I heard quite a bit of criticism about “The Iron Lady” before I saw it on opening night, and yet I was pleasantly surprised to find it quite entertaining and interesting. The Hollywood biopic of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher definitely has raised hackles on both sides of the political aisle. For many liberals, the film goes too easy on Thatcher and her Tory policies, humanizing her despite her hard-line stances. For conservatives, the film shows her in too unflattering a light with dementia in later life, at a time when the real Thatcher is still alive. Some, too, don’t like the film for showing a dementia-suffering Thatcher talking to her dead husband throughout it, and for relying on too many flashbacks. Others say the film reduces her life to a series of superficial montages and lacks substance.
But I would disagree and say see it for yourself because the film is quite captivating. “The Iron Lady” doesn’t exactly presume to be an end all on Thatcher’s life and rule, but makes the prime minister come vividlly to life thanks in large part to Meryl Streep’s brilliant performance. The film also doesn’t shy away from her controversies and touches on many of Thatcher’s thoughts and the riotous events during her tenure. From what I’ve read, “The Iron Lady” doesn’t entail gross inaccuracies, it’s pretty straight on in terms of her chronology and policies.
The film combines some real footage of her time in power and delves into her life with flashbacks, looking back on her past from her later years when Thatcher has dementia. Although it seems quite risky to portray her with dementia conversing with her dead husband who comes to her in visions, it works impressionistically in the film by uncovering a side of the once powerful leader that is quite revealing. The filmmakers and Streep defend the portrayal of her dementia, saying it’s a part of real life and should not be covered up. As for the film’s controversial Iron Lady, they seem to leave her policies up to viewers and to posterity.
Surprisingly, the prime minister is only shown once with President Reagan (and none with the queen?) during the film, which seems a bit too little, considering how much they’re linked in that era. But go see “The Iron Lady” at your own whim or viewpoint but do see it.
