A Queen Is Crowned

With Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee almost upon us the film of her coronation in 1953 has been restored and given a limited cinema release.

I had the opportunity to see "A Queen is Crowned" in a cinema.

It jaw dropping. The brilliance of the ceremony at Westminster Abbey is shown in its full glory.

Never have I seen such extraordinary images on screen.

The sheer power of Great Britain's history is on show. But the star must be Technicolor at the very end of the Technicolor era.

The beauty of the young Queen, the deep reds, gold, blues and greens that only Technicolor can offer are contrasted with grey exterior shots of a cold and wet London warmed by huge crowds and a massive military parade, perhaps the last flickering of an imperial Britian.

This not a film for everyone and as others have noted the slightly over the top commentary is jarring to modern ears but nothing can take away from the immense power of the event.

This is a film to be seen on a huge screen. The colour and detail is simply not visible on DVD even on a large television.