Movie Review - "The Iron Lady"

To be quite honest this movie was not one that I had on my "must see" list, nor was it one that I had read a great deal about. But with a free afternoon, being in the area of the city it was showing, and the "cheaper" matinee tickets, June and I went. I am not necessarily a fan of Meryl Streep, though I recognize her as a greatly talented actress, and I assume that she is politically a bit further to the left than I am (but then again so is Rush Limbaugh). Nevertheless, despite my reservations, I came away from this movie with a greater appreciation for the acting ability of Ms. Streep and greater appreciation for Margret Thatcher as a leader.

Though the movie centers around the memories of the aged, and senile, Prime Minister Thatcher, it shows the values and principles that formed the basis for her political career. She was not a political opportunist who shifted with the drifting tides of public opinion, but a woman who made hard decisions based on what she believed was right. She was unwavering in the face of opposition from those outside of her political party, and from those within. She was as the Russians nicknamed her the "Iron Lady."

One scene that I found enlightening was when she had to make the difficult decision concerning the Argentians taking the Falkland Islands. More specifically, what should be done with the Argentine battleship that was circling the islands at the beginning of the war. Whether or not this was the way it happened - the film has it powerfully depicted. Thatcher is surrounded on one side by her military commanders who have told her what can be accomplished by taking military action. On the other hand her civilian advisers were calling for negotiation and caution. The viewer can see Thatcher's manicured nail tapping on the table and you hear the monumental lines; "Sink it". What is further gripping is that you see her tears and agony at the impact of her actions and the loss of British lives.

The film is not intended to be a "hagiography" of Margret Thatcher, but I would not want it to be. She was certainly a flawed person, as we all are. She sometimes put her public service above her family, and she was difficult to deal with at times. Nevertheless, we need leaders like her and her American counter-part Ronald Reagan today.