In a coronation ceremony that a billion people all around the world followed on TV and the radio, Diana Spencer became the Princess of Wales in 1981. At just 20, she had to deal with the constant gaze of the public. There was not a moment where she was not being watched. No retreat to privacy could evade the paparazzi cameras. The images are saved in the collective memory. They show a vulnerable, shy woman and the tragedy behind her sudden death. In his film, Chilean director Pablo Larraín reverses the perspective. He brings to life the inner life of a young woman to the screen who threatens to break under the pressure. The film focuses on the last Christmas which Diana spent together with the British royal family at the Sandringham estate in 1991. Diana is trapped in the golden cage of monarchy. It is expected that she follow all the rules of tradition, while her husband disregards all of the rules of a functioning marriage. The affair with Camilla Parker Bowles has been obvious for a long time, just like the deep scars in Diana‘s psyche. Completely alone, her mental health deteriorates more and more. In JACKIE, Larraín directed the camera gaze onto private grief in the media limelight. He captures the inner turmoil beautifully here as well. In Diana‘s case, it‘s the grief of the dream of a happy marriage. The dizzying camera work of Claire Mathon (PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG LADY ON FIRE) and Johnny Greenwood‘s dissonant score are suffocating. Right in the middle of it: Kristen Stewart‘s intense embodiment of Lady Di. With all the footage that we have of who was once considered the most photographed woman in the world, SPENCER succeeds in having a different, engaging gaze.

Lars Tunçay

Translation: Elinor Lewy