1953, 82 mins.
A record of the events of 2nd June 1953.
A documentary record of the coronation, A Queen is Crowned
is of obvious historical interest. It begins with a brief examination of the
extent of the Queen’s realm and the lead-up to the event itself, then
concentrates on the parades and the key events of the service, minus the
anointing which the filmmakers were denied permission to film. It’s accompanied
by a portentous narration from Sir Laurence Olivier, written by Christopher Fry
and hard to take seriously in its deferential solemnity. However, what makes the
film extraordinary and worth watching - and rewatching - is the absolutely
stunning use of Technicolor. As a study
in richly saturated colours it’s almost abstract, becoming an ecstatic reverie
bathed in gold, red and green. The immediacy of the images really does give you
an idea of what it was like to be there.
Network's Blu-Ray of this film is astonishingly beautiful and highly recommended.
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