A dramatization of the turbulent first years of Queen Victoria's rule, and her enduring romance with Prince Albert.A dramatization of the turbulent first years of Queen Victoria's rule, and her enduring romance with Prince Albert.A dramatization of the turbulent first years of Queen Victoria's rule, and her enduring romance with Prince Albert.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 13 wins & 17 nominations total
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaPrincess Beatrice: A great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria plays one of Victoria's ladies-in-waiting in the coronation scene (briefly seen passing on front of the bowing gentleman as the scene cuts to the coronation after Victoria says "I will be good" and then again a moment later helping to wrap the gold robe around Victoria). She was one of the producers of the film. Fourteen years later, she attended (but did not have a role in) the real-life coronation of her uncle, and 3x-great-grandson of Victoria, King Charles III.
- GoofsThroughout the film, Lord Melbourne is pronounced 'Mel-burn', like the Australian city. The title of Viscount Melbourne is derived from Melbourne Hall in Derbyshire, and pronounced 'Mel-born'. The other way did not come to be spoken until much later.
- Quotes
Princess Victoria: Do you ever feel like a chess piece yourself? In a game being played against your will.
Prince Albert: Do you?
Princess Victoria: Constantly. I see them leaning in and moving me around the board.
Prince Albert: The Duchess and Sir John?
Princess Victoria: Not just them. Uncle Leopold. The king. I'm sure half the politicians are ready to seize hold of my skirts and drag me from square to square.
Prince Albert: Then you had better master the rules of the game until you play it better than they can.
Princess Victoria: You don't recommend I find a husband to play it for me?
Prince Albert: I should find one to play it with you, not for you.
- Crazy creditsIn the on-screen credits, Heidi Miller and George Sayer are each listed twice as Costume Assistant.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Late Show with David Letterman: Episode #17.48 (2009)
- SoundtracksZadok the Priest, HWV 258
Written by George Frideric Handel
Performed by the Royal Academy Consort
Courtesy of Naxos
by arrangement with Source/Q
Taking a very direct and focused approach that centres in on a brief five or so year period between her ascension and marriage to Albert, The Young Victoria does what so little period pieces of this nature offer. Instead of attempting a sprawling encapsulation of such a figure's entire life, Vallée instead opts to show one of the lesser known intricacies of Victoria's early years which are easily overlooked in favour of the more publicly known accolades. The result is a feature that may disgruntle historians thanks to its relatively flippant regards to facts and the like, yet never to let document get in the way of extracting a compelling story, writer Julian Fellowes sticks to his guns and delivers a slightly romanticised yet convincing portrayal. Vallée takes this and runs, making sure to fully capitalise on those elements with enough restraint to maintain integrity in regards to both the history involved and the viewer watching.
A major part in the joy of watching The Young Victoria play out however simply lies in the production values granted here that bring early 1800's Regal Britain to life with a vigorous realism so rarely achieved quite so strikingly by genre films. Everything from the costume designs, sets, hair styles, lighting and photography accentuates the grandiose background inherent to Victoria's story without ever over-encumbering it. Indeed, while watching Vallée's interpretation come to life here it is very hard not to be sucked in solely through the aesthetics that permeates the visual element; and then there's the film's score also which works tremendously to further the very elegant yet personal tones that dominate Fellowes' script. Entwining the works of Schubert and Strauss into Victoria and Albert's story not only works as a point of reference for the characters to play with, but also melds to the work with an elegance and refrain that echoes composer Ilan Eshkeri's original work just as well.
Yet for all the poignant compositions, lush backdrops and immaculate costumes that punctuate every scene, the single most important factor here—and indeed to most period dramas—are the performances of the cast and how they help bring the world they exist in to life. Thankfully The Young Victoria is blessed with an equally immaculate ensemble of thespians both young and old that do a fantastic job of doing just that. Between the sweet, budding romance of Victoria (Emily Blunt) and Albert (Rupert Friend) and the somewhat antagonistic struggles of her advisors and the like (spearheaded by a terrific Mark Strong and Paul Bettany), the conflicts and warmth so prevalent to Fellowe's screenplay are conveyed perfectly here by all involved which helps keep the movie from being a plastic "nice to look at but dim underneath" affair so common with these outings.
In the end, it's hard to fault a work such as The Young Victoria. It's got a perfectly touching and human sense of affection within its perfectly paced romance, plus some historical significance that plays as an intriguing source of interest for those in the audience keen on such details. Of course, it may not take the cinematic world by storm and there lacks a certain significance to its overall presence that stops it from ever becoming more than just a poignantly restrained romantic period drama; yet in a sense this is what makes it enjoyable. Vallée never seems to be striving for grandeur, nor does he seem content at making a run-of-the-mill escapist piece for aficionados. Somewhere within this gray middle-ground lies The Young Victoria, sure to cater to genre fans and those a little more disillusioned by the usual productions; beautiful, memorable but most of all, human.
- A review by Jamie Robert Ward (http://www.invocus.net)
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Languages
- Also known as
- Молода Вікторія
- Filming locations
- Ham House, Ham Street, Ham, Richmond, Greater London, England, UK(Kensington Palace)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $35,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $11,001,272
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $260,591
- Dec 20, 2009
- Gross worldwide
- $29,196,409
- Runtime1 hour 45 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1