Written Review by John Delia
Millions of women and female adolescents saw their Disney dreams come true when Diana became a Princess in real life. It was like seeing Cinderella becoming mortal as she stepped out of Buckingham Palace in a gown reminiscent of the animated film. It never stopped as Diana visited British colonies with open arms and found strength among all nations who read every word that the wife of Prince Charles delivered to the world.
But, in time, like a large percentage of marriages, it became a drama of broken dreams fueled by infidelity, power and lust. The Princess documents Diana, Charles and the Queen from the beginnings of a pageantry of royalty to the devastating finality with a nightmare no one saw coming.
With a treasure trove of video, news media, photographs, interviews, and so many visuals involving Princess Diana’s life among the Crown, the documentary is very comprehensive. Some of it is stunning, amazing and even glorious. But, then it turns into a circus of incredible unbelief as the Princess finds herself at odds with her husband, the Queen and in some instances the media.
I am not a big fan of documentaries, but The Princess is so compelling with the amazing amount of first hand film and video I couldn’t stop watching and wanting more. It’s like you became a voyeur looking in on history and finding Cinderella’s story ending far different than the Disney fairytale. It’s more like from rags to riches and back again, but with a dark thriller ending.
The Princess has not been rated, but does contain some adult moments. If you have always been a fan of Princess Diana, then it will bring back many memories of her beauty, kindness and courageous deeds. But, be forewarned that it’s also a film of reality with an abrupt finale. For those who want the unmitigated truth, 5 out of 5 Stars. The film coincides with the 25th anniversary of her death.
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Archive Footage
Directed and written by: Ed Perkins
Genre: Documentary
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 1 hr. 49 min.
Opening Date: August 13
Distributed by: HBO Documentaries
Released on: HBO Max