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The Lost Prince (2003)
Reviewer: Charity Bishop
History has forgotten the youngest son of King George V and Queen Mary of
England. Hidden away from the world due to his mental and physical
illnesses, the child is no more than a footnote in most historical volumes
from the era. But what he witnessed forever altered the face of Europe and
prompted renowned English filmmaker Stephen Poliakoff to bring his story to
the small screen.
Four year old Johnny (Matthew Williams) is the apple of his grandfather's eye. The
youngest of the royal children and the most unique, his quiet temperament
but outspoken comments have won the heart of Edward VII (Michael Gambon). Somewhat
overlooked among his siblings, Johnny has the distinction of suffering from
epileptic fits, a condition which alarms and humiliates his parents and
forces him to remain under the constant supervision of his devoted nurse,
Lalla (Gina McKee). These episodes are infrequent but frightening and the royal
family has managed to thus far conceal them from public knowledge. His only
other source of affirmation and affection is found in the form of his older
brother Georgie. Believing that these fits may disconcert visitors to the
palace, his doctors encourage Queen Mary (Miranda Richardson) to have him removed to
the country.
There, Johnny (Matthew Thomas) is all but forgotten while the world changes around
him. As he plays in the woods, struggles with his lessons, and tends a
beautiful garden, the powers in Europe begin to shift. Georgie (Weeks) is
bound for the naval college but his true passion is art and politics.
Fascinated with the inner workings of the court's social functions, he finds
an unlikely friend in his father's trusted advisor, Stamfordham (Bill Nighy). His
education in foreign policy is increased when disastrous news comes from
abroad that one of their allies has been assassinated. The intricacies of
the plot are less memorable than the characters, as this is a glimpse of
history we have never seen before. It is our chance to see into the
insecurities of those involved as well as attempt to understand the motives
behind their actions. The eccentricities and insecurities of the adults are
hinted at with just enough prowess that we fully comprehend them.
Some audiences found the film rather dull but my interest in the period,
curiosity toward the royal family, and enthrallment with the beautiful
performances did not make it seem over-long or melodramatic. There is some
truly exquisite acting involved, enough to have gained multiple award
nominations and a handful of wins. Richardson and McKee demand the greatest
respect, as one plays an emotionally distant monarch who is mentally much
less self-confident than she appears, and the other is an impassioned woman
determined to believe in Johnny's potential. Their final scene together is
heart-wrenching as we witness the quiet grief of one, and the breakdown of
the other. Hollander is a much under-appreciated thespian in his own right
and his depiction of the frustrated George V is haunting, particularly in
his grief. I am coming to have tremendous respect for Nighy and this
production is no exception. There is a quiet brilliance to his low-key
performance. But this is one instance in which the children outshone the
adults -- Rollo Weeks and Matthew Thomas were outstanding in the role of the
princes.
Younger audiences might want to avoid this film for the time being due to
the intense thematic elements. Johnny is shown several times in an epileptic
fit. There are a couple of mild abuses of deity but for the most part the
name of God is used with respect in prayer. One aspect that is especially
gut-wrenching to watch is the murder of the Romanovs. We see the entire
family fall as they are mowed with bullets and know some of the children
have been shot a second time. Callous soldiers remove anything of value from
the bodies, then carelessly drag them across the lawn and dump them in a
waiting cart. I have only seen a couple of productions about the Romanovs,
but this is one of the more brutal depictions of their death.
It is the nuances of the characters that will be remembered longer than the
events depicted therein, and the genuine heart of the film is apparent in
its more quiet moments. Even though the story is ultimately one of sadness
as we watch a young man experience life distant from his family, there are
moments of poignancy to remind us of the value of his existence. In one tear
jerking scene, Johnny brings not only his family but their advisors to tears
with a beautiful trumpet recital. He may have been the prince that time
forgot, but thanks to this production, the rest of us will remember him
forever.
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