Elizabeth [1998] [DVD]

Other reviewers have commented on the historical inaccuracy of this film. I'm not too bothered about this. The history of this period is too complicated to be to be translated into a watchable film, and no-one should expect to learn history from watching films, anyway. Let's not shy away from the fact that this is pure entertainment. I enjoyed the rich colours of the photography and the lavish sets, even though the attempt to make a palace out of a cathedral failed somewhat. The acting was good; Kate Blanchett was a convincing Virgin Queen, and Geoffrey Rush came across as a particularly strong, ruthless Walsingham. I enjoyed the cameo appearances too, but couldn't help wondering how things might have gone if Eric Cantona had tried out his celebrated two-footed drop kick on Walsingham. Throughout most of the film the music was unobtrusive, as film music should be, but then I almost had to reach for the bucket when Elgar's 'Nimrod' popped up in just the wrong place only to be followed by Mozart's Requiem! Film makers should know better than this. But there are relatively minor beefs. On the whole I enjoyed this film, a good story (though much simplified for the benefit of the cinema) set in an age we are all curious about, well shot, well acted. Can't complain.

Above all else let us make a clear statement - despite all the historical inaccuracies this is an excellent film.
The film opens in 1558 and we see a young Elizabeth (Cate Blanchett) without a care in the world. The backdrop of the film is the religious conflict between the dominant Roman Catholics and the Protestants. Queen Mary appears to be suffering yet another false pregnancy, but she dies (age 42) of ovarian cancer. We see Elizabeth first imprisoned in the tower of London, we see her execution called for by Catholics, and we see her released by Queen Mary and put under house arrest (presumably in Hatfield). Poetic licence is taken frequently in the film, for example Elizabeth is informed of the death of Queen Mary in a summer field, and near an oak tree she make her famous statement from Psalm 118: "This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes" (whereas the actual event would have occurred in November). We see Elizabeth crowned, we see the intrigues start, and we are introduced to the key actors in her early life (Sir William Cecil (Richard Attenborough) as adviser, Robert Dudley (Joseph Fiennes) as her early love, and Sir Francis Walsingham (Geoffrey Rush) as a protestant, trusted ally and, it is suggested, assassin). We also see quite clearly the difficulty that Elizabeth must have had as a young woman pushed into a pit of venomous and two-faced power-hungry, often bigoted, bunch of "gentlemen". Different attempts to conquer her hand, by both the French and Spanish, are compressed into the days that follow her coronation. Different attempts on her life occur, often inspired by the Catholic Church in Rome. But we see her rapidly emerge as a strong willed woman who forces through what appears as a combination of the Act of Uniformity (use of the Protestant Book of Common Prayer) and the Act of Supremacy (forcing public officials to take an oath acknowledging her control over the church). A conspiracy, instigated by the Duke of Norfolk, is discovered that allows her to round up Catholic traitors and separate a few heads from their bodies. We see Elizabeth banish Dudley for conspiring against her (in reality Dudley remained a loyal subject until his death), and we see her disillusioned with many of her advisors and with a series of marriage proposals. Near the end of the film Elizabeth goes through a transformation from a young woman to the red haired, white-faced Virgin Queen that will lead England to salvation and domination in Europe. Anyone who knows a modicum of history will have realised by now that historical accuracy was not uppermost in the mind of the film producer.
Does it make any different to the quality of the film and the appreciation of the viewer - none whatsoever!
Cate Blanchett manages to capture very well the transition of a young and naive girl into the severe and cold Virgin Queen.
All the acting is spot-on, even if the characters might not be portrayed as history would have them. In fact I feel that the character of Elizabeth would certainly bring many people to delve into a few history books to learn more about her and her reign. The film is shot in dramatic settings, and yet retains an almost theatre-like atmosphere. This is an excellent film, despite the historical inaccuracies, and is one of a handful of films that can be viewed and re-viewed with pleasure.

Partially reinventing the period movie, stylistically at least, almost as radically as Martin Scorsese reinvented the Biblical epic with his Last Temptation, Shekhur Kapur's account of the insecure early days of Elizabeth I's reign, Elizabeth, is a claustrophobic film set in a dark world of cold grey stone, alternating overhead shots with tight medium shots rather than stressing spectacle or glamour, more political thriller than costume epic. Indeed, with its bloody finale clearly inspired by The Godfather as Walsingham takes care of business for his Capo di tutti Capo, it's almost a mafia movie, with Cate Blanchett's star-making turn as Elizabeth filling in the Michael Corleone role as the heir apparent who must ruthlessly shed emotions and conscience to hold on to the throne. That journey from fresh-faced youth to impregnable white-faced icon gives the film a solid emotional arc that helps prevent it from becoming a simple series of confrontations and thwarted conspiracies, almost - but not quite - turning it into a tragedy of success rather than the usual tragedy of failure that is usually the lot of women in historical pictures (Anne of the Thousand Days, Mary Queen of Scots, Lady Jane, La Reine Margot, etc).

It's handsomely cast: Joseph Fiennes gives good shallow romanticism as Elizabeth's lover Dudley, Christopher Eccleston in his default misery guts mode makes a fine villain and there's a healthy cast that, if not bursting with A-listers, is at least filled with familiar faces, from Richard Attenborough, Fanny Ardant, Daniel Craig and Vincent Cassel in a dress to Edward Hardwicke, Kelly McDonald, James Frain, Emily Mortimer and Eric Cantona. Yet perhaps even more than Blanchett it's a magnificent Geoffrey Rush who often dominates the film from the sidelines as the Queen's loyal and utterly unscrupulous spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham, a man who can seem all things to all men and women but is loyal only to her. Even when he's simply observing from afar he's a powerful presence in all the right ways, emanating a callous intelligence that is truly frightening.

It's strange that the sequel has been attacked by the Vatican as anti-Catholic when this first chapter probably occupies a high place on Ian Paisley's Ten Best List, what with Kathy Burke's psychotic "Bloody" Mary burning Protestants and threatening to do the same to her half-sister and John Gielgud's Pope (earning fifth billing for barely two minutes' screen time) despatching Daniel Craig's priest to assassinate the Protestant queen not merely with his blessing but his promises of a welcome in heaven for any who help in the task. Not entirely inaccurate considering the many attempts by Catholic kingdoms like France and Spain to topple or assassinate Elizabeth during her reign, but a little more historical context might have been helpful for viewers not so familiar with Tudor politics and the causes and effects of the Reformation. It doesn't help that Michael Hirst's screenplay refers to Marie de Guise (Ardant) as Mary, Queen of Scots, leading some to assume she's THE famous Mary, Queen of Scots rather than her mother, but then the problem of just how much historical information you can include before it gets in the way of the drama is always a difficult one in a period film: too little and you don't know what's happening, too much and you feel like you should be taking notes in case there's a test later. Instead, this is content to follow Elizabeth's rise at the expense not just of her enemies but also some of her early friendships, keeping it personal even as Elizabeth has to shed her own personality to create an icon a divided nation can follow. It's certainly not flawless, but it's never dull and often impressive.

Long only available in a rather disappointing UK edition, this 'Golden' edition more or less upgrades the extras to include those on the original US disc - audio commentary, longer making of featurette and a lengthy promo for Elizabeth: The Golden Age.