The Lady (2011)

Directed by: Luc Besson | 145 minutes | drama | Actors: Michelle Yeoh, David Thewlis, Jonathan Raggett, Jonathan Woodhouse, Susan Wooldridge, Benedict Wong, Flint Bangkok, Guy Barwell, Sahajak Boonthanakit, Antony Hickling, William Hope, Teerawat Mulvilai, Agga Poechit, Victoria Sanvalli, Nay Myo Thant, Danny Toeng , Dujdao Vadhanapakorn, Frank Walmsley, Marian Yue

Painting a portrait of a living legend isn’t easy, and the subject of Luc Besson’s film, the freedom struggle in Burma, isn’t much easier, but ‘The Lady’ is a successful biopic, with a brilliant (and dream) starring Michelle Yeoh as Aung San Suu Kyi.

The film mainly focuses on the love between Suu and her husband Michael Aris (wonderful role for David Thewlis after his Harry Potter schnabbels) and contrasts it with the struggle in Burma. The impossible choice Suu has to make: choosing her family or her homeland becomes so clear, and although Besson does not shy away from the clichés of a biographical film, they serve the ultimate goal: the sympathy for Suu is aroused as she is portrayed. as a three-dimensional woman, full of love, contemplation and an immense desire for the freedom of her people.

Cinematographer Thierry Arbogast (usually collaborating with Besson) managed to film material here and there with hidden cameras in the strictly closed Asian country, and these images are beautiful. Together with the soundtrack by Eric Serra, this ensures that the time jumps in the film can be kept up to date. The story focuses on a period spanning more than twenty years, and by jumping back and forth in time, Besson and screenwriter Rebecca Fraynons give the protagonists time to be introduced, providing a foothold in the somewhat lengthy film.

It is nice that after many production jobs for often mediocre films, and his incomprehensible directing work in the ‘Arthur et les Minimoys’ series, Besson returns to making good cinema. The maker of films such as ‘Léon’, ‘The Fifth Element’ and ‘Joan of Arc’ shows that he dares to deal with subjects that few are given, and he knows how to portray them beautifully. The scene where Suu listens to the radio alone in her house that she has won the Nobel Peace Prize is very moving, as are the speeches Suu gives. It’s to the credit of Michelle Yeoh, who convinced director Besson to finally come up with quality work again, and she deserves a reward for that.