“History tells us a few things, largely about men and war,” the intertitles at the beginning of Firebrand tell us. But it becomes increasingly apparent that this will soon change if the film has anything to say about it. History does, in fact, focus strongly on wars and the men leading them but this film is determined to explore everything else.
As it begins, Henry VIII (Jude Law) is away in France waging war against them, leaving his sixth wife, Katherine Parr (Alicia Vikander), in charge as regent. But, despite being named regent, Katherine can only do so much as Henry's presence still looms over the throne: without him, she cannot rule on the most important matters. In particular, Katherine is adamant to act on the turmoil between religious traditionalists and reformers started by translating the Bible into English.
Henry soon returns to England, increasingly ill and paranoid, which causes Katherine to fear for her own life. As doubts are cast about her loyalty and fidelity to the King, anything Katherine does – or has done – is now under scrutiny, including her relationship with Thomas Seymour (Sam Riley), her secret friendship with the Protestant preacher Anne Askew (Erin Doherty), and her role in the lives of Henry's children, Princess Elizabeth (Junia Rees), Prince Edward (Patrick Buckler), and Princess Mary (Patsy Ferrar).
The beginning intertitles and the initial voiceover, which will later come back throughout the film, tell us one key detail of Firebrand, one that may already be clear from the plot alone: this is Katherine Parr's story. Crucially, this is now just her side of history, but it narrates who Katherine was as a woman, writer, mother, and Queen. In this movie, the audience gets to meet Katherine Parr, rather than just the sixth wife of Henry VIII, as she is often remembered in history, despite being so much more than that.
As Firebrand likes to remind us, Katherine was also known for her devotion and for being the first woman to publish an original work in print under her own name, both of which are often forgotten. In a film that shows every shade of the Queen, it is particularly interesting to see Katherine's relationship with the women around her, with her ladies-in-waiting first and foremost, but also with Anne Askew. While not much is said about Katherine's relationship with the latter, this is a fascinating addition not only to establish Katherine's character but also to further explore the historical context of the time.
In a time of religious turmoil in the country, the film uses the figures of Katherine and Anne to show us two sides of the same coin in their respective beliefs around their religious faith and the question of the translation of the Bible into English. The historical context is, of course, also visually translated by the production design and the brilliant costume design. While Tudor fashion is often misrepresented on the screen, Firebrand may very well be one of the most accurate examples of the costumes of the time. Therefore, the audience is quite literally transported to 1500s England, with every shot of the film almost looking like a painting in itself.
The acting is also particularly impressive and truly sets Firebrand apart. In particular, the main characters are both excellent in their respective characters: Alicia Vikander delivers an empathetic and honest portrayal of Katherine, and Jude Law embodies a terrifying and bone-chilling version of Henry VIII as his mental and physical health declines. Katherine's relationship with Henry's children is also a fascinating aspect of her life. It is beautiful to see how close she is to both Henry and Elizabeth who regards Katherine as the mother she never grew up with. As Katherine's future hangs by a thread, it is reassuring to see that her legacy will undoubtedly survive in Elizabeth who many of the viewers will know as one of the most well-known and beloved monarchs.
However, the film would have benefitted from focussing a little more on Mary as well. Instead, she only appears for a few scenes, almost as an afterthought rather than an actual character. It would have been especially interesting to delve deeper into Mary's relationship with both the King and the Queen as Katherine allegedly played an important part in having both Mary and Elizabeth returned to the line of succession. Firebrand is also initially too long as it takes some time to get its plot going in the second half of the film. Repeat viewings might work in the film's favour, given how much it includes in its runtime: it is a lot to take in for the audience and not all of it is comfortable – nor it is meant to be – and hard to sit through at times.
Overall, the film is especially interesting for its historical accuracy and what it tells us about a figure often forgotten amongst the many wives of Henry VIII. History may be talking about men and war predominantly, but Firebrand dares to explore everything else in between which, at least in the case of Katherine Parr, is far more interesting.
Firebrand releases in UK and Irish cinemas on 6th September.
