Culture Crash: A New Portrayal of Princess Diana

I’m not a huge Royal Family-head. I’ve never watched The Crown, I don’t know who’s who in the periphery of the Royal Family. It’s just not really my thing. I did, however, go see Spencer, the new movie where Kristen Stewart plays Princess Diana – mostly because of the movie’s Oscar buzz, but also partially because I am a little fascinated by the life of Princess Di.

First things first, Kristen Stewart is incredible. I watched some clips of the real Diana before heading to the theater and at times, the likeness and the mannerisms in Stewart’s portrayal are uncanny. Beyond just looking and sounding like her, though, Stewart is incredibly naturalistic and gives a powerful performance. All of her raves are well-earned.

The movie traces one weekend in her life, a Christmas weekend right as her marriage to Prince Charles was falling apart. It admits right at the top that the movie is a quote “fable based on a true tragedy,” so I know it’s not exactly a documentary, but, well, it feels true, as far as these kinds of fictionalizations go. In the movie, Diana doesn’t really want to spend her Christmas with a bunch of people watching her every move, and yet she feels trapped.

What surprised me is that, in addition to marveling at Stewart, I also really liked the film itself. It is slow-moving at times, and it can be a little indulgent with its pacing. However, I think director Pablo Larraín uses his camera so smartly. We as the audience are with Diana the whole way, sometimes literally step for step. There are multiple scenes where the camera traces her every step… but always from a distance. We move with her forward and backward, but there’s always a full, drafty room or a row of plants or pavement between Diana and the camera. This effect really worked on me, it invited us in, it allowed us to experience what she experienced, but it also respects the distance. The fact is we can’t know exactly what was happening in her head, or what she was feeling.

What becomes apparent is that she feels stuck, she wants to live a freer life, she wants to spend more time with her children and less time with her estranged husband’s family. And that experience and journey is lonely, anxious and, at times, terrifying.

Spencer is a movie that takes its time, but one I found to be wholly worthwhile.

Spencer is now playing in theaters.