The Young Victoria

Capturing the essence of a queen in cinematic terms is no small task, but Emily Blunt, star of the potent period piece The Young Victoria, communicates the necessary grace and power with such compelling commitment that she instantly achieves a level of completely convincing onscreen royalty. As the title suggests, this latest costume drama is focused on the early years of Queen Victoria, whose sixty-three year reign began at the tender age of eighteen.

Since much of the narrative (and its stewing conflict, specifically) is immersed in the considerable challenges that Victoria must face as a youthful ruler, it is imperative that Blunt illustrate both the supreme confidence and deeper doubts experienced by her character. This juxtaposition of hearty resolve and inescapable fear makes the young Victoria a rather fascinating person to watch, simply because she is comprised of such passionately warring emotions.

But while her onscreen journey is intriguing and dramatically meaty even on paper, it is Blunt's knowingly youthful and charismatically triumphant performance that ensures Victoria is a grandly engaging protagonist. She blends the different aspects of this amazing young woman into an intoxicating mixture of playful proportions. Her lips twitch with vulnerable fragility in various scenes and yet she consistently exudes confidence and great strength in every frame.

Blunt's carefully orchestrated performance is smartly matched in tone and flavour by Jean-Marc Vallée's studious direction. Navigating the complexities and perplexities of a cinematic costume drama requires an incredible attention to details both above and below the surface, which is exactly what Vallée excels at in this movie. I often find that many costume dramas exist only on the surface, spending all of their running time examining the plastic veneer that coats the edges of a royal lifestyle.

That approach can still result in an entertaining movie, one that is enamoured with the beauty of paradisiacal palaces and elaborate gowns. But never venturing beneath the surface has a damning effect on the narrative, as the lack of depth robs the movie of any resonant dramatic energy. With The Young Victoria, Vallée plunges the viewer deep into the very personal world of Queen Victoria and he never loses sight of the human story in the midst of all the surface-dwelling beauty.

Vallée's direction is rather wonderful in that regard, but I do not mean to imply that he somehow forgets to showcase the exquisite opulence that is a staple of the costume drama. Vallée does a very good job of juggling both the emotional energy of the narrative and the sumptuous imagery that accompanies life in a royal palace. The success of these two aspects of the movie should also be attributed to cinematographer Hagen Bogdanski, who uses striking shifts in the focus of the visuals to create a sense of how alone Victoria is, even when she is surrounded by people.

The photography is gorgeous from start to finish and Bogdanski bathes the sets and costumes in a warm glow that is especially pleasing to behold. Like Vallée, he never ignores the beauty of the royal world, but he still finds a way to dig deeper and tie the imagery to Victoria's journey. With director and cinematographer locating a soothing balance between the grandeur of the period and the emotions of the people, The Young Victoria is the rewarding result of a solid collaboration.

As much as the movie is about Victoria's ascent to power and her handling of royal responsibilities early in her reign, it is also a love story concerned with the relationship between Victoria and Albert (Rupert Friend, offering devoted support to Blunt). This aspect of the story boasts sparkling chemistry between Blunt and Friend, which makes their courtship all the more exciting to watch. It is very easy to buy into the royal romance and the performances of the two leads lends the love story an adoring sweetness.

In the realm of period pieces and costume dramas, The Young Victoria does not break any new ground, nor does it redefine the cinematic portrayal of royal figures. But such revisionism is not necessary when the story is delivered with visual vivacity and anchored by a brilliant performance. There is so much to enjoy in The Young Victoria, but it is Blunt who ultimately steals the show, offering a memorably moving look at a young queen carving out her place in history. Her performance is a stunning accomplishment, a gentle tribute delivered with a brand of confident charisma that befits cinematic royalty.