcher George Clooney’s GoodNight, andGoodLuck(2005) was,but In theend,TheIron Ladyisnotreally a‘political film’,as,say, used to taking itslead from awoman. stand outphysically from thedark-suited brigade,whichisnot – andinhercareful coiffure andcouture Streep makes her Howe (AnthonyHead),Francis Pym(JulianWadham) andothers high-flying men–MichaelHeseltine(Richard EGrant), Geoffrey parliament. We seehercommanding theattention ofallthose empathy for thiswoman whotakes onthemale preserve of ment, butnevertheless thefilmmakes usfeel somesortof or less exclusively focused onherown ambitionsandadvance- special feeling for theroles ofwomen atlarge, andsheismore She isnodoubtanawkward symbolfor feminism. Shehasno margaret Thatc her advances througamle-doinated parliament to become oneofthostpowerfulpeopinword 33 ISSUE 66 SCREEN EDUCATION ©ATOM 2 He goes on to suggest that she fails to ‘leap over the obvious the obvious over ‘leap to that she fails suggest He goes on to as, say, of a character’, the soul get under the skin and into to Speech VI in The King’s Colin Firth did when playing George with this or not one goes along Hooper, 2010). Whether (Tom than skilful as being no more performance criticism of Streep’s me no denying that our images seems to there impersonation, receive we how films influence all those preceding of her from our interest least, At the very as Thatcher. her performance and Streep-as-Thatcher. Thatcher may be divided between the physi- goes beyond of the performance greatness The real these to through worked as though she’s it’s accuracies: cal ambi- of ferocious of aspiration, (a life the inner life suggest her way – and her genuine love have to tion, of determination that is, she the other way round; of Denis). Or perhaps it works details that the external the inner life understood has so fully – not just too The ageing is marvellous place. into fall naturally stooped) (increasingly and stance of brilliant make-up a matter Thatcher’s vocal intonations and ways of standing and sitting, and sitting, and ways of standing intonations vocal Thatcher’s mimicry. of mere a matter but it is never writing in The Age, point, Jim Schembri, this latter to In regard nay, must not – win the not – ‘should that Meryl Streep insisted that asserting Oscar’, mim- high-definition of Her portrait almost entirely is composed It is TV news footage. hours of endless from gleaned icry expertly but … There no doubt, impersonation, an effective and accurate we in the character, no surprises, no journey no revelations are about already. didn’t know CAPTION her’s supportive husband Denis (Jim Broadbent) Thatc Streep and others Streep open a film with a completely to come to possible It is rarely - our recollec bring not only we instance, mind. In the present through those of us who lived (for years tions of the Thatcher the receive we bear on how to persona them) and the Thatcher film’. of ‘a Meryl Streep expectations also have now film, but we an extraordinary In her sixty-odd films, she has established as the characters such diverse of of inhabiting the lives record Nichols, in Silkwood (Mike worker nuclear-plant whistleblowing Schepisi, (Fred in Plenty heroine 1983), the wartime resistance Schepisi, 1988) 1985), Lindy Chamberlain in Evil Angels (Fred 2009). Ephron, Julie & Julia (Nora and so on, all the way up to Prada (David Frankel, Wears The Devil in inane films like Even Lady The Iron Mamma Mia! (like 2006) and the unspeakable in immersion complete 2008) her by Phyllida Lloyd, directed When she is playing characters attention. compels each role Lady, she may as she does in The Iron figures based on real-life as in capturing detail, of the surface exactness with the impress

ISSUE 66 SCREEN EDUCATION ©ATOM 34 to it.WhatIwould claimisthatunderLloyd’s direction of so muchasto suggest whatmayprove someusefulapproaches It hasnotbeenmyaimto offer adefinitive reading ofthefilm Conclusion how we respond to thefilm. will have bearingonitsproduction values, andconsequently on Iron Ladyisconceived asamajorinternational filmandthatthis point to bemadeisthatthefilm’s credentials suggest thatThe tion companies, andtheprolific French company Canal+.The since the1980soneofUK’s most prestigious filmproduc- panies involved include theBritish-basedGoldcrest Pictures, Iron LadyisaUK/French co-production, andthemajor com- And remember too thatafilmisalsoanindustrial product. The victim ofIRAterrorism. from NicholasFarrell asthesupportive Airey Neave, whoisa protagonist; there isanotably touching study infriendship authority andconviction thatprovide thecontext for thefilm’s roles aspoliticians,admirals, doctors and‘carers’ withaneasy is stuffed withreliable Britishcharacters whostamp their Eyre’s 2001filmaboutIrisMurdoch, Iris.Therest ofthecast long-suffering husbandto anAlzheimer’s victiminRichard supportive, tipplingDenis,alsorecalling aprevious role asa Jim Broadbent bringswarmthandhumourto histake onthe The actingisinanycase oneofthegreat strengths ofthefilm. being nolonger sure whoislistening to herorwhere sheis. but thewayStreep registers Thatcher’s growing anxietyof Live With(Manchester UP,2013). of aFilmObsessive andCritic;hisnext is20BritishFilmsto University. Hislatest bookisRealandReel:TheEducation of Technology andAdjunctAssociate Professor atMonash Brian McFarlane isAdjunctProfessor atSwinburneUniversity exactly whatisimpressing us. hugely impressed against ourprejudices, andto start to wonder being muchmoved. Ithinkit’s avery interesting situation:to be rethink Margaret Thatcher asahumanbeingandendedby Streep’s magisterial performance, Ifound myselfforced to Morgan’s screenplay, andwiththeincalculable advantage of 2 1 Endnotes

(ed.), TheEncyclopedia of BritishFilm,3 Neil Sinyard, ‘OldAgeinBritishFilm’,Brian McFarlane London, 2008,p.549. -20120223-1tos2.html›, accessed 2April2012. entertainment/oscars/hey-oscar-beware-of-imitations The Age,24February 2012,‹http://www.theage.com.au/ Jim Schembri,‘Hey Oscar, Beware ofImitations’, rd edn,Methuen,

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