THE IRON LADY Directed by Lloyd Phyllida, Produced by Jones Damian and Overland Anita. Pathe Films, 2012. On UK general release
The Iron Lady follows Margaret Thatcher, in flashback, from her modest beginnings to becoming the first female and longest serving Prime Minister in the UK, but the central focus of the film is her declining mental health and the ravages of dementia.
Many of the scenes portray Thatcher as frail and confused; in the opening scene she is buying a pint of milk. She has difficulties with short-term memory and struggles to remember Mark's wife's name, yet remembers the past vividly. She turns on kitchen appliances unnecessarily and is locked in conversations with her deceased husband. While these are all symptoms of dementia, the opportunity to demonstrate that there is more to dementia than declining faculties and waning abilities was missed. The film does, however, try to show that the essence of Thatcher remained, at least in some form, for example, her visit to the GP and forthrightness in telling him how she was interested in thoughts and ideas not feelings, and her determination not to die washing up teacups, intoning forcefully ‘I will do it myself’. However, these positive aspects of her remaining abilities were subsumed in the overall portrayal of decline. This was powerfully re-enforced in the clothes she wore; the pale blue dressing gown a contrast to the vibrancy of her dark blue clothes while in office.
This film raises broader issues about negative stereotypes of people with dementia. With its focus on lost abilities and the risks seen to be posed by demented people, it reinforces the likelihood that, despite the best intentions of families and carers, independence may be taken away prematurely. Examples include Carol (Thatcher's daughter) moving her mother's GP appointment forward without discussion with Thatcher, and her aide's over-protectiveness. These observations mirror the experiences of people with dementia, especially the perception they represent a risk that needs to be managed.
I was uneasy about the ethical implications of the film's portrayal of a person who is still alive as having dementia. Were Mrs Thatcher and her family consulted about how she would be portrayed? Was she involved in any of these decisions? I suspect not, and again this reflects the lack of involvement of people with dementia in decisions about their care, and about dementia research.
In summary, the film tells us little about the experience of living with dementia. Had it avoided negative stereotypes and not focused upon what Margaret Thatcher has lost but, instead, emphasised what remains, such as her performance at the high-powered dinner party, there could have been a much stronger and positive message, rather than one of simply fading into opaqueness and nothingness.
- © British Journal of General Practice 2012
