For those looking for a straight documentary about Henry VIII, which has been detailed far too many times, Firebrand is not that. Instead, it is something far more interesting: a story about grief and a woman navigating the patriarchal values of the Tudor era. 

“History tells us a few things, often about men and war,” the opening to Firebrand points out. “The rest of humanity, we must draw our own — often wild — conclusions.” Compared to other recent pop culture adaptations like the musical Six, Karim Aïnouz’s Firebrand strips back the story of Henry VIII and his final wife Catherine Parr. 

The film centers on who the two figures are at their core, pulling from Elizabeth Fremantle’s novel Queen’s Gambit, which toes the line between historical details and imagination. For those looking for a straight documentary about Henry VIII, which has been detailed far too many times, this is not that. Instead, it is something far more interesting: a story about grief and a woman navigating the patriarchal values of the Tudor era. 

Parr (Alicia Vikander) is hopeful for change, watching from the sidelines as her childhood friend Anne Askew (Erin Doherty) encourages other townspeople to protest against the King’s church. “What else may we question? Who else? Everything,” Askew yells. At first glance, Parr seems intrigued by the prospect of protest, agreeing with the changing beliefs and publishing her books during her marriage. 

However, Parr is just as complicit in the system that looms over both her own life and the general public. Askew is soon murdered at the hands of her husband, with her face haunting the royal throughout — a reminder that this might not have happened had she not gone to meet her. 

During another scene at a dinner, Henry engages with a younger woman, a newer model and potential next wife, if you will. She laughs the loudest. He likes her teeth. Upon seeing this, Parr proves her willingness to play ball with the men and humiliates the woman by forcing her to sing.  

Meanwhile, Jude Law, who portrays Henry VIII, delivers a vicious and at times, grotesque performance — staying true to transforming into the real-life figure nearing the end of his life. She doesn’t put up a fight during sex or when Henry forces her to pray, moments that are tough to watch. The threat of Henry discovering her treason hangs over the film like a darkness, one that Aïnouz and cinematographer Hélène Louvart show with a shot of the castle at night. 

Vikander masterfully taps into Parr’s internal struggle as the men whisper and the children worry about her meeting the same fate as the other wives before. “No one really cared that she was the first woman in British history that published books under her own name,” she told The Hollywood Reporter last year. “Managing this danger and person next to [her] all the time. To survive that, you have to be very delicate and clever.”

Throughout the film’s two-hour run, I was invested in Parr’s survival despite her faults. There was a painful relatability in watching a woman conform to the societal ideals placed upon her. Which is why when she reveals a pregnancy, there is a sigh of relief. He wouldn’t harm a pregnant woman, I thought. Knowing Parr had relied on the baby to secure her safety makes her eventual loss all the more painful to watch. 

No matter how hard the other women in the court try to keep her safe by burning her books, Parr’s downfall ultimately comes at the hands of a romantic prospect with whom she shares her secrets. Thomas Seymour (Sam Riley) was the sibling of Henry’s real-life late wife, Jane. When Thomas’ brother Edward begs for him to give up any info about Parr to secure their lives, he ultimately caves. Blood and the bond between men comes first. 

The wild conclusions mentioned at the beginning come into play at the end, when Parr manages to have the advantage due to Henry’s sickness and ultimately kills him. “Do you love me?” Henry asks as his last words. “I loved my king,” Parr coldly responds. Henry’s death signals the fear is over, and she is free. But this freedom does not stop her from being haunted by the friend she lost. 

Still, Parr’s sacrifices and cleverness paved the way for the women who would reign after her and keep her alive. Firebrand closes by focusing again on that bond. Henry’s daughter Elizabeth (from his marriage to Anne Boleyn) watches Parr in the garden as the sunshine gleams — contrasting the once-dark palace. “There is more than one way to scorch the earth,” Elizabeth ends. “She forged something in her flames and made way for the tender shoots of hope.”

Oscars Prospects:
Likely: None
Should be Considered: None

Release Date: June 14, 2024
Where to Watch: In Select Theaters