The Lady vs The Iron Lady

Aug 09, 2012

By Anealla Safdar, Digital Department, DFI

“The Lady”, Luc Besson’s 2011 biopic of Burmese opposition politician Aung San Suu Kyi, closed last year’s Doha Tribeca Film Festival.

The film released just days after Phyllida Lloyd’s “The Iron Lady”” in December. Based on former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, the story grabbed more headlines and awards.

Was the story more interesting? Why did audiences connect with a controversial conservative character over an ambitious democracy-supporting dissident? How were the films different and what might have affected their success?

Here, we compare the two:

The Lady (Aung San Suu Kyi)

The Iron Lady (Margaret Thatcher)

The ‘heroine’

Opposition politician
Daughter of Aung San – assassinated negotiator of Burmese independence from Britain
Lived under house arrest for over 14 years
Won the Nobel prize for non-violent struggle for democracy

Former, first and only female British Prime minister
Daughter of Methodists and grocery shop owners Alfred and Beatrice Roberts
Led the country for 11 years from 1989 under the Conservative Party
Her tutor at Oxford University won the Nobel

The plot

Suu Kyi returns to Burma to visit her ailing mother. There, she accepts an invitation by intellectuals to lead the country to democracy. Once her ambitions are concreted, the military junta stops her from returning home to England (where she had settled) unless she is willing to give up her new role. Her lengthy house arrest forms the main part of this story, including its painful effect on her family.

From ambitious student to political leader, Thatcher’s major decisions and life events are explored. From being elected as leader of the Conservative party to unknowingly growing apart from her family, the story spans 55 years through flashbacks and includes difficult scenes of her present-day dementia.

Scene from 'The lady'

The lead	Michelle Yeoh as Suu Kyi	Meryl Streep as Thatcher
The director	Luc Besson, 53 year old Frenchman. Previous films include: Taxi, Taken, Léon	Phyllida Lloyd, 55 year old Brit. Previous films: Mamma Mia!
The soundtrack	Thirty-two pieces mostly by French composer Éric Serra, 52, who’s worked on 29 film titles. Sade’s ‘Soldier of Love’ accompanies the credits.	Twenty-two pieces mostly by multi-Grammy award winner Thomas Newman, 56, American composer who’s worked on 90 film titles.
The love interest	Michael Aris, played by David Thewlis, is a university professor who simultaneously dreams about Burmese democracy and selflessly supports his wife’s vision. He’s a convincing British gentleman, smokes furiously and lovingly looks after the couple’s two sons.	Denis Thatcher, wonderfully played by Jim Broadbent, takes care of the children, encourages his wife to slow down, and features in the film as a ghost Margaret deeply wishes would come back to life.

Meryl Streep as Thatcher in 'The Iron Lady'

The awards	Won the 2012 International Human Rights Film Award	Scooped over 10 including two Academy Awards and a Golden Globe
The subject’s reaction	Aung San Suu Kyi, at least by February, still had not seen the film because it included emotional memories of her father and husband.	Plenty of people complained that the portrayal was inaccurate; her colleagues disliked the film, while her family rejected an invite to the premiere.

Have you seen either of the films? What did you think? We’d love to hear your reviews. Get in touch on Facebook, Twitter or leave your comments below.