Iron Lady

Gilang Cempaka

03 Feb 2012

The life story of the Prime Minister of United Kingdom, Margaret Thatcher, hit the big screen with focus on the price she paid for power. Meryl Streep astonishingly plays Margaret Thatcher who’s known as the Iron Lady.  It’s directed by Phyllida Lloyd, the leading British theater director who worked together with Meryl Streep in Mamma Mia! The Iron Lady is filled with scenes that reflect the chaos of Thatcher’s leadership until she is forced to resign from the Cabinet of United Kingdom. The story also depicts Thatcher’s relationship with her late husband, Denis Thatcher. Thatcher who seems really strong did show a hint of loneliness and is living with the illusion of her deceased husband.

Playing a legendary public figure isn’t easy. Meryl Streep admits she had to conduct extensive research, listen to tapes and studying how this former Prime Minister tends to bring out “a word that you didn't normally think was the most important word in the sentence," she says. "And she also had a way, like a railroad train, of taking a breath quite quietly and making a point in a way that you don't realize that this point is going to be made through several examples, and there will not be a break in the speaking voice at any point, and if you think you're going to interrupt her, you're not going to have the opportunity, because she's just got capacity." She even took voice lessons to perfect her role.

It’s one of the most anticipated films of the year, with Meryl Streep playing one of the most anticipated roles. "It's not about the audience," she says about playing her role the entire time she’s on set, even if the camera isn’t on. "It's all about fooling the other actors into believing who you say you are.”