History records Anne Boleyn as one of the most influential and high reaching mistresses of all time. The one "woman" who defied not only the Iberian giant of Spain in her endeavours but proved so seductive that she toppled the powerful Roman Catholic Church which stood in the way of her ambitions.
Many argue that she was a witch whose sole aim was to destroy or devour the souls of men, having even been rumoured to have had sex with her brother! Others try to chalk-up her actions as actions of love but this argument is soon toppled when refrence is made to her open ambition to become and remain the Queen of England at the cost of aiding in adultery and allowing an "innocent" woman to stand trial.
The Other Boleyn Girl is a touching and reviting charicature, to say the least, of the sibling rivalry which is presumed to have existed between the Boleyn girls. Charicature, because the characters are too profoundly exaggerated, so grossly so that if one were to compare the movie to the Tudors' series, one would find it most disenchanting. The character traits do exist in the series but it is more suggestive which adds to the allure.
Anne is made to be the perfect opportunist and betrayer, while Mary is painted as an extremly pure whore, the audience at times even forgets that she is married and her station as mistress of pleasure to the King is only executed for family ambition. There is no subtlety in this screen depiction of the Henry VIII story, Mary is loving, kind and obedient while Anne is the total opposite.
When watching the movie several things came to mind: feminism and perspective. Femism is protrayed tremendously when one examines the men in the movie, they are either loyal to the point of absurdity, or ruthless to the point of tyranny; while all the women are humble, yet always knowing better and being able to see what lies ahead. The theme of feminism is embossed by Anne's words, she constantly either believes she is a man's equal or superior or is perceived to have attributes of men - she is strong minded, reckless and unaffectionate, caring only for ambitions.
Perspective, I believe also plays a major part in the movie, some of the history basically outlines that Henry grew tired of Mary as she succumbed too easily and hence was dicarded like all other mistresses, while Anne only filled the space dur to her unwillingness to surrender.
The movie on the other hand depicts Anne as so evil that she kept the King from Mary even when she was delivering their child. Also Mary plays a significant role in advising the King upon rather personal affairs, the movie and by extention book seems to down play the significance of Cardinal Wolsey; the Lord Chancellor. The movie proved sturring but sould only be fully appreciated by those who love the underdog who wins by playing it safe...or simply those who dislike Anne Boleyn. Katherine and Mary were wronged by Anne's hands and the nationa was torn apart on her whim, that is what one takes away from the movie.
In the end we find ourselves asking who is really the Other Boleyn Girl, Mary, who the history talks less about or Anne, the woman who transfixed a God annointed Prince but, by the standards of the movie, was secondary in terms of virtue.
6.5 out of 10
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