The Princess Plot Synopsis
Hulu’s newest action flick is more style than substance. Headlined by an adventurous performance by Joey King, ‘The Princess’ focuses on the eponymous titular character’s desperate attempts to fight through an army of men to save her family. Dominic Cooper plays the villain – Prince Julius, who forcefully wants the princess’ hand to rule the kingdom.
If you are looking for nothing more than seeing popcorn entertainment and violence, ‘The Princess’ is a decent pick. Like the mazy construct of the tower, there are some confusing plot points. How did the princess end up where she did? What is the history between Julius and the King? Why does he barge in with his army to take over the kingdom by a coup?
The screenwriters have also chosen not to provide names to their characters to maintain the semblance of universality. It is a nice touch but fairly frustrating when it comes to decoding movies. In this article, we try to address all such points from the story that seemed weak in the first viewing and left you wondering what the answer really was.
How did the Princess end up in chains?
Although there is very little background given in the film, here it goes. So when she came of age, the King wanted the throne to have an heir. In those times, a female was not considered to have legitimacy. The position of women, especially in the royal hierarchy, was not too dissimilar to that in lower strata.
This is also showcased in the scene where Moira fights Linh and Princess in the kitchen. The two suffer the same fate from Julius and the King, respectively. Men were easily dismissive of the other gender, irrespective of how capable or worthy they would be of taking on the mantle. In a flashback at the altar, we see the King ready to give away the Princess.
She goes up to Julius but ultimately refuses to bear the ring. This is because she feels she should be the one to take the throne. Not only is she trained in combat, but she also has first-rate education to rule sensibly.
Alas, the traditions of the time do not allow the King to foresee such a thing, and hence, he compels her to marry Julius. Against her will, she is taken captive and put in chains in captivity in the tower. She is to be kept “pure” and ready for the marriage night. But she has other ideas.
Why did Julius stage a coup to dethrone the King?
The character of Julius belongs to the Hobbesian tradition, where taking something by brute force is considered to be a valiant act. Activities like “conquering” and “looting” are seen to be desirable traits in prospective rulers. Julius has this mentality and sees the King as a weak man. He believes that the Kingdom’s security would be in great danger if the status quo remains.
We are also hinted at a possible relationship between the King and Julius’ father. It is not ascertained but the history between them suggests that the two men understood each other inside out. That is why Julius was confident that with his savage army, he will easily dismantle the current King and take over the throne.
How does Linh manage to escape?
Linh is the brave warrior who risks her life for the Princess She is the daughter of Khai, who is seen in chains for most parts of the movie. The two were part of the royal army and trained the soldiers in the art of combat without too much use of weapons.
When the Princess discovers Linh in her room, she is told how the coup happened. Julius attacked in the middle of the night and without notice. The strength of his band of mercenaries was too much for the King’s army and royal guard. They were easily overrun and most of the townsfolk and royal family members were taken hostage by Julius. In order to gain legitimacy, he did not kill all of them, but Linh was quick to react and escaped through the secret doors in the palace.
She and the Princess have an in-depth understanding of where the passages are and where they lead to. Throughout the film, we see that the two use these passages to commute from one corner to the other, while the savages are busy piling on their loot.
This is how Linh managed to stay hidden as the palace fell. It was important as well because if she wouldn’t, the Princess in all probability would have not been able to sustain the pressure.
How does The Princess end?
The ending of ‘The Princess’ is quite short. Much like the rest of the film, the third act starts with action and ends with action. The Princess, Violet, and Linh manage to reach the armoury in the tower where all the weapons and shields are kept.
They proceed with a plan to defeat Julius. Violet will surreptitiously make her way to Khai and free all the hostages with the help of a little knife. She goes through the secret passages and begins her job. Meanwhile, Linh and Princess begin their arduous task to take on Julius’ men. With the newly found weapons and great combination, they almost beat everybody.
Violet quietly does her job but is found by Julius. Fed up with how long it is taking, he then proceeds to take Violet up to the altar and marry her to become the King. This goes on to just how maniacal Julius was. He wanted the throne not to further the cause of the people but because of his lust for power.
Khai is able to free all the hostages and they run off. Moira and Princess face-off, off once again. Only this time, the protagonist is able to overcome and kill her in the same way she tried to kill the Princess in the earlier kitchen fighting scene.
Linh tackles Julius but he emerges victorious, surprisingly good at combat. The Princess storms in and has a duel with Julius but is subdued by him. He walks out to the crowd of people now gathered to witness the final blows being landed. She is on her knees and then something magical happens. She remembers her lessons with Linh and uses the calmness, patience, and focus of her training to stun Julius and strike his head off in one blow.
Like Ed in ‘The Office’, his head is decapitated. The King proclaims her to be the next heir to the throne and they all live happily ever after.
Read More: The Princess Movie Review