Samizdata quote of the day

Brian Micklethwait (London) · Arts & Entertainment · Historical views · Slogans & Quotations

There is nothing in this film for the Left.   Where they demonized Margaret Thatcher, the movie humanizes her.   It is not about the great events of her political life; these are its backdrop.   Her entry into Parliament, her leadership bid, the miners’ strike, the IRA and the Falklands War all feature, but the movie is not about them.   Rather is it about the strength of character with which she confronted successive challenges and crises.

– Madsen Pirie reviews The Iron Lady. Unlike Nicholas Wapshott, Pirie liked it a lot, and says it will make those who see it like and admire the lady herself more.

January 10th, 2012 |

12 comments to Samizdata quote of the day

• John B

  January 11, 2012 at 4:34 am

  In these words of Madson Pirie perhaps lies the obfuscation:

  Her faults are depicted, too. Towards the end she became progressively more imperious and insensitive to advice or criticism. She remained committed to the view that government was there to help people to improve their lot, and was equally firm in her conviction that she knew how to do that. A little more readiness to listen and debate might have bought her a little more loyalty from her colleagues

  Suggesting she was somehow wrong and out of touch.

  In fact Thatcher was increasingly betrayed by a coterie that was intent on reversing her policies.
  If she became imperious perhaps she was dealing with ever increasing treachery?

  Perhaps “the left” would even say nice things if in the process they can destroy the reality, the destruction they were causing, and the common sense realisation of this that happened around 1979.

  Nice of Pirie to call her “Lady Thatcher”. Respectful and all.

• John B

  January 11, 2012 at 4:47 am

  Although the Adam Smith Institute says all the right things and cannot philosophically be faulted.

  Perhaps it is that English sense of decency and moderation that has to compromise on principle?

• Johnathan Pearce

  January 11, 2012 at 1:54 pm

  I liked it a lot. It was a very moving film, although I did not like the portrayal of Denis Thatcher (a former top Burma Oil executive and a man who had served in the armed forces) as some sort of golf-addicted twit as he was portrayed in Private Eye. That was poor and unnecessary. DT was a substantial figure who played the difficult role of a consort to a very strong person with consummate skill, and by all accounts, was a man of some achievements to his credit.

  Say what you like about her, but Streep is an amazing actress.

• James Strong

  January 11, 2012 at 2:57 pm

  ‘Say what you like about her, but Streep is an amazing actress.’

  The second part of that is sufficient, what is the point of the first part? Is there something we should know?

• Alisa

  January 11, 2012 at 3:09 pm

  James, her quotes from iMDB:

  [on The Iron Lady (2011)] It was one of those rare, rare films where I was grateful to be an actor and grateful for the privilege of being able to look at a life deeply with empathy.

  It took a lot out of me, but it was a privilege to play her (Margaret Thatcher), it really was. I still don’t agree with a lot of her policies. But I feel she believed in them and that they came from an honest conviction, and that she wasn’t a cosmetic politician just changing make-up to suit the times.

  We on the Left didn’t like her policies but secretly we were thrilled that a woman had made it, and we thought, “Wow, if it can happen there in England, it could happen here.” But we’re still waiting in America. (On Margaret Thatcher)

  She’s still an incredibly divisive figure, but you miss her clarity today. It was all very clear and up front, and I loved that eagerness to mix it up and to make it about ideas. Today it’s all about feelings. You know, “How do I come off?” and, “Does this seem OK?” You want people who are willing to find a solution. I admire the fact that she was a “love-me-or-hate-me” kind of leader who said: “This is what I stand for.” It’s a hard thing to do and no one’s doing that now. (On Margaret Thatcher)

  [on what appealed to her about playing Margaret Thatcher] Women and power, and diminishment of power, and loss of power. And reconciliation with your life where you come to a point where you’ve lived most of it, and it’s behind you. I have always liked and been intrigued by older people and the idea that behind them lives every human trauma, drama, glory, jokes, love.

  I consider all the roles I play a privilege but this one was special because there are such vehement opinions about her. People seemed to look at her as an icon or a monster and I just wanted to locate the human being inside those caricatures that we’ve seen over so many years. And to investigate myself what it must have been like for her. (On Margaret Thatcher)

  She’s a lefty, that’s all – not that there’s anything unusual about that:-)

• James Strong

  January 12, 2012 at 5:23 am

  On the basis of the quote put up by Alisa it seems that Meryl Streep is both a clear-thinking and honest lefty.

  Take out the phrase ‘we on the left’ and replace it with ‘those on the left’; replace ‘we’ with ‘they’ where appropriate in this quote and you’ve got a clear statement of Margaret Thatcher’s strength, appeal and divisiveness.
  Nothing to object to there.

  This is a much better comment on any cinematic depiction of a living person than any I have seen.

  So does it come down to ‘We on the left…’?

  Surely not?

• Alisa

  January 12, 2012 at 12:57 pm

  I think it does, James. And I agree that Streep’s comments are clear and honest – I actually regretted not having mentioned that, after posting.

• John B

  January 12, 2012 at 3:37 pm

  What is a clear-thinking and an honest lefty, James?

• Alisa

  January 12, 2012 at 5:31 pm

  John: clear-thinking is not the same as knowledgeable or well-informed.

• John B

  January 14, 2012 at 4:15 am

  Under the obfuscations we know the truth – what matters is how we deal with that situation?

• Alisa

  January 14, 2012 at 9:26 am

  Who is this ‘we’ you speak of?:-) You think you know the truth, another person thinks he knows the truth, but a different one. Of course only one of you is correct, but both of you can be very honest, clear-thinking, rational and logical. It is enough for one of you to have been presented with false premises, passed off as facts, to – totally unknowingly – reach false conclusions, and to accept both the false premises and the false conclusions as truth.

• Alisa

  January 14, 2012 at 9:28 am

  …cue in one of Paul’s rants on the overtake of the Western education system and mass media by the dishonest Left.

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