Vanessa and the Prince
I don’t begrudge Vanessa Redgrave her Bafta award – she’s a fine actress. Nor do I wish her any personal ill, especially following the death of her daughter Natasha.
But the sight of this former West End Revolutionary Party dogmatist and sectarian, who covered up the crimes of Gerry Healy, denounced critics as “Zionists” and supported the WRP’s spying on Libyan and Iraqi dissidents, bowing and scraping before Prince William last night…
.
…would have been hilarious, if it wasn’t simply nauseating.
.
Sean Matgamna on Gerry Healy and the collapse of the WRP in the 1980′s:
“ With Vanessa Redgrave—a splendid actress politically short of more than a few of the pages necessary for a full shooting script—playing Cordelia to his Lear, Healy fled from the wrath of his political children. He died in December 1989, by now an enthusiastic supporter of Russia’s reforming Stalinist Tzar, Gorbachev. Asserting to the end his right to believe what he wanted to believe, he imagined that he saw Gorbachev carrying out Trotsky’s programme in the USSR! Thus the “Gerry Healy story” would have a happy ending!”
Jim Denham said,
February 22, 2010 at 1:53 am
Here’s the Youtube clip of this erstwhile “revolutionary” demeaning herself:
Sam Rotella said,
February 22, 2010 at 2:39 pm
Demeaning herself? Bowing and scraping? What insane remarks, even for a socialist to make. This woman elevated her already legendary persona to new heights with her wonderfully emotional and respectful acceptance speech. As an American fan of Ms. Redgrave, I thank you for posting a clip of this magnificent moment. Bravo to Vanessa and her lifetime film achievement!
present imperative said,
February 22, 2010 at 3:32 pm
It was a disgusting display of sycophancy and hypocrisy.
‘Legendary persona’?
Nurse! There’s a Yank in need of a grip.
present imperative said,
February 22, 2010 at 7:15 am
(Former) Westend Revolutionary Party members are exempted from workerist sloganerering like calling for the overthrow of aristocratic privilege. Redgrave’s comrade Timothy West (yes, another fine actor) is best pals with Prince Big Lugs himself.
present imperative said,
February 22, 2010 at 7:17 am
PS – William appears to be blushing with embarrassment in the photo.
entdinglichung said,
February 22, 2010 at 11:02 am
or did she try to recruit Willie Windsor for “the party”?
Darren said,
February 22, 2010 at 1:10 pm
I’m sure next time she’ll kick him in the bollocks and stuff a ‘Socialist Campaign to Stop the Tories and the Facetious!’ membership form in his breast pocket.
adam said,
February 22, 2010 at 3:27 pm
Is it just me or was Vanessa Redgrave’s speech completely bonkers? It reminded me of Liz Tayor at the Oscars a few years back… kind of lost in her own dizzy delirium. She just seemed totally disconnected with reality and rambled on about nothing very much. I thought she was a revolutionary, and the way she grovelled before the prince was preposterous… You can almost hear him thinking, “good God woman, please… don’t do this… not here… not now… please.”
John Green said,
February 22, 2010 at 5:55 pm
All Villa fans get that sort of respect in our house.
Andrew Coates said,
February 24, 2010 at 4:37 pm
Some people think the SWP is following Healy thse days..
http://tendancecoatesy.wordpress.com/2010/02/24/swp-descends-to-threats/
shug said,
February 27, 2010 at 12:32 am
Gettin on and the meds must be kickin in early ,or maybe she was paying homage to the son of a woman who was ostrisied by a out of touch and out of use oligarchy.