Edward & Mrs. Simpson
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Cynthia Harris, David Waller, Edward Fox, Nigel Hawthorne, Peggy AshcroftBrand: A&E
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 350 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-02-22
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: A&E Home Video
Movie Reviews of Edward & Mrs. Simpson
Movie Review: The continuing fascination with British Royality
Summary: 4 Stars
We have recently developed a fascination with the era of the 20s and 30s both here and in Britain. This in part may be due to experiencing the worst financial crisis of our life in the last two years. The era pre and post 1929 crash and depression and WWII serve as a window into what these two societies were like and how they managed to come out of these exceptionally trying times to thrive in years to come. That said, about the Masterpiece Theater "Edward and Mrs. Simpson", a very well done series and worth the watch with some caveats.
The story line is well told by many other reviewers so I will not repeat it here only to say it is a good history lesson about how the British view their royalty and the love affair between the King to be played brilliantly by Edward Fox and Mrs. Simpson also brilliantly played by Cynthia Harris. I agree with all the other reviewers that both of these excellent actors capture the character of the selfish nearly childish, self absorbed playboy Prince of Wales and the social climbing somewhat devious getting her man at all cost, Mrs. Simpson. The settings are period correct and the transfer from the original screening to DVD was very good.
As mentioned by some reviewers the storyline did drag at points and more time could have been spent on the Prince and Mrs. Simpson rather than all the stogy British parliamentary figures. It is understandable that as part telling the story that has fascinated people since the abdication to this time, we would want more salacious details, more sumptuous gowns, and jewels as the upper royal class was prone to wear even to breakfast. Queen Mary with multiple strands of pearls mid day may have been a window into the reason for the decline in the Royal family's popularity. Being American I know the British would strongly disagree as they do not like anyone criticizing their Royalty. The long drawn out dialogue and hand ringing by the aids to the King (This is where Royalty trumps logic. They refer to him as King yet he has yet to be crowned so would he not still be the Prince? Understanding the British Royal "system" as an American could consume a lot of time!) although at times boring and slow showed how much time they spent trying to figure out Mrs. Simpson's motives once she was divorced and what the Kings intentions were towards her in terms of marriage. As much as it was slow paced and somewhat boring towards the middle of the series, it did contribute to the historical understanding of why he could not marry Mrs. Simpson as King, leaving the question of abdication as the only solution.
More interplay between Edward and Wallace during this time would have offered up more insight into the character of these two individuals and who was really the driving force in Edward's future. Wallace seemed very insecure about letting him out of her sight for any length of time given his reputation for being a play boy and the fact he was under great pressure by his family and a cast of many self serving politicians to do the right thing and just keep her as his consort. Historically that does seem to be the British solution. Edward could have married a woman he did not love, pop out a couple of Royalty and gone about with his affair and still be king. This is the Prince Charles modern day solution. All this leads to the question of whether or not Edward would have made a good King or was the country better off with his brother on the throne? If you are looking for this series to provide insight into this question you may be disappointed. It leaves this up to the viewer to decide if anyone could be that crazy in love with a cloying older woman that he would give up the position to which he were born and bred to assume. Maybe you have to be British or have studied the Royal family to get all the innuendos and subtleties.
The miniseries is worth the time to wade through the slow parts and perhaps understand how the British handle crisis around their Royal family. Now it is on to another miniseries about Albert and the Queen mum!
As a final comment, I realize the British are very sensitve about criticism of their Royality by anyone but themselves. Having several good British friends I hope they will forgive me any treading on forbidden water by an American!
Summary of Edward & Mrs. Simpson
On the evening of December 11, 1936, England's King Edward VIII formally broadcast his farewell to a nation. Torn between duty and love, he had decided to follow his heart. A powerful fairytale made all the more compelling because it actually happened, EDWARD & MRS. SIMPSON captures the unforgettable romance that develops between the Prince of Wales and an extraordinary American woman named Wallis Simpson. That she is already married and believed to have had previous affairs ruffles more than a few feathers. The scandal heats up when the Prince becomes King and declares his intention to marry his mistress, who has since divorced and become quite available. A critically acclaimed British mini-series from 1978 finally available on DVD, EDWARD & MRS. SIMPSON features seven episodes shot in sumptuous period detail and stars Edward Fox (Gandhi, A Passage to India) and Cynthia Harris (Mad About You, Three Men and a Baby). DVD Features: "Wallis Simpson" Episode From A&E's Award-Winning Series BIOGRAPHY; Interactive Menus; Scene SelectionComedy DVD Video
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