The Other Boleyn Girl
- Thread starter Angelou R
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giantsaholic
New member
I haven't seen it. I've seen a few clips from it which look quite good although the conversations sound VERY modern and everyone looks far too clean with shiny hair!
I enjoyed the book very much but have misgivings about it's historical accuracy.
I enjoyed the book very much but have misgivings about it's historical accuracy.
King Impossible
New member
Yes, it was rushed.
There were huge gaps in historical information.
I know it was about Mary Boleyn but the story did not flow as well as it could have.
Despite that, I enjoyed it..
There were huge gaps in historical information.
I know it was about Mary Boleyn but the story did not flow as well as it could have.
Despite that, I enjoyed it..
Dancerluvxx12
New member
I agree, especially the latter third of the film.
The film covers several years, and they did not pace the film well.
I watched the BBC version of The Other Boleyn Girl as well, and that wasn't as well done as the book either.
The film covers several years, and they did not pace the film well.
I watched the BBC version of The Other Boleyn Girl as well, and that wasn't as well done as the book either.
I thought that the actors were great as the characters, but the film missed out huge chunks of the book. Some of which would have made the film clearer. And I really hated how they got Anne and Henry wed. It just wasn't how history projects their love affair.
All in all good film, if only for the actors, but the book was much, much better.
All in all good film, if only for the actors, but the book was much, much better.
Socialism for the Rich
New member
Just watched this tonight. Thought it was a good film. The time just flew by. Natalie Portman was great.
I'm curious about the above as i don't know much about the facts of this era. What was the true way that they were married?
I'm curious about the above as i don't know much about the facts of this era. What was the true way that they were married?
The Boogerman
New member
But that is almost ALWAYS the case isn't it?
It generally takes about 5 hours or more to read the average book from cover to cover. Films for cinemas can only take about 90 - 120 minutes so they just HAVE to cut a lot out.
The BBC are usually much better at this as they generally make their TV films of books last about 6 hours run over 3 separate two hour episodes. Pride and Prejudice was a good example.
It generally takes about 5 hours or more to read the average book from cover to cover. Films for cinemas can only take about 90 - 120 minutes so they just HAVE to cut a lot out.
The BBC are usually much better at this as they generally make their TV films of books last about 6 hours run over 3 separate two hour episodes. Pride and Prejudice was a good example.
just like with the 2 fantastic film about Elizabeth 1st I think you have to remember that all these films slightly twist the historical facts. At the end of the day the majority of the audiance aren't bothered about some thing being 100%historicaly accurate and just want a film that they will enjoy watching.
I haven't seen the film yet so I don't know how the marriage of Henry and Anne was portrayed - but historically it was a very dubious hole-in-the-corner affair - done more or less in secret and with a lot of bad feeling by a lot of people who considered it illegal.
Henry was still married to Catherine of Aragon. There was no divorce at that time. The only way he could get out of the marriage was by the Pope granting an annulment on the grounRAB that the marriage itself had been invalid.
This was not likely to happen as the Pope's permission for the marriage between Henry and Catherine had to be sought in the first place as Catherine had previously been married to Henry's older brother Arthur (now dead) - and to marry your dead brother's widow was against the Papal law.
However the marriage between Catherine and Arthur was stated not to have been consummated which then allowed the Pope to permit Henry to marry her.
Are you following me so far????
When Henry wanted to get out of his marriage to Catherine and marry Anne Boleyn he had to try to prove that the Pope had made a mistake in the first place in allowing him to marry Catherine.
Henry said that his brother Arthur HAD consummated his marriage to Catherine (Catherine denied it). So he said his marriage to Catherine had been invalid all along (17 years!) and that the number of still-births and infant deaths Catherine had suffered just PROVED it had been wrong as it showed that God was displeased with the marriage.
Henry said he had never really been legally married to Catherine and so was free to marry Anne.
(He also said that because his marriage to Catherine had not been a true marriage then the only surviving child of that marriage - Mary - was illegitimate!)
The Pope disagreed. Papal infallibility was in question. The Pope said he had been right in the first place and Henry WAS properly married to Catherine and therefore stuck with her.
Henry then had a hissy fit and in effect broke off all ties with the Pope and Rome and declared himself head of the Church of England and went ahead and married Anne anyway. Lots of people disagreed with him and many would never accept Anne as the true Queen or Henry's legal wife. They called her a harlot and said her daughter Elizabeth was illegitimate and Mary was the true heir.
Later on, when he wanted rid of Anne, Henry revoked all this and also said his marriage to Anne wasn't valid either because he really HAD been married to Catherine all along . (Catherine was dead by that time) - but that's another story!
WHEW!!!!!
Henry was still married to Catherine of Aragon. There was no divorce at that time. The only way he could get out of the marriage was by the Pope granting an annulment on the grounRAB that the marriage itself had been invalid.
This was not likely to happen as the Pope's permission for the marriage between Henry and Catherine had to be sought in the first place as Catherine had previously been married to Henry's older brother Arthur (now dead) - and to marry your dead brother's widow was against the Papal law.
However the marriage between Catherine and Arthur was stated not to have been consummated which then allowed the Pope to permit Henry to marry her.
Are you following me so far????
When Henry wanted to get out of his marriage to Catherine and marry Anne Boleyn he had to try to prove that the Pope had made a mistake in the first place in allowing him to marry Catherine.
Henry said that his brother Arthur HAD consummated his marriage to Catherine (Catherine denied it). So he said his marriage to Catherine had been invalid all along (17 years!) and that the number of still-births and infant deaths Catherine had suffered just PROVED it had been wrong as it showed that God was displeased with the marriage.
Henry said he had never really been legally married to Catherine and so was free to marry Anne.
(He also said that because his marriage to Catherine had not been a true marriage then the only surviving child of that marriage - Mary - was illegitimate!)
The Pope disagreed. Papal infallibility was in question. The Pope said he had been right in the first place and Henry WAS properly married to Catherine and therefore stuck with her.
Henry then had a hissy fit and in effect broke off all ties with the Pope and Rome and declared himself head of the Church of England and went ahead and married Anne anyway. Lots of people disagreed with him and many would never accept Anne as the true Queen or Henry's legal wife. They called her a harlot and said her daughter Elizabeth was illegitimate and Mary was the true heir.
Later on, when he wanted rid of Anne, Henry revoked all this and also said his marriage to Anne wasn't valid either because he really HAD been married to Catherine all along . (Catherine was dead by that time) - but that's another story!
WHEW!!!!!
In the film, it basically makes out that Henry forces himself on Anne and she enRAB up pregnant and that is how they marry. The film cut out alot of the ducking and diving that Anne allegdy did to keep Henry intrested.
I think it was mainly to move things along.
Also Henry didn't look that much in love with her on the wedding day and it seemed that their romance had all but fizzled out.
I think it was mainly to move things along.
Also Henry didn't look that much in love with her on the wedding day and it seemed that their romance had all but fizzled out.
Veronica G
New member
Thanks for that Artymags.
It did feel a bit rushed at that point of the film. One minute Henry was infatuated with Anne and was doing everything for her to marry him then when he finally could it looked like it already fizzled out. Surely that couldn't have been the case?
In the film it showed that Anne had miscarried a child. Knowing that this was the last chance she had with Henry she arranged to have sex with her brother to impregnate her again so Henry wouldn't notice. They didn't go through with it but just as they were about to, Anne's brothers wife was spying and reported it to Henry. Anne was then tried for treason and incest and sentinced to death. Is this factually accurate?
I think i may go out and buy some books on this actually. It's all fascinating!
It did feel a bit rushed at that point of the film. One minute Henry was infatuated with Anne and was doing everything for her to marry him then when he finally could it looked like it already fizzled out. Surely that couldn't have been the case?
In the film it showed that Anne had miscarried a child. Knowing that this was the last chance she had with Henry she arranged to have sex with her brother to impregnate her again so Henry wouldn't notice. They didn't go through with it but just as they were about to, Anne's brothers wife was spying and reported it to Henry. Anne was then tried for treason and incest and sentinced to death. Is this factually accurate?
I think i may go out and buy some books on this actually. It's all fascinating!
lacute7ness
New member
It is true that Ann miscarried - or gave birth to a still born boy. Whereupon Henry is reported to have said "You'll get no more boys off me". However he was by that time totally infatuated with Jane Seymour.
There is absolutely no evidence whatsoever that Anne ever had sex with her brother George or that there was any kind of incest.
There was actually no evidence at all for any of the charges Henry brought against Anne concerning other men (unlike the later similar accusations against Katherine Howard).
There had been a bit of messing about with boys before Anne even met Henry but once Henry came on the scene she appeared to have been faithful. The powerful and ambitious HowarRAB would make sure of that as she was their passport to social climbing.
In fact some of the accusations against Anne were impossible because she was nowhere near the places stated at the time and in one case was actually heavily pregnant when she was said to have committed adultery.
It is true that Smeaton confessed to sex with Anne but only under the most barbaric torture. It was not likely to have been true.
It is likely that all charges against Anne were totally trumped up by Henry who just wanted out - and Jane Seymour.
He also used the old excuse he had used against Catherine of Aragon - that the marriage (to Anne this time) had not been valid or legal and the miscarriage and still birth was God's way of telling him so.
This excuse did not make sense anyway, if used against Anne, because if she was not actually Henry's wife then she could not therefore also be guilty of adultery or treason!
However logic and evidence did not even enter into her show trial. Henry wanted rid of her and no-one dared gainsay him if they knew what was good for them!
There is absolutely no evidence whatsoever that Anne ever had sex with her brother George or that there was any kind of incest.
There was actually no evidence at all for any of the charges Henry brought against Anne concerning other men (unlike the later similar accusations against Katherine Howard).
There had been a bit of messing about with boys before Anne even met Henry but once Henry came on the scene she appeared to have been faithful. The powerful and ambitious HowarRAB would make sure of that as she was their passport to social climbing.
In fact some of the accusations against Anne were impossible because she was nowhere near the places stated at the time and in one case was actually heavily pregnant when she was said to have committed adultery.
It is true that Smeaton confessed to sex with Anne but only under the most barbaric torture. It was not likely to have been true.
It is likely that all charges against Anne were totally trumped up by Henry who just wanted out - and Jane Seymour.
He also used the old excuse he had used against Catherine of Aragon - that the marriage (to Anne this time) had not been valid or legal and the miscarriage and still birth was God's way of telling him so.
This excuse did not make sense anyway, if used against Anne, because if she was not actually Henry's wife then she could not therefore also be guilty of adultery or treason!
However logic and evidence did not even enter into her show trial. Henry wanted rid of her and no-one dared gainsay him if they knew what was good for them!