Spencer, the new movie by Pablo Larraín, is about Princess Diana and her last Christmas before her devastating car crash the following August. Diana, played by Kristen Stewart, is beautifully melancholy and speaks with her heart as she endures both the judging eyes of her family while also ing her childhood experiences that she had at her father's abandoned home, which is near the estate at which she will be staying.
Diana's dialogue throughout the film is clipped, full of emotion, and, at times, it questions her own position in service to the crown. While there are many well-written characters in this film with powerful lines, Diana's words hit the hardest.
Diana's History
"How could I get lost in a place where I used to play?"
When Diana is lost on her way to the estate, she runs into the chef, played by Sean Harris, who tries to get her back on track to her destination.
This line is literal, yes, but it also brings up the idea that maybe she's lost a bit of herself. Not only does she recognize that she's lost sight of her carefree spirit here, but she also realizes that she would rather focus on the past than the present.
A Lack Of Control
"I'm told there's a dress to go with them. I'm told it's all set. You know, all set? As if everything's already happened."
Diana makes this remark after addressing the pearls her husband bought her and how they are the exact same set he gave to his mistress.
This line is both a call back to Anne Boleyn's haunting of Princess Diana in this film and to the idea that she has no control over what will happen to her next. Diana's words are fatalist and haunting as she convinces herself that history is set to repeat.
Her Thoughts On Love
"This was once Queen Victoria's room. It's all of her skin floating around in here. She wore black 40 years after her husband died. That's love isn't it?"
Kristen Stewart states this (in a perfect Princess Diana voice) right after she says that she wants to wear a black dress to dinner instead of the green one she was given. This also comes after she discusses her pearl necklace, which, to her, symbolizes her dethroning.
There's a dark comedy aspect to the fact that one must die before they finally receive the love they deserve. It's poignant considering Diana thinks everyone is against her.
Diana Feeling The Pressure
"Their lenses are more like microscopes, really. And I'm the insect in the dish. See, they're pulling my wings and my legs off one by one- making notes on how I react."
Diana retorts this after one of the caretakers of the estate tells her that she needs to close her blinds while she's changing and it creates an image that is irrevocably tragic.
The feeling of panic that Diana experiences at the estate is now entirely clear. Not only is she not allowed to dress how she wants or spend time with just her children, but she also can't even open her own curtains for fear of paparazzi.
A Good Mother
"I'll be your mum. That's my job."
Spencer is one of the few films that Kristen Stewart actually liked starring in, and part of the reason for that is because she gets to play the side of Diana that not many people saw.
This line comes from a secretive bonding moment between Diana and her two boys where she gives them their Christmas presents. This touching moment emphasizes that the only reason that Diana is still there is that she loves her children fiercely.
Diana On The Public View
"They're circling, but it seems they're circling just me. Not you. Just me."
Diana tells this to her husband in the only scene where the two are together, alone. This line is delivered with frustration as Diana reels after realizing that his scandal isn't damaging his reputation because he's fine with obeying and being controlled constantly.
Meanwhile, she is the face of all the problems because she's unwilling to submit to what is asked of her.
Diana's Comedic Wit
"Beautiful, but not very bright. Did you write the vogue article about me?"
Diana's quip, while it grants the scene some levity, shows just how invested she is in the opinions that people, outsiders really, have about her life.
This line reminds the audience that Diana is still just a woman who cares about how she's seen. She reads articles, just like everybody else, and she cares about how she's perceived, even by strangers. More than anything, this line shows that Diana is able to laugh at herself, while also being upset by the idea that nobody truly knows who she is.
Not A Person, But Currency
"I'm prepared for my future as a face on a coin to be ed from hand to hand."
One theme that's expressed in this film is that the British Royalty are more currency than they are human. In other words, they are symbols of the nation, ed on dollar bills, but they are also the subjects of some of the most scrutiny in the United Kingdom.
Whatever they do, and this goes doubly for Diana, they can't escape the public eye. Diana's dialogue is her realizing she's fine with being nothing more than a token or a symbol.
Diana's Sacrifice
"I'm taking my place among the pheasants."
While the ending of Spencer is difficult to explain, is summed up mostly with this one line. Diana likens herself to a sacrifice or an offering to the crown, but the word "pheasant" also closely resembles peasant.
In a way, this line both its that she is willing to sacrifice her life to be the wife and mother they want her to be, while also saying she is always going to be a normal person at heart and nothing will make her fully forget that.
