The Iron Lady, Written by Abi Morgan
The 2011 biopic "The Iron Lady" depicts an elderly Margaret Thatcher, played by Meryl Streep, reflecting on her life and political career.
Directed by Phyllida Lloyd
Starring Meryl Streep and Jim Broadbent
Released by 20th Century Fox
Running time: 104 minutes
Rated PG-13 for some violent images and brief nudity
Author’s note: This review contains spoilers.
To those waiting with bated breath for that favorite media catchphrase, the “U- turn,” I have only one thing to say: You turn if you want to. The lady’s not for turning. —Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher is one of the most controversial figures in modern history. Some consider her to have been a cruel, heartless villain who destroyed jobs and livelihoods, whereas others revere her as a valiant defender of liberty and the free market who saved her country’s economy. Yet, most agree that she was a woman who stood by her convictions, and this is shown throughout the aptly named 2011 biopic _ The Iron Lady._ It depicts an elderly Thatcher, played by Meryl Streep, reflecting on her life and political career.
Viewers see Thatcher as a young woman, struggling to gain a foothold in politics due to common attitudes at that time toward her gender and lower-middle-class background. Despite these obstacles, she persevered, first winning a seat in the House of Commons and eventually becoming the first female prime minister of the United Kingdom.
Her tenacity is evident in her responses to terrorism on various occasions. Consider, for instance, the horror of the 1984 bombing of the Grand Brighton Hotel, where most of the Conservative Party, including Thatcher and her husband, were staying. The couple escaped unscathed. Unfortunately, the movie only briefly alludes to the fact that Thatcher, undeterred, spoke at the party conference the next day as scheduled, despite severe security concerns.1 However, it does show her responding to the 2005 Al Qaeda bombings in London, insisting, “We must never, ever, ever give in to terrorists.”
It also shows her responding to the 1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands (a British territory) by the brutal military dictatorship that ran Argentina at that time, which was responsible for at least thirty thousand deaths.2 Thatcher refuses to negotiate with this “gang of fascist thugs.” In one scene, she argues with the American secretary of state, who opposes British retaliation against Argentina. Thatcher insists, “We will stand on principle, or we will not stand at all.” Britain’s victory in the Falklands earned Thatcher the highest approval rating of her premiership and played a significant role in the ultimate collapse of the Argentinian dictatorship.
The film also depicts Thatcher’s refusal to give in to massive coal miners’ strikes in 1984. The coal industry, which had been nationalized shortly after World War II, was at that time run by the National Coal Board (NCB), a government agency.3 Thatcher, who later called for privatization of the coal industry, supported the NCB’s plan to increase efficiency by closing unprofitable coal mining pits. The strikers intended to force the NCB to abandon its plan and thereby protect jobs, regardless of any other considerations.4 Thatcher’s iron will and preparedness eventually broke the strike, the inefficient pits were closed, and some workers were laid off.5
Although Thatcher’s recollections of her career loom large in the film, they are interspersed with memories of her family life, providing an image of the Iron Lady’s softer side. The movie also suggests that she was lonely at many stages of her life. It shows her as a teenager, so dedicated to her studies that she has little time to socialize (though her studiousness pays off when she is accepted at Oxford University). It shows her in her final years, typically only accompanied by a staff member or, occasionally, her daughter. Director Phyllida Lloyd also sought to portray the story of her political career as “the lone woman in a sea of men” by showing her as the only woman in the House of Commons when she joined.6 This is not accurate but, rather, is an intentional exaggeration to highlight her isolation. As political biographer John Campbell, who worked on the movie, explained, the movie dramatizes “her struggle, her battle to assert herself against a lot of patronizing men.”7
Thatcher’s determination is depicted not only in politics, but also in her struggle with dementia and her progress in overcoming its effects. She goes from seeing hallucinations of her husband, who had been dead for eight years, to finally packing up his things and sending “him” on his way.
The Iron Lady is generally accurate in its portrayal of Thatcher’s unswerving convictions and forceful personality, featuring superb and touching performances by Meryl Streep and Jim Broadbent. But it could have done more to spotlight Thatcher’s policies and their effects—not just good ones, but also those showing poor judgment. Exemplifying the latter is the film’s omission of Thatcher’s support for Section 28, which banned local authorities and schoolteachers from discussing homosexuality. No one was ever prosecuted under this law, but it severely limited what teachers could say and what materials libraries could stock regarding homosexuality. Moreover, the law undoubtedly encouraged prejudice against gay people at a time when they were already facing backlash due to the AIDS crisis.8
On the flip side, her administration is perhaps most known for having privatized numerous industries that had previously been nationalized, such as gas and water. Privatization led to increases in productivity and lower prices for consumers, but it is only briefly mentioned, and its effects are not indicated.9 However, the movie does show negative public reactions to some such good policies, including multiple strikes and protests in which Thatcher was labeled a “monster.”
The film also provides a simplified and potentially misleading depiction of the end of her premiership. Viewers are led to believe that Thatcher lost votes after “bullying” Deputy Prime Minister Geoffrey Howe when, in fact, her fall had more to do with her support for the intensely unpopular single-rate “poll tax,” which many people thought was unfair.10
The result is a skewed image that fails to do full justice to the Iron Lady. Nonetheless, it provides a compelling glimpse into the life of one of the most interesting and influential figures in recent political history.