Essay: The Iron Lady (film)

World War 2 started in 1939 and ended in 1945. During this period, there was a lot of bloodshed, property destruction and loss of lives with over 50 million fatalities (William 2). Because of this war, over 30 countries that took part in it had formed two opposing parties, the Axis (Germans, Italians and Japanese) and the Allies (French, British, Americans, The Soviet Union and China). There were numerous factors that led to the emergence of this war; such as ignorance of German, Japanese and Italian grievances. For instance, the Germans were angered with the 33 million they had to pay to the Allies as reparations (Duker 4). There was use of deadly nuclear weapons, massacres, bombings and death from diseases and starvation. The war ended in 1945 with the victory of the Allied, downfall of the German Nazi and Japanese, dismantling of the League of Nations and the beginning of the Cold war. Furthermore, the end of World War 2 also meant that many great powers would decline and many would rise, such as the rise of the USSR; Soviet Union and the United States of America (Spielvogel 4). The theme of war and recovery after war is clear in this case. A similar theme is expressed in the film “The Iron Lady” by Damien Jones. In the film, Meryl Thatcher, the prime minister, was in office for three consecutive terms during which she led Great Britain the country into the war in the Falklands for the Falkland Islands. Similarly, during World War 2, the Allies and Axis were in war fighting for Poland (Nicolas 22).
During World War 2, Adolf Hitler was on the quest for power by all means necessary to him; that is if it meant murdering millions of soldiers and civilians. This is proof that to Hitler, his ideologies were more important to him than feelings (Alan 51). Similarly, in the film The Iron Lady, Thatcher declares that to her ideas are more important than feelings. Because of this savage thinking she would most definitely wage war on the Argentines upon their attempt to invade the Falkland Islands, which Thatcher had had spoken of as hers; “they’re ours and you bloody well can’t have them”. During her time in power, she always governed in this way; to some she could be seen as an arrogant leader, to focus more on power and defeating the “enemies of the land” rather than issues of unemployment, starvation, displacement and homelessness while to others she would be seen as one who focuses on what is right and what is best. This presumed arrogance could be the cause of her downfall as depicted in the film The Iron Lady (John 42).
In the film, there are flashbacks that to some extent try to show how she became who she is as a prime minister who rules for three unprecedented terms. There is a flashback scene in which she recalls how she used to be an ordinary grocery girl, listening to her father’s speeches. She idolized her father’s political stature and in another flashback she recalls how she wins the elections to become the first ever female prime minister (William 5). The ideologies of the people in authority could either make or break a nation; that is a person in power could either use it for the greater good of a nation or for the nation’s downfall, as of the case of the World War 2 and the situation in the Falklands. In Thatcher’s case, her decisions were more geared toward rebuilding Great Britain from the ruins of the war. She certainly played an important role in the reconstruction of Europe after World War 2.
Meryl Thatcher had been the prime minister for 11 years during which she experienced major political events (John 23). When she won the elections and became the first female prime minister, there had been a lot of polarization between the people of Great Britain. This did not stop as there were those that upheld her policies while there were those who opposed them. Her authoritative nature however did not allow her opposers to act. Even in her way up the political food chain she had made a number of friends and enemies as well. Being a leader, others believed that her ambition was great and this to some extent made her ruthless. Her political ambition was so strong it pulled her away from her family. This status had made a force to be reckoned with. In the film, Henry Kissinger, and all the other officials and pundits from around the world went silent whenever she spoke, no one could oppose her rule (John 34). This kind of power is clearly intense. Meryl Thatcher was able to easily preside over almost every issue with no opposition from the government officials in her congress. Her power ran top down, from her downwards, which is why she was successful in her ways, even in the war against Argentina. Her rise was flawless and, but; like any other leader, she had those who opposed her and were unable to approach her directly. Her cause was to rebuild Great Britain and she was not going to stop (John 20).
Her status of a powerful leader feared and respected by many led her to be re-elected. This happens when the British army defeats the Argentine invasion in Falkland under her command. All seemed to be well for a while until the limits to her power began to face question. Her rigid leadership approach ultimately leads to her downfall as not all of her colleagues readily accept it. She is overthrown from power by the Conservative party after 11 years of “iron fist” authoritative leadership (John 27). In a similar way, big political figures in the history of politics, for example, Winston Churchill who was one of the leaders of the Allies and Adolf Hitler who exercised Axis power and ruled over the Nazi. Some of Hitler’s followers were Nazi diehards while others were in that position because of the fear of the consequences that faced his opposes (Lewkowicz 93). The Allied parties during World War 2 were Great Britain, United States of America, and the Soviet Union. The leaders of this group were Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt and Joseph Stalin respectively. China was also, to some extent, a member of the Allied group. Its opposer the Axis coalition, was formed by Germany, Italy and Japan (Milward 42).
The film relates Margaret Thatcher, who dominated the political scene in United Kingdom, to Meryl Streep who is the “Iron Lady” in the film. During her reign, Thatcher saw the nation recover from the Falklands War, recession and brutal monetarist policies. In a scene where Thatcher was dining with Ministers she is asked what she was going to eat. She said she wanted steak. When the waiter asked her if she would eat any vegetables, she jokingly replied, “…they’ll have the same as me…” As the film’s name suggests, Thatcher was the “iron lady” (John 42). She jokingly belittled great ministers such as Geoffrey Howe and Nott John. This was proof of her might even as the first female prime minister among pre-dominate male prime minister. Her boldness was key if she was to uphold her political beliefs in her actions, and if she was going to deliver Britain from the ruins of war. In the film, the character of Meryl Thatcher has shown how women can break from the role of only a wife and a mother to a political savior. After the war, Meryl successfully fights for the avocation of the Conservative Party. Moreover, after the war, the businesses and economy of Great Britain had to be revived. Thatcher advocated for reforms in labor unions policies to bring in more survivors of the war into employment. Recovery of Great Britain had been her interest from the time she deployed the military to counter the Argentines who had sought to capture the Falkland Islands, which were British lands. She even went ahead to introduce a “poll” tax to congress (John 73). This was the source of her fall, as her party members turned against her. She was to blame for this as she arrogantly confronted them, agitating them not to support her cause. Despite of the negativity surrounding her downfall, she still is the pioneer of recovery of Great Britain after the war, she had already set the pace as the first female prime minister.
To sum up, in the film The Iron Lady, Meryl; Thatcher is a character that the filmmakers use to show Margaret Thatcher’s major milestones in the journey by Great Britain to recovery. World War 2 had ended in 1945, but its effects were long term; from the nuclear aftermath in Hiroshima to the economic downfall of the involved countries. In The Iron Lady, Meryl Thatcher defended the Falkland Islands from invasion by the Argentines, Rebuilt the political structure to favor the economy and redefined policies to rebuild trade, businesses and employment.