Venice: US actress Kristen Stewart has completely bowled over the audience here with her portrayal of Princess Diana in the film Spencer. So convincing has been the performance of Kristen Stewart, that many are sure that she would get the Oscar in the ‘Best Actress’ category. The movie premiered here Friday.
Chilean director Pablo Larrain follows a transformative Stewart as the troubled princess reluctantly joins the Royals for a three-day Christmas gathering at Sandringham House. It happens as her marriage to Prince Charles breaks down.
Spencer portrays Diana as a misfit in the Royal family. She gets isolated with time and estranged from the rest of the family. The only exceptions are exception of William and Harry. The film portrays Diana as someone trying to break free from rules and traditions. She feels that the rules and restrictions are hypocritical and suffocating.
After the film, Stewart spoke to the media and talked about Diana’s legacy even 24 years after her death in a car accident. “I think it’s just something she was born with. There are some people endowed with an undeniable penetrating energy. The really sad thing about her is that as normal and casual and disarming in her air (as she was), immediately she also felt so isolated and lonely,” Stewart was quoted as saying by ‘Reuters’.
Stewart got critical acclaim for her intense and terrific performance. She developed a posh British accent to play the role. The ‘Daily Mail’ called her portrayal of Diana as ‘spectacular’.
“Kristen Stewart is Oscar-deservingly great – and Meghan Markle’s going to love it,” Daily Telegraph critic Robbie Collin tweeted.
The actress said that despite the sadness permeating the film she had very much enjoyed embodying Diana, her manners and demeanour. Stewart however added, “The curtsy went out of the window as soon as I stepped off set. I took more pleasure in my physicality making this movie than I have on anything. I felt more free and alive and able to move and taller, even.”
In the film, Diana is constantly late for dinner, often leaves the table abruptly to vomit because of her eating disorder, and grows frustrated and erratic as maids and the palace equerry keep telling her what to do.
The royals are referred to as ‘they’ or ‘them’. Diana only briefly speaks to the Queen or Prince Charles, preferring instead to confide in her dresser or the cook.
Stewart said that as a Hollywood star she could partly relate to the feeling of being hounded and not in control of the situation that Diana experienced. “I’ve wanted to run back a million times every day and be like, ‘oh, hey, can we actually redo that interview? I just thought about something else for a second, I didn’t say the right thing’. Imagine what it was like for her. Imagine feeling backed into a corner, to that extent. At some point you’re going to bare your teeth,” Stewart told the media.
