Synopsis
A lavish documentary film of Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation in 1953.
A Queen Is Crowned
1953 Directed by Michael Waldman
Cast
Studio
Country
Primary Language
Spoken Languages
Alternative Title
Le Couronnement d'Élisabeth II
Genre
Releases by Date
Theatrical
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UK
Releases by Country
UK
02 Jun 1953
- Theatrical
Popular reviews
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the queen literally has to wear something called “the bracelets of sincerity and wisdom” ..................
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☆"Victory, at last, of good over evil."☆
Fuck the Queen.
And to think, she'll never get to see Avatar 2. Or Season Five of The Crown! Don't tell me how it ends.
Anyway, I'm not going to rant about the dead queen. Everything has already been said that was needed, and no amount of "she was the matriarch of an imperialist colonial anti-democratic freedom-destroying fascist family!" hot takes on all of the social media is going to change any minds.
Though, it's nice to see Black Twitter and Irish Twitter actually agree on something. That's worth a handshake.
I really did watch this documentary, available here, and it's an interesting time capsule of a film on her coronation 70 years…
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You can probably guess why I’m logging Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation today.
The grandiosity of the ceremony itself is captured well, even if it’s shot in a static sort of fly-on-the-wall style. Lawrence Olivier is also here, that’s neat. For the most part it feels more like a feature-length newsreel than a cinematic experience, but I’m guessing that’s intentional.
YouTube: https://youtu.be/wKzlKwpm17U
(crap, vimeo has it in better-quality. oh well.) -
I find that I quite enjoy pageantry, even as I'm extremely wary of anyone who takes it all too seriously (which is probably because I was raised Catholic and is probably why I enjoy watching inaugurations and graduation ceremonies), and there's a lot here to enjoy and to not take seriously (I'm thinking mainly of the piles and piles of stuff they make Elizabeth hold, including the instant classic Bracelets of Sincerity and Wisdom). There aren't many artistic flourishes to the filmmaking here, as director Castleton Knight just depicts the events unfolding in all its often slow-moving glory, in beautiful Technicolor. A bit more flourish is provided by the poetic narration, delivered by Sir Laurence Olivier, who provides the almost…
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This documentary pulls back the curtain on a ritual completely foreign to us in America, one that has occurred in England for hundreds of years and which will be watched by the world again next May. Whatever one’s opinion may be of Elizabeth II or of monarchy in general (and there is a LOT to consider and debate, much of it very troubling), the spectacle herein is certainly eye catching and entertaining in its ridiculousness. The filming style is far from dynamic, and the hyperbole of the narration tiresome, but for students of history A Queen is Crowned provides a glimpse into a Britain that no longer really exists.
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One of the many reasons I love film is its time-capsule aspect; seeing this part of the world in this period of time, complete with all the plush pageantry and the lavish, eye-popping colour photography - there's something quite magical about it.
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Michael Waldman’s Oscar-nominated documentary, narrated by Sir Laurence Olivier, digitally restores the only colour film of HM Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, on 2 June 1953.
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary) became Queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) on Wednesday 6 February 1952, following the demise of her father King George V at the young age of only 56 from lung cancer.
Elizabeth was doing work in Kenya on her father’s behalf at the time, and flew back immediately when she heard the news.
Her coronation, to crown her Queen, took place on Tuesday 2 June 1953 – described as an unforgettable day for all the right reasons (I…
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It does what it says on the tin.
The fact the footage is 71 years old and is in technicolour is fantastic and I’m sure it was watched and marvelled at the time, however it is quite long and boring because they leave in so much walking and marching.
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this really convinced british people to get a tv, wow i honestly would've gotten a tv to see some shitty soap opera but to each their own i guess
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"A Lady whom we respect because she is our Queen and whom we love because she is herself." - Winston Churchill
A Queen is Crowned is a documentary as it should be: informative, objective and proud of the craft. The entire coronation, pageantry and fanfare is documented well, albeit a bit static. Nevertheless you get a great view of one of recent history's greatest moments.
The ceremony itself is quite tedious however, but that's just me.
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A documentary in the purest sense, it documents the event in the most straightforward format possible. In other words, it's boring.
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This documentary covers the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Sir Laurence Olivier narrates this film. It's not propaganda, but to say everyone was happy about this would be a lie. It is a little boring, but the color photography and the pageantry is worth the watch, especially given this is 70 years ago.
