Stars of “Firebrand” – or “Le Jeu de la Reine” -, in official competition at the Cannes Film Festival, Alicia Vikander and Jude Law are transformed in this historical thriller. Intense interpretations that deserve to be distinguished.
Firebrand – The Queen’s Game could have been a classic historical drama, but director Karim Aïnouz’s new film is much more complex than that. Selected in Official Competition, this film, written by Jessica and Henrietta Ashworth, tells the story of Catherine Parr, the sixth wife of King Henry VIII.
She is aware of the permanent danger of being the wife of this king, since her previous spouses were either repudiated or beheaded (only one having died following an illness). With the help of her ladies-in-waiting, she tries to thwart the traps set for her by the bishop, the court and the king…
The Queen’s Game paints the portrait of a rebellious queen, convinced of the need for a freer and more modern world, who will fight the abuse of power by the men around her.
A real thriller where Catherine the intelligent and impertinent Belle is a prisoner of the castle of Henry VIII, the repulsive and violent Beast, this film also has its eye on the mystical side both in its hypnotizing staging and in its narrative.
Following the journey of Catherine and her ladies-in-waiting, the film highlights the power of sisterhood against the violence of the witch hunt led by the prudish false morals of men in high places.
The feature film also plays it naturalistic and authentic by offering horrific sequences close to the body on deep wounds or gaping wounds but also more colorful scenes of dances and vibrant and intensely experienced musical compositions.
The crazy performances of Alicia Vikander and Jude Law
What above all distinguishes Le Jeu de la Reine within the competition of the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival is the acting of the two main actors, Alicia Vikander, in the skin of Catherine Parr, and Jude Law, incarnating Henry VIII .
Their performance deserves great attention from the members of the Cannes Film Festival jury. Could they award an interpretation prize to one of the two actors?
Jude Law was in any case 100% invested in his role, especially since he used a particular technique to slip into the skin of his character as a monstrous and lame king. An amazing ploy that Alicia Vikander told us about in an interview:
“Jude had this working method that he used on several projects, which concern his perfumes. He has a perfumer in London, who concocts perfumes that are fitting with his characters to really feel them.
But for Firebrand, he had read that the odor of Henry VIII could be smelled, according to the history books, by the occupants of the castle up to three rooms below because of his extreme infection, it was simply appalling.
So he made his perfume replicate those smells. It was the most disgusting thing in the world. So when Jude came in after a rehearsal and he started playing for me and getting closer to me, I was shocked and disgusted. It adds a lot of intensity to the scene.”
In addition to this fragrant attraction – with a perfume that mixes blood, feces and sweat as he revealed at a press conference – Jude Law literally transformed into a vile beast to embody Henry VIII.
His imposing build, his stuffy costumes and his way of moving were worked with great precision and great strength. And the actor has never been more brutal and frightening than in this major role.
For her part, Alicia Vikander is imperial in the skin of Catherine Parr and impresses with her range of acting. Director Karim Aïnouz, also met at the Cannes Film Festival, explained to us why the Swedish actress had been chosen for this role:
“Alicia has a body, a look and a soul that are very modern. And for me, it was important to have this touch of modernity. And she also has a lot of mystery. I thought it would be interesting not to necessarily choose an actress who has the face of Catherine Parr, but rather a person who can bring us closer to the past. Also the fact that she is not English, that interested me a lot.”
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To understand her role, Alicia Vikander focused above all on an intense psychological and physical preparation, because she wanted, with this film, to emphasize the torture, the dangerousness and the pressure that Catherine Parr experienced in her relationship. toxic with Henry VIII:
“There was a lot of obvious historical preparation, books that I could read. We had some fantastic speakers who came to talk to us and answered all of our questions.
But for me, what really drew me to this film was the fact that Karim really wanted to tell an emotional story that was quite contemporary, in the sense that he wanted to focus on the very intimate relationship between her and Henri. It’s not just a drama in royal costumes. This is the story of a woman who survived an extremely brutal relationship.”
The film Firebrand – The Queen’s Game does not yet have a release date in France.