Firebrand, 2024.
Directed by Karim Aïnouz.
Starring Alicia Vikander, Jude Law, Eddie Marsan, Sam Riley, Simon Russell Beale, Erin Doherty, Ruby Bentall, Bryony Hannah, Maia Jemmett, Patsy Ferran, Junia Rees, Andy M Milligan, Edward Harrison, Mina Andala, Paul Tinto, Frank Howell, Ashleigh Reynolds, Ian Drysdale, Joseph Aston Grant, Dan Fallon, and Mia Threapleton.
SYNOPSIS:
Katherine Parr, the sixth wife of King Henry VIII, is named regent while the tyrant battles abroad. When the king returns, increasingly ill and paranoid, Katherine finds herself fighting for her own survival.
If the intention with Firebrand was to make an empowering, women-centric look at the radically progressive nature of Alicia Vikander’s Katherine Parr, the sixth and final wife of King Henry VIII (Jude Law), through a speculative conspiring with Protestant preacher Anne Askew (Erin Doherty), a look at her Queen Regent duties (and how it was basically all a sham that never gave her the power to do anything substantial), and her impact on the stepdaughters from previous beheaded wives she raised and inspired (a young Elizabeth among them also providing some introductory and closing narration), director Karim Aïnouz (working from a screenplay by Henrietta Ashworth and Jessica Ashworth with additional writing from Roseanne Flynn, based on the novel Queen’s Gambit by Elizabeth Fremantle) stumbles, reverting to more familiar royalty games involving courtroom plotting, calculated conniving, guarded secrets, and cornered acts of betrayal.
In doing so, the film becomes trapped, covering the abuse King Henry VIII inflicted upon Katherine, something that became increasingly horrific upon catching on to her involvement in offering financial support to Anne Askew’s cause. Returning from battle with a wounded leg that repeatedly needs tending to by doctors, Henry is also irritable and temperamental, seemingly making him more aggressive when forcing himself on Katherine even if the pain isn’t relenting. It simply boils down to the usual suffering we typically see women, even ones of authority, receive in similar period pieces, which feels particularly reductive here given the promising angle the film initially sets up.
Take nothing away from Alicia Vikander and Jude Law, who are delivering serviceable performances in a handsomely mounted feature (some stationary shots from cinematographer Hélène Louvart could be mistaken for paintings), where the crew has also gone to great lengths to incorporate dazzling and colorful wardrobes. Given the mounting pressure Katherine faces, the performance from Alicia Vikander is understandably more subdued but nonetheless compelling. Meanwhile, Jude Law is disgustingly irresistible to watch, as if he took the role of a foul and grotesque dying man as a dare to see if social media would still thirst over him following giving such a believably despicable turn.
Some supporting characters caught up in the drama, ranging from a scheming bishop (Simon Russell Beale) and Prince Edward relatives Thomas and Edward Seymour (Eddie Marsan and Sam Riley), find themselves with consequential choices that do carry weight. However, it’s also a shame that the dynamic between Katherine and the stepdaughters is minimal, leaving one questioning why Elizabeth is given narration monologues at the beginning and end (beyond pointing out the world history of it all.) Why introduce a fictional element of a long-standing childhood friendship with her and Anne Askew only to make it the jumping-off point for a more textbook, by-the-numbers biopic? And what is the point of inserting anachronistic boss-girl pop music over the lending credits if the 2-hour film does nothing to match their energy?
These creative choices are rendered more confounding, considering that the basis of tension and danger here ultimately comes down to the fate of Katherine, which is something most people with a basic understanding of history will already know. That’s not to say there is nothing dramatic or engaging about how the filmmakers imagine the fallout going down, especially since the craftsmanship and ensemble are solid. Firebrand is still worth recommending, maintaining enough intrigue in the fact-and-fiction blending of storytelling and characters. It’s also hard not to see the more trailblazing, fiery route that would have resulted in something more transgressive and vital.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
