The Film
Queen Victoria is usually remembered as the old grandmother-like Monarch of England, dressed in black and forever mourning for her dearly departed Albert. What is usually less remembered is the vibrant young woman, who came to the throne at the age of 18, married the Belgian Prince Albert and began a love affair that was to last 20 years until the latter's untimely death. The Young Victoria focuses on this period of the Queen's life, and while it takes a few liberties with the facts, the film offers insight into the rigid rule and strict attention to protocols that was known during Victoria's reign. While it is also rich in pageantry and visually impressive, the film's relatively short runtime and uneven pacing make it hard to fully understand the young queen or her consort. In the end it is an excellent beginning, but one that will leave you wanting to know what happens next.
For another take on this Queen's story, check out Tom Fugalli's review.
The Picture
Even if the story doesn't truly tell the full story of Queen Victoria, the Blu-ray offers a trip to the age of Victoria and Albert. From the village green of the grass and trees, to the reds of the Guard's coats, the visuals truly pop. The skin tones are lifelike, while you can even see what Prince Albert means when he talks about living in a "filthy palace" where the windows are in need of a good cleaning. As costume dramas go this is truly a visual treat.
The Sound
From the ranting and raving King William IV to the cries of the crowds clamoring for reform to the subtle ambient sounds of the palace, the 5.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack handles it all quite well. This isn't the most audibly impressive soundtrack however, as it is much more focused on dialog, but the moments when there is discrete sound it comes through clear - even if not necessarily loud.
The Extras
The Blu-ray unfortunately offers little that the DVD version doesn't have, and this includes deleted and extended scenes, along with four featurettes including a "making of," "The Real Queen Victoria," "The Coronation" and "The Wedding." These are good, but in truth could have been one longer featurette instead, so clearly the studio was hoping to make more out of less. However, the additional "Lavish History" featurette provides a look at the costumes and locations that were used for the film and this is very interesting - at least for those Anglophiles out there with an interest in long dead monarchs (guilty!). Finally, the Blu-ray does have a bonus movieIQ+sync feature, as well as being BD-Live-enabled.
Final Thoughts
Considering that there is so much of a story to tell, The Young Victoria just doesn't really offer enough. It isn't so much that "we're not amused" but rather not amused enough. The story begins well enough and we see the direction where it could go, but the film ends somewhat abruptly and while it looks and sounds good on Blu-ray, even the bonus features leave us wanting more.
Product Details
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