Firebrand
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2 (out of 5 stars)
Hollywood has found plenty of cinematic stories from the times of Tudor England and the family of King Henry VIII, from Elizabeth to Mary Queen of Scots to The Other Boleyn Girl. Brazilian director Karim Aïnouz premiered his English language debut film, Firebrand, last year as part of the main competition of the 2023 Cannes Film Festival with the film following the final years of the infamous monarch's reign and his sixth and final wife Katherine Parr (Alicia Vikander).
The film opens with Katherine, the sixth wife of King Henry VIII (Jude Law), being named regent while the King leads his army in France. Katherine looks after Henry’s children, Elizabeth and Edward. She has begun to teach them Protestant theology whilst Henry’s eldest, Mary, is away in Spain, under Catholic influence. Despite the increasing support for the English Reformation, there is still much opposition within the court. Katherine takes risks to meet up with an old friend, Anne Askew, who is preaching Protestantism in the forests to gatherings of listeners. When the King returns, increasingly ill and paranoid, Katherine finds herself fighting for her survival as Henry's courtiers increasingly try to turn the King against her.
Some may expect a standard English period drama about Henry VIII and his final wife, Katherine Parr, and it is that at some point. It’s also a juicy period court drama that navigates the intrigue of the Anglo-Catholic schism and the English Reformation amidst the faltering marriage between an ailing king and a reforming queen with fantastic performances from Jude Law and Alicia Vikander. This historical outing is a tense and engaging church history film that examines Parr's contributions towards the English Reformation, and her theological studies and influential teaching of her adopted children whilst still showing what her marriage to Henry was like. Jude Law is absolutely monstrous as the gout-ridden glutton, but this is Alicia Vikander’s film through and through. She is poised and powerful, navigating the numerous powerful men who would see her silenced. As is expected in a movie of this genre, the costuming is stunning, but sadly, the film’s cinematography is quite flat, meaning the stunning period sets don’t pop as they should. Additionally, the impressive prosthetic work for Henry VIII’s gout-ridden legs and Law’s performance conveys just how ill the King was in his final months. Suppose you are interested in Katherine Parr, Henry VIII, the English Reformation or English period court dramas. In that case, you’ll likely love Firebrand.
Reel Dialogue: The power of truth
Katherine Parr is most remembered by history for being the sixth and final wife of Henry VIII, and the only one to survive him. But she was also a powerful English reformer who championed the translation of the Bible into the common language and encouraged it to be preached in the common tongue so that all may come to understand. Katherine wrote prayer books and liturgy and fought to revive the nation's faith as queen. She did so because she was deeply convinced of the truth of the Gospel, to the point of coming into opposition with her powerful husband. It's an inspiring example of a great woman and hero of the faith who was convinced of the need for her people and all people to know Christ and put their trust in Him.
2 Timothy 2:15 “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
