Elizabeth (1998)

• Year: 1998
• Released: 19 Feb 1999
• Country: United Kingdom
• Adwords: Won 1 Oscar. 34 wins & 55 nominations total
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0127536/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/elizabeth
• Metacritics: https://www.metacritic.com/movie/elizabeth
• Available in: 720p, 1080p,
• Language: English, French
• MPA Rating: R
• Genre: Biography, Drama, History
• Runtime: 124 min
• Writer: Michael Hirst
• Director: Shekhar Kapur
• Cast: Cate Blanchett, Liz Giles, Rod Culbertson
• Keywords: lgbt interest, historical figure, 16th century, queen, catholic,

	7.4/10
	75/100

Elizabeth Storyline

It’s 1553 and King Henry VIII has died. His sickly son Edward VI reigns for a short while before dying so his eldest daughter, Mary, a childless Catholic, has ascended to the throne. Under Mary’s reign, Protestants, known as heretics, are being burned to death. Mary is ill and her half sister, Protestant Elizabeth, is next in line to the throne. Regardless of Mary being queen, she would never allow a Protestant to rule England. Although there is rumor of a Protestant uprising, Mary knows that Elizabeth is not behind this maneuver, yet Mary brings Elizabeth in under possible charges of treason. Elizabeth denies all and denies Mary’s wish to uphold the Catholic faith once on the throne. Upon Mary’s death in 1558 and Elizabeth’s ascension to the throne, England is weak and in disarray. Many are out to unseat Elizabeth, ‘a heretic’. To ensure her security on the throne, Elizabeth has to show some leadership, which includes, according to some of her many advisors, establishment of a single Protestant based Church of England, marriage to a suitable husband and the production of an heir. That husband however is not to be Lord Robert Dudley, Elizabeth’s lover. Elizabeth needs to learn which of her advisors to listen to as some are not out for her best interest.

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Elizabeth Movie Reviews

A Coucou in the Court…

To devalue a tale of this magnitude with the Cantona cuckoo beggars belief, might as well have had Vinnie Jones playing Norfolk! I’m unconvinced of Vincent Cassel’s legitimacy in this as well.

That aside, there’s only one character and one actor of note to be found here and that is the magnificent Cate Blanchett who plays several divisions or leagues above even the most accomplished thespians in support. A woman born to play the role if ever there was one. She allows us to forgive some of the historical anomalies and interactions, in return we consume a performance that convinces us, albeit for only a couple of hours, that we are in the company of majesty!

Well made though not exactly great history.

Making a historical biopic like “Elizabeth” is a very, very difficult thing–something many viewers would not expect. Although Elizabeth I of England was an incredibly important figure, there are two HUGE problems with a film about her. First, although she had LOTS of folks executed for treason, we really have no idea if many of these folks were actually guilty of anything. Executing potential threats and rivals back then was like eating potato chips–you can’t stop with just one! Untangling this mess of intrigues is impossible today, so many of the plots you see in this film might not have even existed or occurred later in her reign (the executions in the film actually occurred over a very long period of time–not all at once). Second, there is scant little written from the time about the character and personalities of the major characters you see in the film. So, the film makers either inferred or simply made up stuff for the sake of cinematic style and intrigue. For example, Sir Francis Wallsingham was a man of intrigues and operated a personal spy network–so the inferences about him in this sense in the movie are reasonable. BUT, showing him with the young man who he then viciously kills at the beginning of the film is completely fictional. There is no evidence he murdered people with his own hands and I think the scene STRONGLY implies that he’s either gay or bisexual–something that is made up for the movie. Another example is Elizabeth’s sex life. This is NOT something they kept records of (for obvious reasons) and there has been MUCH conjecture that she was gay, asexual or carried on affairs behind the scenes with men. No one really knows the truth. So, my advice for the film is to take it all with a grain of salt–the main points are accurate but so many of the details are fabricated in order to create a neat sort of fictional non-fiction.

As fictional non-fiction, the film looks great. The costumes and sets are wonderful. The acting is also quite good. And, the film is rather interesting and gives a good GENERAL overview of the early years of Elizabeth’s reign. However, be forewarned: the film is NOT for the squeamish, prudish or easily offended. It is very bloody (beginning with an incredibly vivid opening execution scene) and there is a lot of nudity. In many ways, this film helped set the template for later historical mini series which are much like history, a soap opera and a bit of skin combined. Well made but like most biopics, short on historical accuracy.

The three Ss- sumptuous, superb and stunning!

This superb period drama has everything going for it, and I am saddened that it didn’t get more awards.

For one thing, the whole film is splendid for the eyes. A lot of care went into the scenery, cinematography and costumes and it showed. The music score was absolutely beautiful, dramatic in some parts and poignant in others. The screenplay is quite extraordinary, and the story while perhaps historically inaccurate, is still intriguing. The direction, while the least impressive element of the film, was still solid. The performances were flawless; Cate Blanchett was above mesmerising as Elizabeth, and she is supported by an outstanding cast that include Geoffrey Rush, Joseph Fiennes, Christopher Ecceleston and Richard Attenborough. All in all, sumptuously filmed, and pretty darn good. 10/10 Bethany Cox