THE STAG - The Queen (2006) Discussion

[–] jeffsgirl1107 16 years ago

I thought the Stag represented the Queen herself. Both are majestic creatures, being hunted. The Stag by the stalkers and the Queen by her subjects who no longer want her as queen. I thought the death of the Stag represented the Queen feeling the death of the love her people had for her.

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[–] 16 years ago

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[–] butterK 16 years ago

These are all very fascinating posts.

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[–] karlo-1 16 years ago

Excellent dialogue here. But I'm persuaded that the stag represents the monarchy to ER. She's taken by its beauty. She tries to save it. She's devastated by its death. She hopes it doesn't suffer before it dies.

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[–] Ithilfaen 15 years ago

I thought it was obvious that the Stag represtented the Queen and Monarchy, but after reading this thread I guess people kept trying to find symbolism about Diana throughout the movie... it was NOT a movie about Diana or her relationship with the Queen, it was a movie about the Queen and her relationship to her people and the change that she had failed to recognize about what was expected of her, as highlighted by Diana's death and the various reactions pertaining to it.

The Stag representing Tradition is shot (and badly at that but killed all the same) by a 'commercial guest', one of those of the New Monarchy, an investment banker who pay for the privilege of pretending he's a noble while the nobles take the cash to maintain their mansions and expired lifestyles... HArd to get more symbolic than that about the shifting reality of the country...

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[–] ronnieronb 15 years ago

I don't know if the stag represented anything. But I do believe it was to show that the Queen did have a heart. I remember the scene where Blair blows up at his colleague when the man kept insulting the Queen. I took it as the Queen is only human and has an extremely hard job. I also think of the scene where the Queen is looking at the flowers in front of Buckingham and how slightly confused and put off by what she read. Then Blair talking to his wife calls the Queen a survivor.

bushtony and his mother suffer from Congential Stupidtiy and they didn't see it coming.

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[–] okerry-1 14 years ago

I just saw this film for the first time last night, and had not read anything about it beforehand.

The stag immediately struck me as being Diana, the hunted creature, approaching the Queen in a bid for safety. But the Queen chased the stag away even though she knew the hunters were approaching and no hunter would shoot at the stag if it was near the Queen.

Because the Queen chased it away, the stag ended up suffering and dying at the hands of outsiders and was beheaded like one of Henry VIII's unwanted wives.

And as for the stag representing something that had outlived its time - well, Diana was no longer needed once she had producd the heir and the spare. She had long outlived her usefulness to the royal family, as far as they were concerned.

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[–] mhansen2 14 years ago

And as for the stag representing something that had outlived its time - well, Diana was no longer needed once she had producd the heir and the spare. She had long outlived her usefulness to the royal family, as far as they were concerned.

That's how I saw it, too.

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[–] generalusgrant 14 years ago

The screenwriter himself said in an interview with Leonard Maltin that the stag was meant to represaent Diana. He was disappointed, as he indicated, that there was confusion on the matter. He said he made it evident that the stag was "stalked," and they used this word several times. The stalking was the paparazzi who endlessly stalked Diana and ultimately, "killed" her (albeit indirectly).

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[–] avenger-16 14 years ago

I think that the stag is a representation of Landseer's famous painting of 'The Monarch of the Glen' and that the Queen, also a Monarch, identifies with its majesty and regal beauty. It represents the old England with its traditions and values which are under siege just as much as the Queen was during that week in 1997. The similarity to the painting was surely no coincidence.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarch_of_the_Glen_(painting)

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[–] Bruce7 13 years ago

Or was it someone else who was behind the Murder?

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[–] whitespirit26 14 years ago

Annierob, that's beautiful! I think you're right, it did inspire her.

I also believe the stag did show how moved the queen was by beauty, how she did feel deeply, and also represented both her and Diana: hunted, beautiful beings who wanted to live peacefully outside the limelight.

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[–] ValkyrieOakenshield74 13 years ago

I was coming here just to ask that!! What do other people think about the meaning of the stag

I found my replys in the very first page.

1)

The analogy of the stag representing Diana hand't occurred to me, but it makes a lot of sense. My thought was the same as the OP...that it was supposed to show that the Queen had heart, feelings, sensitivity, etc.

I think it means partly that but...

2)

Just finished watching this film and I felt the opposite. It symbolised that Elizabeth cared more for an animal than she did for Diana.

Everytime I watch the movie I think just that. She cared more for the stag than for Diana.

To me it means both theories

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[–] 13 years ago

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[–] heaintloveu 13 years ago

Just a moment of clarity in the general sense. Nothing all that deep.

... after only reading 3 of your posts, I can tell you're a dumbass ...

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[–] 13 years ago

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