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Summary: Costumer's dream
Review: I bought this before ever seeing the series and I must say I couldn't have spent my money any better. This is so beautiful to watch and the acting is right up there! The historical comments are great and the special features are interesting. But I got this for the costumes and my god are they amazing. I already have several classes to teach based off several dresses found on these DVD's. Well worth it!!
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Summary: Memories
Review: I am a 44 year old transplanted Irishwoman and I well remember seeing this and the six wives of Henry the VIII as a child. How I looked forward to Wednesday nights. This series awoke a lifelong love of history. Further, on vacation in London I visited an exebition of the costumes used. Do you know that, to clean them, they were vacuumed and special corsets had to be worn because the costumes were so heavy!!!
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Summary: I love this series!
Review: I've watched this series on DVD many, many times since I bought it. The acting, the portrayals, and the costuming are amazing. This series is about as historically accurate as drama is going to get. It does suffer from some of the drawbacks of early 70s television-bad lighting, no changes of camera angle, the occasional awkward zoom effect, etc. but that hardly detracts from the series' compelling watchability. This is a must-see for anyone who loves the Tudor period.
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Summary: Dean Everman
Review: I waited with baited breath for this series to arrive. It came from the seller with excellent care and comfort. I look forward to viewing the series, and I thank the seller for their care in sending it to me. As Her Majesty might have said, "We are most pleased."
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Summary: Masterpiece Theatre's enduring classic
Review: Elizabeth R tells the fascinating story of Elizabeth Tudor's life. She was 25 years old when she became queen of England in 1558 and ruled for 45 years. This six-part series is concerned primarily with her life as queen, hence the 'R' for Regina. The six parts are divided onto three dvds; each part is roughly ninety minutes long. A fourth dvd contains a nice selection of bonus materials. Elizabeth R premiered on Masterpiece Theatre in 1971, the same year as The Six Wives of Henry VIII. In terms of quality, however, its only rival is I, Claudius, produced five years later.The series stars Glenda Jackson, who also plays Elizabeth in 1971's feature film Mary, Queen of Scots. After watching this series, it is impossible to imagine another actress bringing Gloriana to life. Jackson was in her mid-thirties when filming began. For that reason, part one of this series (The Lion's Cub) has many flashbacks seen through Elizabeth's eyes. The Thomas Seymour affair and the tragic end of Katharine Parr are given due attention. In a nice touch, Rosalie Crutchley reprises her role as Parr from The Six Wives series. But the story really begins when Elizabeth's Catholic half-sister Mary becomes queen in 1553. Jackson captures the paranoia and danger of Elizabeth's life and her uneasy flirtation with Mary's husband Philip of Spain. She is ably supported by her castmates. Daphne Slater is a wonderful Mary I (like a Mor portrait come to life), as is Peter Jeffrey playing Philip. He returns later in the series, as the conflict between Spain and England leads to the great Armada invasion of 1588. The second part (The Marriage Game) is the story of Elizabeth's first years on the throne, and her romance with Robert Dudley. Robert Hardy plays Dudley, who soon comes into conflict with Elizabeth's most trusted advisor, William Cecil. In part three (Shadow in the Sun), the marriage problem is acute; Elizabeth is no longer young and must wed. We are now introduced to French politics as Catherine d'Medici works to marry her son Francois to Elizabeth. Our heroine must finally decide - will she marry or remain a virgin queen? Jackson makes us feel the personal cost of this political decision. Watch Elizabeth when she learns that Dudley has secretly married her cousin! In part four (Horrible Conspiracies), the tragic story of Mary Queen of Scots takes center stage. Vivian Pickles plays Mary. The filmmakers
take a confusing tale and make it understandable, even for those who have never heard of either queen. We witness the Babington Plot, Elizabeth's famous 'answer answerless' speech, and Mary's dramatic execution. In part five (The Enterprise of England), Philip of Spain returns as his country prepares to invade England. The cautious Elizabeth scores her greatest victory when the English navy, with help from Mother Nature, defeats the Spanish force. Part six (Sweet England's Pride) is the story of the Earl of Essex, Dudley's stepson and the great favorite of Elizabeth's last years. Arrogant and hot-tempered, Essex chafes at court life and longs for glory. He eventually attempts to seize the English throne and is executed. Throughout it all, Jackson captures the intelligence and passion of this famous queen. Not one moment in this series rings false. The production values are excellent, especially for a television mini-series. For Tudor enthusiasts, there is a real treat in seeing famous portraits of Elizabeth come to life. The beautiful gowns from the coronation, Darnley, Ditchley, and Armada portraits are recreated perfectly. This is the most accurate historical mini-series I have watched. It is also the most engrossing. The tangled politics and loyalties of 16th century Europe are made intelligible. I have watched it with friends who only vaguely knew of Elizabeth and they loved it. The supplemental materials give some insight into the creation of Elizabeth R. You can watch Glenda Jackson try on various costumes. She also contributes new readings of Elizabeth's most famous speeches and an interview. Historian Alison Weir contributes historical notes. And there is a photo gallery of portraits and locations. There is an error on one of the portraits; I'll let the Tudor fans figure it out. The dvd set comes in a green slipcase and is beautifully packaged. The BBC put such care and effort into this release that I can only wonder why The Six Wives of Henry VIII received such shabby treatment. If you have some extra money and a desire to slip back in time, to watch a great actress bring a great queen to life, then purchase Elizabeth R. You will not regret it.
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Summary: Elizabeth R
Review: Wonderful series, great detail put into historical value. Thoroughly enjoyed this.
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Summary: Timeless
Review: Sometimes there is a moment captured in film that will always remain completely timeless. This series is simply magnificent. It is as rich and fascinating as Elizabeth was herself. Unlike modern productions this one covers her entire life. Being an affectionary of the midieval time period I appreciate that this film is extremely historically accurate. Elizabeth was known for her dresses. Costumes are magnificent, they will not disappoint. You can tell those that produced this film took care to produce a high quality film that would endure. If you like the I Claudius series you will thoroughly enjoy this one.
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Summary: Good Television (with terrible political propoganda extras)
Review: Good television? You bet. If you are used to the story format set up by the makers of the brilliant I, Claudius you might consider the episodes of Elizabeth R to be a little long... because they are. You should be in the right mood before you start (or be prepared to get into the story rather quickly) otherwise you might get distracted or even a little bored. However, if you are in the mood for a television movie each episode should deliver. The major drawback to this DVD boxed set is the bonus features... actually one of the interviews with Glenda Jackson herself. She takes it upon herself to turn her discussion of this miniseries into a party political broadcast on behalf of the labor party... if I would have known I was getting that nonsense I would have never bothered to listen to her drivel about former Prime Minister Thatcher. Well, what should I have expected? She's an actor gone politician... and the Left love political actors (unless the name is Reagan and the politics are anything to the right Karl Marx). Best to just watch her start as youthful Bess and end as the aged Queen.
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Summary: Incerdible
Review: Another tour de force by great British actors. Magnificent! Glenda Jackson is Elizabeth I!
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Summary: Jackson...utterly amazing.
Review: All right - there are flaws in this series. One wishes the BBC had the budget of that purple travesty, Blanchett's ELIZABETH. Then, too, there are unintentionally funny moments for the Tudor aficionado, as Gloriana conversationally employs remarks culled from speeches to Parliament she would not make for years. And I'm not crazy about Vivian Pickles as Mary of Scotland. Too shrill.
That said, this is an extraordinary, magnetic, all-around brilliant piece of work. After many, many viewings, I still marvel that Glenda Jackson is not herself a scholar, so perfectly does she capture the queen we know through Neale and Camden. I carp over misplaced dialogue, but how thrilling that such research went into the project, that the writers sought to convey Elizabeth's heart and soul through her own words!
My favorite episode remains 'The Enterprise of England'. Somehow, the duel between Philip and Elizabeth, his character and concerns, her sentiments regarding him and the power he represents, the scope of England's fear and effort, are all set in human terms and flow with the grace of excellent narrative. My favorite illustration of the effort that went into this production: the actor portraying Francis Walsingham. He is a mirror-image of the best surviving portrait we have of that fascinating man. And does a superb job, too.
The whole production is a treasure. Historians have noted that the elderly Elizabeth tapped her foot in time to the music she could no longer dance to; notice this subtlety beneath the dialogue in the last part. Elizabeth wrote 'his last letter' upon Dudley's final note to her; this is fact. Watch Jackson perform this simple act, and see what this actress does with it.
This was television at its absolute best. It still is.
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