I was immediately taken by The Last Queen’s use of colour. You can’t help but notice it in the wardrobe, but the set design complements the wardrobe, both in the interior and the exterior scene of the teaser, setting the tone for a rich visual world for the story. The tease was so beautifully crafted that I was almost distracted from noticing the carnage of battle between the Spaniards and the Corsairs (pirates). Co-director/co-writer Damien Ounouri referred to the film as a costume drama, and he did not lie. But it felt like so much more. It felt like a good episode of Game of Thrones.
We meet Zephira (played by Adila Bendimerad, who also co-directed/co-wrote) as a storyteller in the teaser, keeping the rapt attention of a gathered crowd. But while some are thrilled with her ability to keep up spirits during these hard times of the Spanish siege, others are not so pleased. Chegga, one of her husband Salim’s other wives, is one of them, and later when Chegga calls out Zephira on her behaviour during the war (and not the first one, Salim does too), Zephira’s response of “we were fighting the invaders, not life,” was poignant. It did not prove prophetic, but it was a line that lingered with me.
After that initial tight tease that set up Zephira and the conflict, the following focus on the battles dragged on, especially as the story focus, based on the title, is Zephira’s journey. But once it got back to her, it got cooking real quick.
This was storytelling about a history/myth I’d never heard of before. I knew based on the title, events were going to unfold that would result in Zephira being the titular “last queen,” but how that would come to pass was a mystery. While the king’s death was telegraphed by the very title, and then by a lot of action that took place before the event, it was what came after that you see why this was a story that was compelling to tell. That moment Zephira made her choice, took her stance, and did something to surprise everyone was the moment she went from being a queen to being The Queen. And that would lead to her being The Last Queen.
While there did not seem to be much love between Zephira and Chegga, Zephira seemed to have a friendly connection with another woman. It appeared almost romantic. But in true Game of Thrones fashion, Zephira betrays her by knowingly allowing this friend’s husband to be condemned for killing Salim (Zephira’s husband). All so Zephira can continue to hold her cards to her chest in an attempt to beat Aruj (Salim’s real killer) at his own game. She is not the only one plotting. Aruj is plotting, as are others. Everyone thinks they will outwit the others, and just like in Game of Thrones, people that should be allies in their games, don’t properly communicate, and thus there’s additional bloodshed and suffering for all.
The Last Queen (Algeria, France, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Taiwan) premiered at Venice in the autonomous section Giornate Degli Autori.
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