Aaron's Thoughts
I’m an avid student of history, but not always an avid fan of historical films. Far too often when filmmakers attempt to tackle historical figures or events they make the mistake of biting off more than they can chew. It's near impossible to capture the entirety of someone’s life or decades of historical events in a two hour film. That approach leaves the audience feeling as though they only glimpsed several moments instead of actually inhabiting the world the characters do.
Firebrand is a textbook example that sometimes less is more when it comes to a period piece. Instead of trying to cover all of Katherine Parr’s life or tackle multiple wives of Henry VIII, the film only exists in a brief moment of time. Enough for us to root ourselves in the world and gain a much deeper understanding of the players involved. You don’t have to examine someone’s whole life to get a sense of who they are, sometimes a detailed look at a brief moment will give you all you need. In fact, sometimes that says more about who they are than a surface level conclusion of many years worth of “highlights”.
From the opening minutes Firebrand feels lived in and conveys the rawness of the stakes & pain for everyone throughout the story. The moment Jude Law enters the picture as Henry VIII, the tension is immediately felt through his menacing yet nuanced performance of the infamous King of England. Surprisingly though, it isn’t this well known figure of history that is the central character of Firebrand, it’s his sixth wife, Katherine Parr.
Firebrand goes to great lengths to not only depict the struggles we all could imagine she faced with one of the most notorious men in history, but also to depict her acts as a mother to children that weren’t her own & her dedication above all to her faith & her God. It’s a story that feels lost among most of the many stories that get thrown around about Henry VIII and his six wives. And a story worth telling.
While it is a story worth telling, it isn’t one that moves at a breakneck pace. It's a slow burn. One that will frustrate many at just how long it takes for the water to start boiling. Once it does though, you are grateful for all the groundwork laid. And by the time the pot boils over, you may not only have a different view of Parr, but history itself.
