Movie Review: The Other Boleyn Girl

You believe that? That women can be the match of men?

It is a question women have asked themselves for some time. But we concede men do have some value, so, we regard them as equal. - The Other Boleyn Girl

The Other Boleyn Girl directed by Justin Chadwick is a fictionalized version surrounding the lives of sister Mary Boleyn and Anne Boleyn as they compete for the affections of King Henry VIII. Interweaving their lives as they enter court, to broken relationships and backstabbing, the movie presents a dramatized version of a historical tragedy, one that has captured the attention of people for centuries.

source: sony pictures entertainment

I’ve been hoping to watch more movies recently, and slightly bored out of my mind in my dorm room, I decided to hop on Youtube and watch a free movie, the ones with ads in them. Seeing Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson, I was more expecting my favorite Pride and Prejudice-core romance. Yet, as books cannot be judged by their cover, movies can't be, too.

The movie portrayal of the historical events was an exciting take on the controversy and scandal surrounding Henry VIII; yet, the movie fell flat on the character dynamic. Even though the movie centered around the harsh dynamic of trust and love within family, Mary and Anne do not truly have any growth and cling to what they do and know best. The movie portrays Mary solely as a figure who is submissive, is hurt, and forgives those around her and the biggest act of rebellion was leaving her family quietly after the fallout. Anne, although said to have changed from France’s education, is mainly defined only by her ambition for power and position, nothing much more, even until her last word. Although there seemed several chances for each of the characters to grow and learn from mistakes and hurt, it seemed destined for the sisters to be separated in the end.

natalie portman as anne. source: netflix

Beyond the static characters, the message portrayed ambition, specifically female ambition, as a sin, and female passivity as a virtue. Mary, the blond haired and the sister who has the sun radiating from her, is not ambitious and instead more of a passive figure who follows the instruction of her parents and the King’s desires. Anne utilizes her wit and cunning abilities to seduce the King and gain a hand in marriage as the new queen, using tactics of betrayal but no seeming nuance behind her character. In the end, the movie seems to celebrate Mary, or women who do not cross a line of ambition, and women like Anne are destined to doom. Women at the time, of course, did not hold significant political or social power and were forced to listen to the male figures in their families. However, Anne is the one who is constantly vilified, flashing her wicked smile, throughout the movie. She is left with little or no room for empathy, and in the final scene, her death is more portrayed as one that is rightfully deserving of her. 

Instead, there is no serious retribution for the uncle, the father, and the King who upheld the system that worked against the Boleyn sisters. By the end, the movie centralizes on Mary’s success and happiness living in the countryside and Anne’s downfall, leaving the questionable and ruthless actions of the uncle, who orchestrated the matches that subsequently led to the family fracturing, the father, who followed the uncle, and the King, who treated each of the sisters with true emotions and ambitions as temporary and transactional objects. It is mainly the women who have to deal with the fallout, and the men continue their lives without the Boleyn sisters.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie with the drama and historical backdrop. However, it did seem to be slightly misleading as a romance movie and I saw it more as a historical political piece, seen through the perspectives of women.