Most everyone knows something of the tragedy of Anne Boleyn, the passionate and intelligent second wife of Henry VIII of England.
She failed to give Henry the son he so desperately wanted, but she was the mother of England’s first Queen Elizabeth, who inheriting her father’s strength as a monarch and her mother’s wit and cleverness reigned for 45 years.
The Other Boleyn Girl was Anne’s sister Mary, who was the king’s mistress for a time and then faded into obscurity because her life had no impact on the flow of history.
The Other Boleyn Girl is based on an historical novel by Philippa Gregory examining the life of Mary Boleyn and the role she played in the Tudor Court.
For the film version of her story Mary (Scarlett Johansson) is portrayed as the younger sister, and a wife to a local gentleman when she catches the eye of visiting Henry VIII (Eric Bana).
Sir Thomas Boleyn and his brother-in-law make great schemes to advance their family fortunes by throwing Anne (Natalie Portman) at the King, in hopes she will become his favorite, but she is too bold for his tastes. The King is charmed by the gentle bidable Mary.
The King appoints Mary to be a lady in waiting to Queen Catherine, and her husband is made one of the council.
Anne is furious that the King prefers Mary and this is the beginning of a rift between the once close sisters. Historically there is strong evidence that Mary bore both a son and a daughter that were fathered by Henry VIII.
In this story, Mary’s pregnancy is a rough one, and the scheming Uncle and father bring Anne back from France to divert the King and keep him from falling for any other woman until Mary delivers.
Anne still angry over what she thinks was Mary’s theft of her place with the King sets about to bewitch Henry and make him hers alone.
The Other Boleyn Girl is presented on single disc in widescreen with a playing time of 115 minute. The feature is available in English, French and Spanish with subtitles for these languages as well.
The disc is loaded with special features, deleted and extended scenes, “Translating History to the Screen” featurette, “To Be A Lady” featurette on the life and court manners of a 16th Century lady, and members of the court biographies which allow viewers to explore more about the historical characters.
The Other Boleyn Girl is an interesting story, a perspective of the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn that is different from other filmed versions. It will no doubt lead some viewers into further research to find out more about Mary and the baby Elizabeth.
This version is a little more soap opera than historical record, but it is well acted, beautifully costumed and filmed, with an evocative musical score.
The Other Boleyn Girl is now available at Amazon . It is available for pre-order at AmazonUK for a June 30th release. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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