The Rise and Fall of Margaret Thatcher DVD gets rave reviews

My husband was in the Army during the Cold War, and we spent 12 years overseas. We were very aware and impressed with the woman leader of the United Kingdom. Margaret Thatcher was smart, poised, and in control. But, we didn't know the whole story.

Learn about the life of the controversial woman who led the United Kingdom for more than 10 years with the BBC movie, The Rise and Fall of Margaret Thatcher on DVD.

Featuring three outstanding productions - The Long Walk to Finchley, The Falkland’s Play and Margaret - on two discs, this collection follows the political career of the former Prime Minister.

Andrea Riseborough (Made in Dagenham, Happy Go Lucky), Patricia Hodge (The Legacy of Reginald Perrin, Miranda) and Lindsay Duncan (Doctor Who, Rome) respectively, tackle the role of Margaret Thatcher.

The Rise and Fall of Margaret Thatcher is a DVD set for history buffs, people who love 'traditional' English culture, and any woman who loves to see how a woman can rise to power and rule a country with an Iron Fist.

Riseborough’s portrayal of a young Margaret Roberts in The Long Walk to Finchley, was hailed as “breathtaking, giving Thatcher humor, drive and real sex appeal” by the London Evening Standard.

The movie reveals Thatcher's steely determination as an ambitious twenty-something research chemist ready to climb the ladder to Parliament. Eager to speak her mind and be selected to a “winnable” seat in the 1950s, The Long Walk to Finchley imagines what might have gone on behind the scenes during Thatcher’s ten-year struggle to gain a seat in Parliament. In the 1959 general election, when I was born, she became Parliament for Finchley.

As I watched the movie I was so inspired how strong and determined Thatcher was. She knew what she wanted, and fought hard for it, doing whatever it took, until she got it. She took advice about how to dress, speak and act. She became a powerful leader in the UK, known as the Iron Lady.

Lauded by The Guardian as, “a thrilling piece of drama which challenged prejudices and preconceptions,” The Falkland’s Play chronicles the backroom story of Margaret Thatcher’s war. Once deemed too controversial to produce, this compelling production depicts a gripping account of how the leaders at 10 Downing Street faced one of their biggest crises in foreign affairs.

But, I found the title The Rise and Fall of Margaret Thatcher confusing, because I had no idea Margaret Thatcher had a fall. But, it tells the story about why she stepped down as Prime Minister.

Margaret examines the downfall of the Prime Minister after her election to a third term. One of the most formidable figures in British politics, the film ultimately reveals that the aspects of her character that helped her secure power, were the ones that ensured her decline.

The Daily Express praised the film as “riveting viewing … Lindsay Duncan plays her as sharp as a ferret, with the eyes of a lynx and the manner of an aged, furious tiger.”

Thatcher was re-elected for a third term in 1987, but her views on the European Community were not shared by others in her Cabinet. The story was very moving about how this strong woman who worked so hard for her country is vulnerable and could be betrayed by those she trusted.

I cried with her as she resigned as Prime Minister and party leader in November 1990.

Thatcher, the only woman Prime Minister, was succeeded by John Major, whom was succeeded by Tony Blair, whom was succeeded by Gordon Brown, whom was succeeded by Prime Minister of the United Kingdom David Cameron. They just don't make them like Thatcher anymore.

This was a long movie. I didn't think I would sit through the whole movie in one sitting, but I couldn't stop watching it. I loved it. I hope you do, too.
 
Full disclosure: I received a copy of the movie to do this review.