W European History

Posted by Lorri Mealey

Why do they try to take books and make them into movies? The only book that I have ever read and also enjoyed the movie was Gone With The Wind. And if the producers of Gone With The Wind had tried to cram Margaret Mitchell’s book into and hour and half movie, it would have sucked as bad as The Other Boleyn Girl.

Unlike Phillipa Gregory’s book, the movie version of The Other Boleyn Girl, rushes through the events leading up to the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn. And even though Mary Boleyn (the other Boleyn girl) is the central character of the novel, in the movie she is more or less a bit player. It gives glimpse of her life, but nothing substantial or even interesting. It is a rushed and hurried affair that could have been better on every level. Rarely have I ever disliked a Renaissance movie as much as I did this one.

A big reason the movie fell so completely flat with me, is that I had the pleasure of watching The Tudors season One and Two on Showtime this past spring. If you want to see a new take on a classic Renaissance story, Natalie Dormer brings an unmatched passion and beauty to the character of Anne Boleyn.

Final note: read The Other Boleyn Girl and skip the movie.

Instead of the film version of The Other Boleyn Girl, I suggest you get your groove on with any one of these great historical movies.

Posted by Lorri Mealey

This week’s article looks at the religious revival of the High Middle Ages. Thanks to Pope Gregory VII, Christianity became a standard part of most Western Europeans lives. Up until Pope Gregory VII, religion was not a particularly important part of most people’s lives. Many common people viewed the Christian Church as corrupt, full of hypocritical priests who kept mistresses and bishops who lived far more lavishly than a man of the cloth should.



The practice of lay investiture was common- Kings and emperors would appoint local clerics for political rather than spiritual reasons. Pope Gregory banished lay investiture, much to the dismay of certain political leaders. He also was a firm believer that kings and emperors were there to serve him (and through him, God) and encouraged laymen to help clean up their local parish churches, which they did most enthusiastically.



More on Religion in Western European History

• The Protestant Reformation
• The Counter Reformation
• The Order of the Jesuits

Posted by Lorri Mealey

Last week we watched, fascinated, while head after head rolled, including Anne’s brother, George Boleyn, the musician Mark Smeaton and the unfortunate Sir Henry Norris. We also see Thomas Boleyn, Anne’s letch of a father, turn on his own children to save himself.



Although I was skeptical of the casting of The Tudors at first (a skinny Henry VIII? C’mon!) the characters have definitely taken on their own persona. Jonathan Rhys Meyers does an excellent job playing the cuckolded king, deceiving even himself into thinking that Anne had been with over 100 men while she was queen. Henry Cavill, who plays Charles Brandon Lord Suffolk, is more than just eye candy for the show. His character provides a glimpse into what everyone must have been thinking, but dared not to say; that Henry VIII and Cromwell were both liars and Anne, even with all her faults, did not deserve death.



As always, I was delighted when King Francis I made a brief appearance last week, meeting with the Pope Leo X in Rome. New characters who will make up season three include the Seymour family, Jane (played by Anita Breim) and her cold fish brother Thomas as well as the famous Renaissance artist, Hans Holbein.



And just what will next season hold? Of course Jane must bid adieu when she dies in childbirth. But what of Anne of Cleves? I wonder if they have cast her character yet? I, for one, am anxiously awaiting the downfall of Thomas Cromwell, who started out so very likable but is now as corrupted by power as Thomas Wosley ever was.

Posted by Lorri Mealey

I like watching a good historical flick almost as much as reading a historical novel. My DVD collection is made up of motley assortment of historically based movies from all over Western Europe. Some are based on actual historical events, while others are fictional stories that take place in the past.

So, in no particular order, here are some of my favorite movies from Western European History.

Marie Antoinette (2006)

Directed by Sophia Coppola and starring Kirsten Dunst as Marie Antoinette

This contemporary take on the rise and fall of the last Queen of France is beautifully done. The costuming is absolutely magnificent.

A Lion in Winter (1968)

Starring Peter O’Toole as Henry II and Katherine Hepburn as Eleanor of Aquitaine

I am not a big classic film buff, but this one is a must for any fan of Western European History.

Elizabeth (1998)

Starring Cate Blanchett as Elizabeth I. I love Cate Blanchett as a young Queen Bess. But my secret delight with this Renaissance film is the portrayal of Marie de Guise by French actress Fanny Ardent.

Life is Beautiful (1997)

Starring Roberto Benigni as a Jewish Italian suffering through the Nazi invasion. It is a provocative and unique way to look at one history’s darkest chapters.

Tea With Mussolini (1999)

Starring Cher, Judy Dench and Maggie Smith

This movie flew under the radar, but is absolutely awesome. It is loosely based on true events of a group of English ladies who remain in Florence during WWII. The settings are beautiful and the characters wonderfully flawed.

Immortal Beloved (1994)

Starring Gary Oldman and Isabella Rosellinni

Tells the story of Romantic composer Ludwig Van Beethoven. Even if you aren’t a big classical music fan, this movie is rich and compelling.

Posted by Lorri Mealey

This week I posted a series of articles related to the French Revolution. Many historians mark the French Revolution as the beginning of modern history. It certainly changed the face of France and all of Western Europe forever. In the Estates General, I give a brief account of the history of France’s governing body, as well as its prominent role in the French Revolution. In What Caused the French Revolution, I examine three big factors that lead to the Revolution: The American Revolution, Money Problems and Social inequality. I have also posted a list of Valois and Bourbon monarchs, to help keep track of all those French kings named Louis.

More Articles related to history of France and the French Revolution with be forthcoming. Currently I am reading Susan Nagel’s latest book, Marie Thérèse, Child of Terror: The Fate of Marie Antoinette’s Daughter. It has inspired many of the topics in this series. I will be posting a full book review of Marie Thérèse in a week or so.

Other series in the work for Western European at Suite101 include the History of Navarre and famous Western European Queens.

Posted by Lorri Mealey

This week’s article focuses on Lola Montez, best known as the temperamental mistress of King Ludwig I of Bavaria. Lola has gotten a bad rap in history, mainly for her penchant for horse whipping people in the streets if she felt they slighted her. To her credit, a lot of people in Bavaria did slight her while she was King Ludwig I mistress.



Lola’s story is much more than that of royal paramour. She was a highly determined, ambitious woman. Even though she was only Ludwig’s mistress for 19 months, she helped shaped many political reforms in Bavaria, winning her the support of protestants throughout the German States.



Lola’s extensive travels brought her to United States, where she joined the Episcopal Church and donated to the Magdalene Society, a charity dedicated to reformed prostitutes.



For More Readings on Lola, check out Sex With Kings, by Eleanor Herman or Cupid and The King by HRH Princess Michael of Kent.

Posted by Lorri Mealey

The Tudors season 2 is off to a bit of a slow start. So far Katherine of Aragon has been banished to the Moors, while Anne Boleyn is elevated to Marquise of Pembrook. Episode Two brought back my favorite Renaissance King, François I. The actor who plays François does a superb job and unlike Jonathan Rhys Meyers, actually looks the part. Don’t get me wrong though, Meyers does a great job recapturing the impetuous and increasingly dangerous personality of Henry VIII. I am anxious to see how Natalie Dormer, who plays Anne Boleyn, evolves over the next season when her star begins to fade as the new Queen of England. Episode two brought back Mary Boleyn, though she is a rather one-dimensional character who adds little interest to the show and should have been left alone. Mark Smeaton makes his first appearance in episode two.

I nudged my husband when Smeaton was introduced and whispered “Guess what happens to him.”



By now he knows when I ask that, the person in question is eventually beheaded.

Posted by Lorri Mealey

The second season of the popular Showtime series The Tudors premiers on Sunday, March 30th at 9pm. The second season should eclipse the first in drama, since Henry and Anne will finally wed. I can hardly wait to see the fallout from the birth of Elizabeth and Anne's fall from grace. You can watch the entire first episode of season two at the official site for The Tudors.

I can't wait to see which Western European figures pop up in season two. So far King Francois and Queen Claude (completely misrepresented) have made an appearance, as has Charles V, complete with his famously oversized chin.

Read more about Season One of the Tudors.

Posted by Lorri Mealey

This week I am looking back at some of my earlier works here at Suite101. As you may have noticed, perusing the topics here at Western European History, I gravitate toward lesser known history as well as the main stream topics. The more obscure a topic, the better! After all, there’s plenty written about Mary, Queen of Scots. But what about her mother and father? Do you even know who they are? (Find the answer here).



Perhaps some of the topics I write about aren’t hugely important in the great scheme of things, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t interesting, or downright fascinating. After all, history is more than just big players, wars and social movements. It’s a tapestry woven of millions of smaller people, places and events, all coming together to shape the world we know today.



My Favorite Obscure History Topics (so far, at least):

• History of Bavaria
• History of Luxembourg
• Queen Claude of France

Posted by Lorri Mealey

I have been enjoying the best of the Renaissance with the Showtime series, The Tudors, this past week. (My satellite provider has been showing it for free all month!) The story of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn unfolds in all its drama with beautiful period costumes and authentic settings.

I was skeptical at first because Henry VIII is played by the British actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers, a skinny, sulky looking actor I only knew from Bend it Like Beckham. He is way too thin and too young looking to be playing Henry, who was in his later thirties at the time. However, Meyers has a certain arrogance and presence that make you soon embrace him as England’s most famous king. He vacillates between pleading with Anne that he really does love her to thundering at whomever has angered him “I AM THE KING OF ENGLAND!” The swinging changes in the king’s personality make for great TV entertainment.

Anne Boleyn is played by the very beautiful Natalie Dormer. I think she is all together too nice and the writers are going to have to really let her be more ambitious and much more conniving in season two than she is now.

Katherine of Aragon is portrayed by Maria Doyle Kennedy, who does an outstanding job. She carries herself with grace and dignity, as befitting a royal princess of Spain and the Queen England. She also shows her determination to keep her marriage together, even in the face of her impetuous boy-husband.

All in all a great show for those who love the Renaissance and the intrigue of the Tudor court. Stay tuned for more on The Tudors.