Netflix’s “The Crown” is the streaming mogul’s second most expensive project to date, behind Baz Luhrman’s “The Get Down.” Peter Morgan has tackled historical projects before, even projects revolving around Queen Elizabeth II. “The Crown” brings audiences into a beautifully shot, wonderfully constructed world of the rich and intriguing history of the royal family.
“The Crown” begins at a very strange time for Elizabeth (Claire Foy, “Wolf Hall”), a 25-year-old newlywed thrust into the limelight when it is time for her to lead England as queen. The British Empire is not as prestigious in 1952 as it once was. The domestic issues are piling up and now the country has a new, young face to take the rein. A new era is on the brink of surfacing.
However, does this new era warrant caution?
Morgan spent an incredible amount of time researching this intimate and specific portrayal of the royal family. He plans on the series having 60 episodes total and this 10-episode season is the beginning of something truly grand.
The series starts at the inception of Elizabeth as a young, naïve woman and shows her progression of her historic tenure in the palace. The show deals with topics such as the death of Princess Diana and how Elizabeth rules during the times of prime ministers Margaret Thatcher and David Cameron.
Morgan’s previous works have mostly been historic films, from “Frost/ Nixon” to “The Queen” and even last year’s “Rush.” This has to be his most ambitious project to date. His main goal was to bring the whole history of her majesty to the small screen in a captivating, magical way.
Right off the bat, “The Crown” introduces two fascinating portrayals of some major British political figures such as John Lithgow (“The Accountant”) as Sir Winston Churchill. Lithgow plays the role of Britain’s prime minister with serious authority and conviction. Churchill was a man that understood the very fragile and evolving time for their nation. As much as he would like to pass the torch and retire, he thinks it is best to oversee the transition for the new queen, who he develops a unique, respect-based relationship with.
Lithgow has been working for years, but his physical transformation as Churchill is truly shocking. He is hardly recognizable at first and the fact that he can impersonate Churchill’s voice adds to the deceit.
The other great portrayal is of King George VI, portrayed by Jared Harris (“Mad Men”). Colin Firth played a younger version of the king in an Oscar-winning performance in “The King’s Speech,” while Harris portrays George at a later point in his life. Harris has been complimented by historical committees on his portrayal of the king’s stutter. People that were around the king have said that Harris’ impression of the stutter is almost identical. It was a little eerie hearing Harris talk as the king.
The dramatic punchlines in “The Crown” are subtle yet powerful. It acts almost like the most intricate research project of all time, while being able to show the inner workings of these public figures that we all may know but truly know nothing about. “The Crown” is a show that deserves to see it’s finale, a long journey whose ending is well worth the wait.
