The first clue that “The Princess” isn’t your standard Diana Spencer documentary is that the director is Ed Perkins. Perkins’ last film, Tell Me Who I Am (2019), also his first feature film, told the harrowing true story of identical twins whose lives were turned upside down by abuse and amnesia. Its perspective was benevolent, but its revelations were generously delivered.
There are several revelations in this photo chronicling Princess Diana’s life from just before announcing her engagement to Prince Charles to her death in a car accident in Paris in 1997. A caring video of her and her fellow businessman Dodi Fayed filmed while fleeing the paparazzi on the night of her death.
This is a harrowing film that relies on our collective hindsight to highlight its varied and specific cynicism. It was depression after all. Seeing this now makes me shudder.
Perkins does not overtly editorialize. The film’s editing and tense musical score by Martin Phipps (additional music by Rutger Hoedemaekers) does its job, a subtle but ultimately exasperating skewer of celebrity culture.
One of the last images in the photo is a young Prince Harry at his mother’s funeral. His eye pain is moving. But it’s an indirect reminder that the life and death of Diana teaches the world nothing.
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Unrated. Running time: 1 hour 49 minutes. watch on HBO, HBO Max.