The sixth wife of King of England Henry VIII (1491-1547) was not a sissy, far from it! This is demonstrated by the Brazilian director Karim Aïzouz (The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão) In Firebrand, the Queen’s Game, in competition at the Cannes Film Festival. To embody this strong woman confronted with an omnipotent tyrant, he chose the dazzling Swedish actress Alicia Vikander, opposite Jude Law.
“It’s not just a film in costumes, explains the actress to 20 minutes. This is the story of a toxic relationship that we discover on a daily basis. This woman must constantly remain on her guard in a hostile environment where she is threatened. “Of course, things are not so extreme today, but there are still couples where the woman walks on eggshells to avoid upsetting her partner,” insists Alicia Vikander.
Forget the historical context to tell the story
Catherine Parr is much loved by the sovereign but the latter does not hesitate to brutalize and threaten her. “She was the only one of his wives to have been intelligent and cultured enough to stand up to him,” insists Alicia Vikander. Jude Law and I played a lot on the contrast between our two physics to understand how their relationship worked and the power game that made them vibrate. We forgot that we were in costumes so that we were just an ordinary couple. »
This obese man, weakened by gangrene, dominates his frail wife, whose remarkable strength of character fascinates and frightens him until he contemplates her loss.
“Catherine Parr is not only defined by her relationship with the king, insists Alicia Vikander. She was also one of the first women to write books under her own name. I wonder what she would think if she heard us talking about her at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023! »
The queen, almost forgotten, becomes a modern figure in this tale who voluntarily takes liberties with historical truth to highlight it. “If I had been able to know such strong female figures when I was a high school student, it is certain that I would have been more interested in History”, recognizes Alicia Vikander. Firebrand, the queen’s game and the actress allow the voice of the deceased sovereign to be heard again.