Margaret Thatcher: The Iron Lady

Love her or loathe her, the late Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013) certainly had a profound impact on British politics during the post–World War II era. Filmmaker Alan Byron offers a wide-ranging view of both her life and the effects of her policies during her tenure as Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990. For many Americans, the documentary's most interesting footage will likely be the various TV interviews conducted with Thatcher during the years when she slowly but steadily ascended through the Conservative Party ranks. One conversation, conducted with her young twins present, displays her deftness at balancing the images of serious politician and caring mother. A number of British journalists weigh in on Thatcher's career trajectory, albeit with occasional jabs of sour humor (one wag gives the impression that Thatcher's business executive husband, Denis, served merely as a sugar daddy to finance her political ambitions, while another coyly insinuates that Thatcher was not above using feminine guiles to influence the men who ran British politics). Overall, Byron provides an objective cataloguing of Thatcher's socioeconomic and foreign policy achievements, with the British victory in the Falklands War singled out as her crowning glory. Ultimately, the Thatcher who emerges here is a complex individual whose legacy continues to affect British society. DVD extras include a “1987 Election Special.” Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (P. Hall)