Dramatisation of History: The Queen
Year 2011,
Issue: 15, 29 - 44, 01.08.2011
Yrd. Doç. Dr. Sibel Çelik Norman
Abstract
This essay examines the British film The Queen in the context of the ongoing debate over fact and fiction in historical films and the impact of “History by Hollywood” on public perceptions of the recent past. The long-established practice among dramatists of inserting fictional dialogue and imagined episodes into historical narratives has been given a new dimension by the sophisticated editing techniques and increasing accessibility of contemporary film, leading to a critical debate concerning the work of Oliver Stone. The essay argues that the more subtle approach adopted by director Stephen Frears and scriptwriter Peter Morgan in The Queen may have an equally significant influence on the interpretation of recent history, a fact that has been overlooked by critics due to a mistaken categorisation of such films. It is suggested that The Queen should properly be considered as a development within the genre of heritage cinema, with its characteristic blend of nostalgia and deference, which is ill-suited to the purposes of historiography.
References
- AMBROSE Stephen, McGOVERN George & SCHLESINGER Arthur (2000).
- "Nixon: Is it History?" in Oliver Stone’s USA, Toplin (ed.) Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. ARMSTRONG D. and GITLING T. (1992). "Killing the Messenger: Why did the Press react so furiously over Stone’s Movie?", in Image, Sunday Feb 16, 1992.
- BLAIR, Tony (2010). A Journey. London: Random House.
- CORRIGAN, Timothy (1991). A Cinema without Walls. New Brunswick:
- Rutgers University Press. DAILY TELEGRAPH (2007). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1556863/
- Tony-coined-the-peoples-princess.html, [09.07.2007].
- DAILY TELEGRAPH (2011) July 23. Peter Morgan Accuses Tony Blair of
- Plagiarizing Lines from his Film The Queen. EBERT Roger (2006). ‘The Queen’. http://rogerebert.suntime.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article=20061012REVIEWS
- GRENIER Richard (1992). Movie Madness. Times Literary Supplement, Jan 24, 16-17.
- GRITTEN David (2003). ‘The power, the glory-and the heartbreak’. http://www. telegraph.co.uk/ulture/3602995, [20.09.2003].
- HALL Sheldon (2001). "The Wrong Sort of Cinema", in The British Cinema
- Book, Murphy (ed.), 191-199. London: British Film Institute. HIGSON Andrew (2003). English Heritage, English Cinema. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- JUNOR Penny (2005). The Firm: the Troubled Life of the House of Windsor.
- London: Harper Collins. KEAR Adrian & STEINBERG Deborah Lynn (1999). Mourning Diana: Nation,
- Culture and the Performance of Grief. London: Routledge. LACK Russell (1997). Twenty Frames Under. London: Quartet Books.
- LANCHESTER John (2007). Review of ‘The Blair Years’ by Alastair Campbell.
- London Review of Books, 29/16, Aug 16. LEE Christopher (2007). "The Queen". http://www.leesmovieinfo.net/botitle. php?t=3907
- LEVY Emanuel (2006). "The Queen according to Frears". http://emanuellevy. com/article=3178
- MONK Claire (1995). "Sexuality and the Heritage Film", in Sight & Sound 5/10, 4.
- NEALE Steve (2000). Genre and Hollywood. London: Routledge.
- POLAN Dana (1996). "The Professors of History", in The Persistence of History,
- Sobchack (ed.), London: Routledge. ROSENSTONE Robert (2000). "Oliver Stone as Historian", in Oliver Stone’s
- USA, Toplin (ed.), Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. SCHAGER, Nick (2006). http://www.slantamagazine.com/filmreview/the- queen/2462
- SOBCHACK, Vivian (1996). "History Happens", in The Persistence of History,
- Sobchack (ed.), London: Routledge. STONE, Oliver (2000). "Stone Responds", in Oliver Stone’s USA, Toplin (ed.),
- Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. STONE Oliver, RIVELE Stephen & WILKINSON Christopher (1995). Nixon: An
- Oliver Stone Film. New York: Hyperion. TOPLIN Robert Brent (2000). "Framing the Debat", in Oliver Stone’s USA, Toplin
- (ed.), Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. WHITE Hayden (1996). "The Modernist Event", in The Persistence of History,
- Sobchack (ed.), London: Routledge.
La Dramatisation de l’Histoire: The Queen
Year 2011,
Issue: 15, 29 - 44, 01.08.2011
Yrd. Doç. Dr. Sibel Çelik Norman
Abstract
Cet essai examine le film anglais The Queen (La Reine) dans le contexte du débat contemporain au sujet de la réalité et fiction dans les films historiques et l’effet de “l’histoire racontée par Hollywood” sur les perceptions publiques du passé récent. La pratique ancienne parmi les dramaturges d’ajouter les dialogues et les événements imaginaires dans les narratives historiques a été donnée une dimension nouvelle par un montage sophistiqué et l’accessibilité grandissante des films modernes, entraînant un débat critique au sujet des films d’Oliver Stone. Cet essai propose que l’approche plus subtile du réalisateur Stephen Frears peut avoir une influence également considérable sur l’interprétation du passé récent, ce qui a échappé l’attention des critiques selon une catégorisation fausse d’un tel film. L’on débat sur le fait que The Queen soit correctement considéré comme un développement du genre cinéma d’héritage, avec son mélange caractéristique de la nostalgie et de la déférence, ce qui est peu convenable aux buts de l’historiographie.
References
- AMBROSE Stephen, McGOVERN George & SCHLESINGER Arthur (2000).
- "Nixon: Is it History?" in Oliver Stone’s USA, Toplin (ed.) Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. ARMSTRONG D. and GITLING T. (1992). "Killing the Messenger: Why did the Press react so furiously over Stone’s Movie?", in Image, Sunday Feb 16, 1992.
- BLAIR, Tony (2010). A Journey. London: Random House.
- CORRIGAN, Timothy (1991). A Cinema without Walls. New Brunswick:
- Rutgers University Press. DAILY TELEGRAPH (2007). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1556863/
- Tony-coined-the-peoples-princess.html, [09.07.2007].
- DAILY TELEGRAPH (2011) July 23. Peter Morgan Accuses Tony Blair of
- Plagiarizing Lines from his Film The Queen. EBERT Roger (2006). ‘The Queen’. http://rogerebert.suntime.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article=20061012REVIEWS
- GRENIER Richard (1992). Movie Madness. Times Literary Supplement, Jan 24, 16-17.
- GRITTEN David (2003). ‘The power, the glory-and the heartbreak’. http://www. telegraph.co.uk/ulture/3602995, [20.09.2003].
- HALL Sheldon (2001). "The Wrong Sort of Cinema", in The British Cinema
- Book, Murphy (ed.), 191-199. London: British Film Institute. HIGSON Andrew (2003). English Heritage, English Cinema. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- JUNOR Penny (2005). The Firm: the Troubled Life of the House of Windsor.
- London: Harper Collins. KEAR Adrian & STEINBERG Deborah Lynn (1999). Mourning Diana: Nation,
- Culture and the Performance of Grief. London: Routledge. LACK Russell (1997). Twenty Frames Under. London: Quartet Books.
- LANCHESTER John (2007). Review of ‘The Blair Years’ by Alastair Campbell.
- London Review of Books, 29/16, Aug 16. LEE Christopher (2007). "The Queen". http://www.leesmovieinfo.net/botitle. php?t=3907
- LEVY Emanuel (2006). "The Queen according to Frears". http://emanuellevy. com/article=3178
- MONK Claire (1995). "Sexuality and the Heritage Film", in Sight & Sound 5/10, 4.
- NEALE Steve (2000). Genre and Hollywood. London: Routledge.
- POLAN Dana (1996). "The Professors of History", in The Persistence of History,
- Sobchack (ed.), London: Routledge. ROSENSTONE Robert (2000). "Oliver Stone as Historian", in Oliver Stone’s
- USA, Toplin (ed.), Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. SCHAGER, Nick (2006). http://www.slantamagazine.com/filmreview/the- queen/2462
- SOBCHACK, Vivian (1996). "History Happens", in The Persistence of History,
- Sobchack (ed.), London: Routledge. STONE, Oliver (2000). "Stone Responds", in Oliver Stone’s USA, Toplin (ed.),
- Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. STONE Oliver, RIVELE Stephen & WILKINSON Christopher (1995). Nixon: An
- Oliver Stone Film. New York: Hyperion. TOPLIN Robert Brent (2000). "Framing the Debat", in Oliver Stone’s USA, Toplin
- (ed.), Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. WHITE Hayden (1996). "The Modernist Event", in The Persistence of History,
- Sobchack (ed.), London: Routledge.
Tarihin Dramatizasyonu: The Queen
Year 2011,
Issue: 15, 29 - 44, 01.08.2011
Yrd. Doç. Dr. Sibel Çelik Norman
Abstract
Bu çalışma The Queen (Kraliçe) adlı İngiliz filmini tarihsel filmlerdeki gerçeklik ile kurmaca arasında süregelen tartışma bağlamında, “Hollywood tarafından anlatılan tarihin” yakın geçmişe dair algı üzerindeki etkisi açısından incelemektedir. Dramaturgların köklü uygulamalarından olan tarihsel anlatılara kurmaca diyaloglar ve hayali olaylar katma, çağdaş sinemanın artan erişilebilirliği ve gelişmiş kurgu teknikleri ile yeni bir boyut kazanmaktadır. Bu durum Oliver Stone’un çalışmalarına ilişkin eleştirel bir tartışmaya yol açmıştır. Bu çalışma yönetmen Stephen Frears ve senaryo yazarı Peter Morgan’ın The Queen’de benimsemiş oldukları daha ince yaklaşımın yakın geçmişin yorumlanmasında aynı oranda etkili olabileceğini tartışmakta ve bu durumun bu tür filmlerin hatalı sınıflandırılmalarından dolayı eleştirmenler tarafından göz ardı edildiğini öne sürmektedir. Tarih yazımının amaçlarına uygun olmayan nostalji ve hürmet niteliklerinin karışımıyla The Queen’in miras sineması türünde bir gelişme olarak değerlendirilmesi gerektiği önerilmektedir.
References
- AMBROSE Stephen, McGOVERN George & SCHLESINGER Arthur (2000).
- "Nixon: Is it History?" in Oliver Stone’s USA, Toplin (ed.) Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. ARMSTRONG D. and GITLING T. (1992). "Killing the Messenger: Why did the Press react so furiously over Stone’s Movie?", in Image, Sunday Feb 16, 1992.
- BLAIR, Tony (2010). A Journey. London: Random House.
- CORRIGAN, Timothy (1991). A Cinema without Walls. New Brunswick:
- Rutgers University Press. DAILY TELEGRAPH (2007). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1556863/
- Tony-coined-the-peoples-princess.html, [09.07.2007].
- DAILY TELEGRAPH (2011) July 23. Peter Morgan Accuses Tony Blair of
- Plagiarizing Lines from his Film The Queen. EBERT Roger (2006). ‘The Queen’. http://rogerebert.suntime.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article=20061012REVIEWS
- GRENIER Richard (1992). Movie Madness. Times Literary Supplement, Jan 24, 16-17.
- GRITTEN David (2003). ‘The power, the glory-and the heartbreak’. http://www. telegraph.co.uk/ulture/3602995, [20.09.2003].
- HALL Sheldon (2001). "The Wrong Sort of Cinema", in The British Cinema
- Book, Murphy (ed.), 191-199. London: British Film Institute. HIGSON Andrew (2003). English Heritage, English Cinema. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- JUNOR Penny (2005). The Firm: the Troubled Life of the House of Windsor.
- London: Harper Collins. KEAR Adrian & STEINBERG Deborah Lynn (1999). Mourning Diana: Nation,
- Culture and the Performance of Grief. London: Routledge. LACK Russell (1997). Twenty Frames Under. London: Quartet Books.
- LANCHESTER John (2007). Review of ‘The Blair Years’ by Alastair Campbell.
- London Review of Books, 29/16, Aug 16. LEE Christopher (2007). "The Queen". http://www.leesmovieinfo.net/botitle. php?t=3907
- LEVY Emanuel (2006). "The Queen according to Frears". http://emanuellevy. com/article=3178
- MONK Claire (1995). "Sexuality and the Heritage Film", in Sight & Sound 5/10, 4.
- NEALE Steve (2000). Genre and Hollywood. London: Routledge.
- POLAN Dana (1996). "The Professors of History", in The Persistence of History,
- Sobchack (ed.), London: Routledge. ROSENSTONE Robert (2000). "Oliver Stone as Historian", in Oliver Stone’s
- USA, Toplin (ed.), Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. SCHAGER, Nick (2006). http://www.slantamagazine.com/filmreview/the- queen/2462
- SOBCHACK, Vivian (1996). "History Happens", in The Persistence of History,
- Sobchack (ed.), London: Routledge. STONE, Oliver (2000). "Stone Responds", in Oliver Stone’s USA, Toplin (ed.),
- Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. STONE Oliver, RIVELE Stephen & WILKINSON Christopher (1995). Nixon: An
- Oliver Stone Film. New York: Hyperion. TOPLIN Robert Brent (2000). "Framing the Debat", in Oliver Stone’s USA, Toplin
- (ed.), Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. WHITE Hayden (1996). "The Modernist Event", in The Persistence of History,
- Sobchack (ed.), London: Routledge.