Underneath the
perfect-looking surface of Justin Chadwick’s The Other Boleyn
Girl lies a story far more interesting than the one that
Chadwick chooses to tell. Yes, the movie’s title refers to the
somewhat straightforward, infamous tale of Anne Boleyn (here
played by Natalie Portman), one of the many wives of King Henry
VIII (Eric Bana). Anne, of course, was beheaded for an illicit
relation that she allegedly had with her brother (Jim Sturgess),
supposedly in order to conceive the son that Henry so
desperately wanted to pass his throne on to. But instead of
focusing on what we all already know, screenwriter Peter Morgan
(adapting from a Philipa Gregory novel) wisely decidea to
explore a seldom-told part of Boleyn’s life. This involves the
competition that she and her sister, Mary (Scarlett Johansson),
had in winning Henry over. Prompted by their father and uncle to
conceive the King’s child in order to secure a prominent place
in society, Anne and Mary took common sibling rivalry to the
next level to say the least.
What’s fascinating about The Other Boleyn Girl’s crafty
premise is that it contains brilliant, involving notes of
eroticism. Using well-known historical figures, Chadwick
could’ve easily manipulated Morgan’s screenplay to form an
intimate, steamy, and thoughtful reflection on sexuality.
Unfortunately, the young director seems so caught up in
portraying history accurately that he ignores the fact that his
story presents this wonderful opportunity. Sure, he can be
credited for exploring Anne and Mary’s attempt to carry out
family expectations and the ensuing devious exploration of the
darkness of human relationships. However, Chadwick never openly
recognizes the ornate eroticism found in the screenplay; he
side-skirts it for the sake of painting a prettier picture. The
result is a perfectly nice little creation, but not one that
provokes much thought about history (or filmmaking, for that
matter). What’s entirely ironic about the end-product is that,
according to experts, it’s full of factual inaccuracies. Had
Chadwick told a work of pure fiction featuring the same
characters, The Other Boleyn Girl wouldn’t have been any
more scrutinized for its historical embellishments.
Despite its dismayingly underdeveloped potential, The Other
Boleyn Girl still breathes some life. This is mainly due to
the fantastic performances of its always-reliable stars, Natalie
Portman and Scarlett Johansson. Within Chadwick’s restrained
style, the actresses are able to erk out every inch of sexuality
that their director allowed them to, tapping into the material’s
true themes far more than actresses of a lesser caliber could
have. In fact, Portman and Johansson even gain the emotional
investment of viewers, a fine accomplishment given the utter
sterility of the picture. By the time Anne’s head finds itself
in the line of a history-making blade, all audience members will
be compelled by the material, no matter what their reaction to
the rest of the picture. In this very achievement, The Other
Boleyn Girl proves itself to be worth something.