The Crown: Season 1 [Blu-ray]

DVD Wholesale Quick Overview:

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh have just celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary as I write. They must be the best known couple in the world and have become permanent fixtures in many of our imaginations. After 70 years of marriage and 65 years on the throne it might seem that there is little more to know about them. The Crown, a dramatized and highly dramatic depiction of Elizabeth and Philip’s early married life is a speculative look into their relationship, because neither has ever answered questions about their private lives. Even so, The Crown is plausible and intriguing.

There are 10 episodes in the first season of The Crown, beginning just before the royal marriage in 1947 and lasting until 1955. We see the young Princess Elizabeth and her handsome naval officer husband balancing royal and military duties and starting a family, then suddenly being required to give up any semblance of a private life when King George VI died in 1952. Elizabeth II became Queen at a difficult period for Great Britain. The Empire was fragmenting, the economy stagnating, and world leadership seemed to be slipping away. We see the young Queen finding her footing and learning how to deal with her ministers, especially her first Prime Minister Winston Churchill. At the same time her husband was searching for a role of his own and chafing at the necessity of playing second fiddle to his wife. Any marriage would be stressed by these complications, and the depictions of conflict between the Queen and her husband are plausible. Also looking for new places in the world were the widowed Queen Mother and her younger daughter Princess Margaret. The series does an adroit job depicting those struggles, particularly the ones faced by Margaret, whose wish to marry a divorced man put her and her elder sister at odds. By the last episode we have seen some of these conflicts resolved, but many more await resolution in future seasons.

Season One of The Crown is a magnificent production which promises much and amply delivers. I await future seasons with eager anticipation.-
John D. Cofield

“The Crown”, season one was a very satisfying, enjoyable, and eye-opening view of the inner workings of the British Royal Family. We Americans have a fascination with the British Monarchy and this series very successfully treated us to an inside view of their private and official lives, leaving very few stones unturned, even to the point of shocking and titillating us with this very personal “inside” view. We cannot, of course, know how much of the conversations and behavior of these historical figures as depicted in this television portrayal is true, nor to what extent it has been speculated and extrapolated from available information, but the simple fact of being privy to it all via “The Crown” is a delicious treat. The portrayals of Queen Elizabeth, Prince Phillip, Sir Winston Churchill, and all the rest are spot on, and it has been a joy to be such intimate observers of the strengths and dignity, as well as the weaknesses and flaws of these historical figures. Kudos to all responsible for this marvelous depiction.

My chief disappointment in this series is that a full and untouched view of the superb luxury of Buckingham Palace et al was not depicted well, possibly because they were not given permission to film in certain areas. The scenes in royal living areas seemed to be intentionally diminished somehow, whereas an elaborate and expansive view would have enhanced the story line immeasurably. Despite that, this series is well deserving of five stars.-Al Azose

DVD Wholesale Main Features:

Actors: Vanessa Kirby, Victoria Hamilton, Claire Foy, John Lithgow, Matt Smith
Producers: Andrew Eaton
Format: Subtitled
Language: English
Subtitles: French, German, Finnish, Swedish, Arabic, Dutch, Norwegian, English, Turkish, Spanish, Danish
Dubbed: French, German
Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired: English
Aspect Ratio: Unknown
Number of discs: 4
Rated: NR Not Rated
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: November 7, 2017
Run Time: 600 minutes
ASIN: B0756TCG2T