Spencer is a film by Pablo Larrain starring Kristen Stewart and the story is inspired by the life of Princess Diana. According to the director, this is “a fable from a true tragedy” – some characters might depict something close in real people in these fictitious events.
DESIGN
People are stunned by the breathtaking production design of Spencer. The designers really had to focus on Princess Diana’s character to envision her personality. There is a sense of claustrophobia in her and the design was actually better—portraying spaces inside the castle that makes you feel like you’re in prison.
In creating design, one must be so thorough in doing research to make it more realistic since you have this goal to achieve. The designers thought in mind to bear an “elegant prison” which turned out well. The atmosphere all throughout the movie was stressful and suffocating.
The production designer, Guy Hendrix Dyas, achieved the room of Diana incorporating all sense of misery and isolation in rough surfaces and colored spaces.
CHALLENGE
Since this was set from castle to castle, the team came up in some parts of Germany where they consider as the place for shoot. They looked for a place where it could match Sandringham’s Jacobean style in architecture which they found in a university and a hotel and they transformed well.
The team also achieved the cold aesthetic decors by filling a ‘less is more’ approach in Diana’s stuff. They successfully depicted Princess Diana’s life as a “caged bird”.
Other than the atmosphere as the top priority, the team also showed Diana’s eating disorder by providing tons of food in different variety. The long corridors approaching a minimalist design was covered with 60 commissioned paintings which made a closer look of Sandringham’s reality.
CONCLUSION
Historical films like this one needs a lot of comprehensive research because people want to be historically-accurate for it to be convincing.
The overall set of Spencer really did a magnificent job. It achieved transparency that made people see the life of Diana. Berlin, Germany is indeed a place where they achieved most of their shooting locations without compromising style and aesthetic.
Historical films are made for people to get a glimpse of what was it look like and how did these people feel the moment they’re in that situation. It’s meant to be appreciated and reviewed upon on.
