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For anyone interested in the history of England's Tudor dynasty, this is definitely a must-see film. The most famous of the Tudors are King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I, but this film offers up a look at the intrigues within the court in the period between Henry's death and Elizabeth's accession, as Catholic Princess Mary strives to gain the throne after the death of her Protestant brother King Edward VI. The religious divisions caused by Henry VIII's embrace of the Reformation are well documented and believably portrayed.

Helena Bonham Carter plays the title role - Lady Jane Grey - cousin of the young King Edward and a fanatical Protestant who is manouvered into taking the throne after Edward's death at the age of 15. Jane - also 15 - is at first overwhelmed by the thought of being Queen, but then embraces the throne. Her immaturity, however, and wilfullness (not surprisingly for a 15 year old) get the better of her and lead to her downfall after only nine days on the throne, and Mary's accession. Carter was excellent in this role. Cary Elwes also offered up a strong performance as Guilford Dudley, whom Jane is forced to marry against her will, but whom she falls passionately in love with. The supporting cast included performances - all of them quite good - by Sara Kestelman as Jane's mother Frances, Patrick Stewart as her father Henry, John Wood as the Duke of Northumberland (Guilford's father), Warren Saire as the young King Edward, and - playing this role absolutely perfectly - Michael Hordern as Dr. Feckenham, confessor to Princess Mary. In fact, there really wasn't a sub-par performance in this movie.

It isn't perfect, mind you. It's a little bit too long, and I found myself, particularly in the last hour or so, wondering when it would end. Some of the history is questionable. Many historians think that neither Jane nor Edward were as innocent in the plot to keep Mary from the throne as the movie portrays them, and the love story between Jane and Guilford is, as I understand it, largely fictional. But the basics are quite correct, the behind the scenes plotting believably portrayed and the religious struggle of the time absolutely authentic. It's well worth watching this movie if you are interested in this period of English history.

7/10.

Lady Jane Grey, the "Nine Days' Wonder", is a controversial figure in English history, one of a small group of English "monarchs" whose right to that title is accepted by some historians and denied by others. (Others include Queen Matilda, King Louis and King Philip, the husband of Jane's nemesis Queen Mary I). To some, mostly Protestants, she is Queen Jane, the rightful Queen of England for the nine days between 10th and 19th July 1553. To others, mostly Catholics, Mary was rightfully Queen from the death of her half-brother Edward VI and Jane a mere usurper.

Legally, in fact, the position was complicated. Mary, like her sister Elizabeth, had been declared a bastard by their father Henry VIII. Towards the end of his life, however, Henry had passed the Third Succession Act, which restored his daughters to the line of succession without formally legitimising them. Edward, as he lay dying, had executed a will excluding Mary and Elizabeth from the succession and naming his cousin Jane as his successor, although, because this will had not yet been ratified by Parliament at the time of his death, Mary's supporters argued that it carried less weight than Henry's Act. Jane was proclaimed Queen by the Privy Council, who then promptly abandoned her when they realised that Mary enjoyed more popular support and that attempts to prevent her accession were doomed to failure.

"Lady Jane" was the third British film about Jane's life after a silent version from the 1920s and "Tudor Rose" from 1936, neither of which I have seen. It was made in 1986, during the "Thatcher Years", to a script by the well-known left-wing playwright David Edgar, so it is perhaps unsurprising that it is essentially Tudor history rewritten to suit the Guardian-reading classes of the 1980s. It is a curious mixture of costume drama and political tract, of fact and fiction. It follows the essential outlines of Lady Jane's story but contains two major divergences from historical fact.

The first of these concerns the relationship between Jane and her husband Lord Guilford Dudley. At first Edgar paints them as they are portrayed in most history books- Jane as intellectually precocious, scholarly and devoutly religious, Guilford as a debauched young man more interested in frequenting taverns and whorehouses than in reading Plato. Both are initially reluctant to marry and have to be coerced by their parents, who see the match as politically and financially advantageous. In the film, however, Jane and Guilford quickly fall deeply in love, although the historical evidence suggests that they disliked one another intensely throughout their marriage.

Edgar's second major divergence from history is his attempt to introduce twentieth-century politics into the period. During their brief reign Jane and Guilford are so shocked by the poverty of their subjects that they introduce a reformist political agenda- distribution of land among the peasantry, state-funded relief of poverty, universal free education based upon progressive principles and the abolition of corporal punishment. At times I thought I was watching an alternate history fantasy about how England, under the enlightened rule of Queen Jane the Good, became the world's first socialist welfare state nearly four centuries before such ideas caught on in the rest of the world. In the film it is this reformist agenda, as much as any popular support for Mary, which causes Jane's Council to abandon her cause, her Councillors all being wealthy Establishment figures with much to lose from such socio-economic reforms. Also, Mary's determination to marry Philip of Spain was due more to political considerations than to romantic love, and Thomas Wyatt's rebellion did not aim to restore Jane to the throne. (By 1554 England's Protestants had turned to Elizabeth as their champion).

And yet, despite Edgar's tendentious distortion of history, this was a film which I enjoyed in many ways. The love story of Jane and Guilford, however ahistorical it might be, was touchingly handled. Helena Bonham Carter, in her second major film role, was not as good as she had been in "A Room with a View" the previous year, making Jane perhaps rather too priggish. Cary Elwes, however, is good, playing as Guilford as that familiar figure from coming-of-age dramas, the truculent, rebellious teenager who matures into a sensitive, caring young man when he finds true love. Jane Lapotaire is also good as Queen Mary, making her more sympathetic than one would expect given her popular reputation as the tyrannical "Bloody Mary". It is a far more subtle portrayal of the Queen than Kathy Burke's demented fishwife in "Elizabeth". Other good performances come from Patrick Stewart and Sara Kestelman as Jane's overbearing parents, John Wood as her devious, scheming father-in-law the Duke of Northumberland, Warren Saire as the tormented King Edward and Michael Hordern as Doctor Feckenham, the elderly Catholic theologian who vainly tries to convert Jane to his faith. (Despite Edgar's modernising agenda, he does not try to hide the religious controversies of the period, with Jane's fervent Protestantism and Mary's equally fervent Catholicism much to the fore).

The film was directed by Trevor Nunn, best-known as a stage and television director. It is one of only three feature films he has made, the others being adaptations of Ibsen's "Hedda Gabler" and Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night". Yet on the basis of this film and "Twelfth Night" (I have never seen "Hedda") it seems a pity that he has not worked more in the cinema. Here he handles his material well, the story moves fluently and there are a number of memorable scenes. I was particularly struck by the one where Jane and Guilford announce their wishes for the country, with each wish smashing a wine-glass with the exclamation "Then it is done!" Even though it might tell us more about the 1980s than the 1550s, "Lady Jane" is still a very watchable historical romance-drama. 7/10

I first saw this movie in 88 on cable, and have seen it numerous times since. I never tire of watching it. It was the first Elwes movie I saw, and was so moved by his performance, that I have become a dedicated fan of his since. Although in real life Jane and Gilford never loved each other, the on screen love story is very moving. Lady Jane is an excellent, yet, overlooked, piece of work, and I highly recommend it.

Lady Jane had much going for it, including a talented cast, that it had Trevor Nunn directing and that it was covering an interesting but not-quite-as-well-known part of Tudor history. And while it has its imperfections it is more than worthwhile. Some of the first part of the film is sluggishly paced, the film is often over-scored in both a bombastic and syrupy way(though also with some lovely moments) and a lot of the supporting roles are written in a stock way(ie. Duke of Northumberland, as untrustworthy as the man was I'm not sure whether he was quite the scheming villain that the film made him out to be, could be wrong though). There is also one unbelievable scene which was when Jane swore that her husband would never be given the title of king, that would have made sense if the film had maintained that Jane and Guildford hated each other but instead it makes them madly in love which was rather conflicting.

However, there is much to recommend. If you're wondering how accurate Lady Jane is to history, in places it does play fast and loose(the romance being the biggest one) but most of the time it is accurate(especially with Jane's execution), at least it didn't feel grossly distorted and gratuitous like Henry VIII with Ray Winstone did. First off, Lady Jane is incredibly well-made, the costumes, sets and scenery are colourful and immaculate in detail(perhaps too much so at times), the lighting is dynamic and the photography is beautiful. The script doesn't do as good a job with developing the supporting roles but does a wonderful job with Jane, who goes through several character stages. The dialogue is thoughtful and avoids being too mawkish. The story is compellingly told and plausible on the whole, despite a few pacing lulls and that one conflict in the central romance, there's plenty to be entertained by and the ending is truly emotional. The romance is not 100% believable and has an 1980s feel at times, but it was also rather touching and the chemistry between Helena Bonham Carter and Cary Elwes smolders. Trevor Nunn directs beautifully, and Lady Jane is very well cast and acted. Helena Bonham Carter is both sexy and fiery but in the later parts she's heartfelt as well, while Cary Elwes is similarly excellent. John Wood's Northumberland is one of his serious roles and he does great at being sinister and Patrick Stewart plays a scheming, cold-hearted character menacingly and movingly. Jane Lapotaire is a haunting Mary and Michael Hordern and Sara Kestelman's performances are fine too.

In conclusion, imperfect but well done. 7/10 Bethany Cox

It's hard for me to be objective about this film as I find both the main actors so divine, but I thought the portrayal of the developing romance extremely moving, by the time the film ended I was sobbing, and I say that about almost NO movie.

The cinematography was stunning, both indoor and outdoor shots were beautifully visualised and captured. The sets and costumes also were extremely well done.

The first thing to love about this movie is how good it is at being a historical drama. It opens by telling you what has come before, and the ending is made even more poignant (if that is possible) by knowing what will come after. In between, it stays far more authentic than many "historical" movies ever bother to with little apparent effort. This ease is due not only to the gripping bit of history being told, but to the superb acting by all the major players.

While none of the performances are bad, or even mediocre, some bits manage to shine even brighter. Jane Lapotaire as Princess Mary is wonderfully haunted by longing and desperation behind the strong, poised front. Patrick Stewart shows us ever so briefly that his Henry Grey is not only a cold-hearted conspirator and dominating patriarch, but a father who desperate needs to make things right for his little girl. Helena Bonham Carter and Cary Elwes play superbly off each other as Lady Jane Grey and Guilford Dudley, bringing out nuances in each other's performance that cement the core of this beautiful story.

A dramatization of Lady Jane Grey's short life ,as the death of King Henry VIII throws his kingdom into chaos because of succession disputes . It deals with Jane Grey (a very young Helena Bonham Carter) from her forced marriage , which she resisted at the beginning , though after falling in love for Guilford Dudley (Gary Elwes, director Trevor Nunn personally chose him to star this role , Nunn later offered Elwes to join the Royal Shakespeare Company) to her brief reign as monarch of England , his early downfall and finally , to her ultimate beheading . The film portrays her as an innocent set up for the slaughter while the scheming courtiers and pretenders to the throne barely pay her mind, as they stab each other in the back in their attempts to gain power and influence . Anxious to keep England true to the Anglican Reformation, a scheming minister John Dudley , the Duke of Nothumberland (John Wood) marries off his son to Lady Jane Grey, whom he places on the throne after Edward VI dies . Thomas Wyatt was the leader of the rebellion, proclaiming her Queen of England , her father, Henry, was a part of this rebellion. But all of them cannot withstand the course of power which will lead to their definitive fall . In 1553, Lady Jane Grey ruled the throne in Britain for just nine days. Jane was imprisoned along with Guilford ; in reality, Lady Jane and Guilford Dudley barely knew each other and were not together during their imprisonment . She was aged sixteen years when she was the Queen of England . She was the Grand Niece of King Henry VIII. Jane Grey is rarely referred to as Queen Jane and is more commonly known as Lady Jane .

This is a correct portrayal about political intrigue , lovers and war during Edward VI , Henry VIII's weak son , is on his deathbed . As are splendidly recreated intrigues , treason , turmoil and power fight of its time , including the troublesome days and machinations surrounding . It deals with a wonderful love story between Lady Jane Grey and Lord Guilford ; at first hostile to each other, but later they fall in love . It's magnificently captured by marvelous sets , splendid production design and glamorous gowns . This elaborate , colorful costumer drama packs outstanding performances from an extraordinary support cast . As the film was cast with several members of the Royal Shakespeare Company . These included prestigious players as John Wood, Michael Hordern, Patrick Stewart, Sara Kestelman, writer David Edgar, and the film's director, Trevor Nunn, who was also the Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company . This was the third filmed for the cinema version of the Lady Jane story . The tale had been filmed twice before for the big screen, the most recent at the time was half a century earlier in 1936, as The Tudor Rose , and before that, the first time in 1923, about sixty-three years earlier, as Lady Jane Grey ; or, The Court of Intrigue.

Colorful as well as glowing cinematography , being final British film shot by veteran English cinematographer Douglas Slocombe , the picture was also the penultimate film overall lensed by Slocombe, whose final film was Indiana Jones and the last crusade about three years later . Evocative musical score plenty of chores , lyrics and Baroque music , being the only ever cinema film score composed by music composer Stephen Oliver whose work was mostly in television. The motion picture was well directed by Trevor Nunn . This was first theatrical film for director Trevor in eleven years , the last had been Hedda in 1975 and the third and final was Twelfth Night or What You Will ; all three pictures are costume period films.

This is definitely a tissue box movie girls, so keep a full box handy.

I first met this young couple, Lady Jane and Guildford, in 1990 and watched it over and over until I had my favourite quotes down pat, like all those mentioned on this site.

The music and drama draw you into the movie, from the opening scenes with the pounding horse hooves to the passion and love found in the closing scenes.

Seeing the movie 15 years later renewed old emotions, dreams and memories of the past. I've encouraged friends to watch it with me, including my new husband! He won't admit it, but even for a period movie, he enjoyed it. He also enjoyed teasing me when I was blowing my nose through the final scenes. I cry every time! It's such a touching and inspirational movie, of the excitement of first love, family torment, and just wanting to experience life and make a difference.

I highly recommend this movie, it has something in it for everyone.

This is one of those movies where after you turn it off, it sticks with you. The acting is exquisite and the whole movie is executed with sensitivity. After watching it, I felt like I had to know more about Lady Jane Grey's real story. The truth, as the history books tell it, isn't quite as pretty or romantic as the movie made it seem, but other than that it is very historically accurate as most period piece movies go. I would strongly recommend this film (10 stars!) and would see it over again.

I found this very enjoyable, and its refreshing to watch a character from Tudor history, that doesn't really get much attention, when it comes to history in fiction. Helena Bonham Carter , played this role well.

Lady Jane was well educated, and great granddaughter of Henry vii England, also great granddaughter of of Thomas grey,1st marquess of Dorset, a son to late queen consort Elizabeth Woodville, by her first marriageto John of Groby.

Very sad tale of young girl who was victim of others political ambitions. What I know of her mother, she was very strict. And was not named in the ,line of succession.Her mother being the daughter of Mary Tudor, (Henry VIII sister). Its fascinating how peoples lives in this era all intertwine with each other. Lady Jane at one stage was brought up in same household I believe as the young Elizabeth Ist,& and also was ward of Thomas Seymour.King Edward Vi uncle.whom himself was executed for treason,along same lines of political ambition.He set his devious eye on Young Elizabeth, and also on marrying Lady Jane toEdward Vi.

Its seems quite common thing in this era to set their sights quite high, to end up getting the chop. Good film.

Helen-Bonham Carter and Cary Elwes give fine performances in the lead roles. Also I think the portrayal of Mary I in this film was good. But despite some of the good performances, I found this movie not very pleasing.

Having read several books on the historical Jane Grey, it is hard to honestly find good in this film despite its historic inaccuracies. But putting aside, when looking at this at a cinematic standpoint alone, I still find much about it I don't enjoy.

The romance between the two leads, makes for what one would call a good "chick flick". However, I think most audience, regardless of gender, would find this display of the romance heavily mawkish. It is hard for me to relate to, and I am someone who usually enjoys romance in film.

Outside of the two leads, the rest of the characters come off as very cardboard-like. And they seem to fit into two different camps: a) plotters/schemers (which no doubt, that kind of thing definitely went on in the Tudor court) and b) honorable people (but are kept at surface level).

For as much cinematic liberties as this took. Some of these character (though usually historic) should've just been molded into one character to save on time for casting, and because it seemed excessive to have as many historic portrayals as they did all in one movie.

I tried to find much good in this film, and I just couldn't. I'd recommend Tudor Rose (1936) aka. Nine Days a Queen, as the superior of these two films in presenting the story as well. Tudor Rose was an incredibly moving picture,and concise (unlike the needlessly lengthy runtime of Lady Jane) but with great performances all around by a solid 30's British cast. It wasn't as historically accurate either. But from a cinematic standpoint, I found Tudor Rose better than this film in terms of Jane Grey movies.

"The next time I see your face, I want it for eternity." If you know much at all about Lady Jane Grey and her unfortunate marriage to Guildford Dudley, you must know this cannot at all be what she said to him as they were parted for the last time. Yet the story branches away from the historical aspects of Jane's life and builds up a romance completely created in the minds of the writers, who have done an excellent job. In the beginning, the scene at Bradgate in Leicester, with the dance for the King, is extremely well shot. The plot thickens between the cunning Earl of Northumberland and the cold, greedy Duchess of Suffolk, while Jane argues theology with the Catholic doctor. Comparing this with history, I believe this was also very well written; from what I've read on Jane Grey (I have done extensive Tudor period research) I know she was very Protestant and, unlike the later Queen Elizabeth, very willing to argue on the topic of religion. Perhaps my favorite scene in the entire movie is the one where Jane goes to visit the Princess Mary. In this scene the Renaissance class system is extremely well depicted. The outwardly friendly but rather sneaky nature the Princess' maid (I believe that is Lady Anne Wharton) conducts herself shows the "subservience of the lesser nobility"; the proud way Jane speaks to the maid shows what the upper nobility could do; and then the regal, majestic, icy cold way the Princess Mary enters the room and "embraces" her second-cousin is the perfect example of a Princess of two royal bloodlines. Later, the love that blooms between Guildford and Jane will, without a doubt, sweep you off your feet. If you've ever been in love, I guarantee you'll relive some fond memories there. Overall, an excellent movie and highly recommended.

Trevor Nunn directed this true historical account of the circumstances that led to the succession of the royal throne of England in the 16th century. Helena Bonham Carter plays 15-year old Lady Jane Grey, who is pushed into the throne by royal ministers after the death of King Henry the VIII. His son Edward is dying, and the reform-minded ministers do not want the Princess Mary as queen, because she is catholic, and Jane is protestant. Jane is forced to marry Guilford Dudley(played by Cary Elwes) to be Queen, but they do eventually fall in love, and decide to institute further reforms, which alarms the ministers, and seals their fates, as Princess Mary is leading her forces to usurp Jane... Fine cast and production in this handsomely mounted and interesting film. Certain historical facts may have been tweaked, and it is a bit long, but overall it works, with a moving ending.

I had to watch this movie for a British History course, and I was fully expecting to be bored during the entire thing, but I was so pleasantly suprised! This was a great movie - great acting, directing, plot, settings, etc. And apparently it's a great movie to watch to get a feel for that period in England, 'cause my professor made us watch it. I would definitely recommend this movie to anybody who has ever watched and enjoyed any period drama before!

Interesting historically and visually impressive but I found it too slow and sentimental.

A number of scenes could have been left out or shortened considerably. It seems like the writers conjured the romance between the leads (which wasn't historically accurate) to make the movie more palatable to audiences. But most of the love scenes were dull and dragged on way to long.

A lot of the historical detail was observed so it's worth seeing if you're interested in the history and don't mind fast-forwarding through the cheesy bits.

Henry VIII died in 1547. His only son sickly Edward was 9. The country is divided between Catholics and Reformers. Edward likes his cousin Lady Jane Grey (Helena Bonham Carter) and minister John Dudley Duke of Nothumberland (John Wood) sees the young reformer as a perfect match. In 1553 with Edward dying, John Dudley (John Wood) schemes with Frances Grey to put her daughter Jane on the throne and marry her off to his youngest irresponsible son Guildford Dudley (Cary Elwes). The free thinking Jane and the hard partying Guildford hate the match at first. The Catholics want Mary on the throne after Edward's death. Jane would rule for only 9 days.

Firstly, I ignore all the historical inaccuracies in this movie. This is not a big historical event. It's not as if a film claims that Lincoln had slaves. There is no real stakes about faking much of this relationship. This is essentially a romance movie and this one follows a try-and-true method. The characters have real heat hating each other in the beginning and that heat powers the romance. Helena Bonham Carter and Cary Elwes are terrific in this. There are some great Shakespearian actors. Some will notice Patrick Stewart as Jane's father. John Wood is impeccable. This is a terrific romantic movie.

"Lady Jane" tells a revisionist tale of Lady Jane Grey (Carter), teen Queen of the empire of England for nine days, whose martyrdom, alleged to be in the name of religion, has made her story undeservedly romantic. The film sports a good cast and all the royal trappings of the 1550's period. However, the screenplay is tedious to a fault leaving gaping holes in the political understory while filling them with dawdling pomp and circumstance and silly romantic Kodak moments. Recommended for those into sappy romantic dramas and/or period films. Not to be mistaken for history. (C+)

"If the head on which the crown rests knows not what the crown requires, the crown shall not long there rest."

This film beautifully demonstrates the abilities of both Carter and Elwes. I enjoyed the delicate love-story involved, however historically innacurate it may be.

Although the movie clearly has rewritten history to make a romance, in reality Jane and Guilford never lived in their own home, nor did they ever live as man and wife in the short time they were together; within a month of the marriage Jane was crowned Queen (and refused to crown Guilford King), and 9 days later they were both in prison, lodged in separate towers, and never had contact again.

Soooooo why all the teary eyes tens about a romance that never existed and was written in to fatten a weak script written by people with zero ability to write something close to factual without the gratuitous nude scene and here with a romance that according to factual history never existed.

Smoke and Mirrors Fluff that apparently plenty of reviewers fell for.