Elizabeth

Rating:
Summary: Good Drama, Bad History
Review: This is a lovely movie, Cate Blanchet's performance as the title character is excellent, as is the rest of the cast. The costumes are spectacular.

As others have noted, this film is entertainment, not history. The writer(s) mixed fact with pure fancy, and compressed many authentic episodes that occured over 40 or so years into the beginning of the reign. Walsingham did not kill Marie de Guise, nor did he oust Cecil as Elizabeth's primary advisor. Robert Dudley was not involved in any murder plot. I won't bore you with the rest of the laundry list.

I think it only fair to point out that in my opinion, despite the inaccuracies, the writer(s) did manage to give a fairly accurate view of some major aspects of Elizabeth I's entire reign. She did use possible marriage as a political tool. And she was damned adept at doing so. Elizabeth did have a more moderate religious policy than either of her two predecessors.

The movie is worth watching. And, if seeing it whets your curiosity, read any of the several popular level biographies of
Elizabeth I. Alison Weir's _The Life of Elizabeth I_ is very well written.

Rating:
Summary: Stunning
Review: The piece is a brilliant representaion of Elizabeth's ascention to the throne. The the love bit was rather "take-it-or-leave-it" I found the overall story line to be full of energy however dark. Blanchet's performance is memorable and one of particular recognition (it brought her an Acadamy award nomination, though prior works are also very commendable). Fiennes also commanded attention as did Rush. The plot contains many bits that could be considered grotesque, or gory, however these pieces were vital to the story line and had they been exempted the movie would not be the wonder that it is.

Rating:
Summary: Regal Drama
Review: This baroque offering tells the tale of how the embattled Elizabeth (Cate Blanchett) - a Protestant princess in a catholic court - rose to become the queen of England in name and deed. The story opens with the impending death of Mary, Elizabeth's Catholic half-sister and the reigning ruler of England. Religious persecution of Protestants includes burning at the stake - an horrific display at the story's start. Unable to stave death or produce an heir, Mary paves the way for her half-sister's ascension - even as she condemns Elizabeth as a bastard. Crowned queen, Elizabeth is hardly secure in her position. With Catholicism dominant, English Bishops side with Rome, Spain and France against her, undermining her authority and preaching against those who would rise to her defense. Outwardly, they urge her marriage to any one of several suitable suitors - foreign born Spanish or French princes. On her side, Elizabeth's resources are meager - the kindly but ineffectual Sir William Cecil (Richard Attenborough) , the passionate (perhaps too passionate) Sir Robert Dudley (Joseph Fiennes) and Sir Francis Walsingham (Jeffrey Rush, helping make this look like a "Shakespeare in Love" reunion) as Elizabeth's warrior-assassin. With Papal intrigues linking Rome to the insidious Duke of Norfolk (Christopher Eccleston), and a military threat posed by the formidable French war-mistress Mary of Guise (Fanny Ardant), Elizabeth's tenure seems doomed from the moment of her coronation. Instead, her headstrong resolve (and Walsingham's clever moves) secure her until she can consolidate her rule. By the end of the film, already the target of numerous barely botched assassination attempts, Elizabeth emerges corseted and whitened, a virtual living ghost who held the throne for the sake of England but lost out on love and her own security.

This is a great film, but mostly because of Cate Blanchett, who seems regal even when (especially the early part of the flick) when it's clear she doesn't know what she's doing. She can be funny (telling the Bishops that it doesn't matter which suitor of France or Spain is superior - she'll simply marry both), but never above letting everybody know who wears the crown. Jeff Rush is also great as her Elizabethan-era mentat. The story however is weak - it seems that Walsingham manages to do what he can because, despite his notoriety, there seems no shortage of victims willing to let him come close enough for the kill. Elizabeth's consolidation itself culminates in a purge of Catholic subversives led by Norfolk, but that requires some explanation because such a purge would require the sort of substantial support that Elizabeth clearly lacked. The relationship between Walsingham and the Queen is also understated, possibly because it would complicate Elizabeth's relationship with Dudley. Still Blanchett carries the film, helped by excellent cinematography which creates an England shrouded in gloom.

Rating:
Summary: The Queen who would be King
Review: It's a tough job, being Queen of England, but Cate Blancett's Elizabeth is more than up to the challenge in this movie biography of one of Britain's most famous monarchs.

Not 100% accurate to be sure, but there's enough here to give a casual viewer an idea of the dangers Princess Elizabeth had to endure while she was literally waiting for her half-sister Queen Mary Tudor to die. This Mary really, really hates Elizabeth, and is about maybe this close to killing her. Lots of other intriguers don't like Elizabeth, either, and they would like to see her destroyed too. Luck is on Elizabeth's side, though, and she outlives her half-sister to become Queen at 25.

The intrigue doesn't end here, though; in fact, you might say it's just beginning. Who will Elizabeth marry? Will the Old Catholics be successful in overthrowing her and placing their own man on the throne? Is there anybody, man or woman, that Elizabeth can trust in this whole realm?

Well, if you don't already know enough English history to answer a few of those questions, I won't spoil things for you. I really enjoyed this movie myself. You get a sense of the perils that filled Elizabeth's every moment. Cate is a marvelous Queen Bess, and we see her metamorphose into the Queen who would be King, because in her time, women didn't count for very much in their own right. The real Elizabeth had often to refer to herself in masculine terms in order to project strength enough to subdue those who would attempt to topple her from power. The shrewdness of the woman is aptly displayed by Cate, and I applaud her for it.

If you want to see a woman learn to be her own soulmate and rule an island kingdom at the same time, then move your throne up to the VCR and put on "Elizabeth".

Rating:
Summary: Elizabeth
Review: This movie is fine if all you want is a costumed drama, but since I've very familiar with the actual history, I found the liberties taken with historical fact absolutely unconscionable. If Elizabeth I were alive today, she could sue for libel. Go back to Glenda Jackson for real historical drama.

Rating:
Summary: it left me wanting more
Review: i could argue with the history, but i can't argue with the acting or the story or the settings or the costumes. this movie shows a very brief glimpse into the beginning of the reign of Elizabeth I. there were a few items in the love story that i had to suspend disbelief for. cate blanchett gave the perfect portrayal of a young woman who suddenly finds herself to be the most powerful woman in the world. she comes to power at a time when the country is practically in civil war over religion, out of money, and having to fend off powerful foreign enemies. she must choose between the lover she can't marry and the suitors she can't love. geoffrey rush is a brilliant walsingham, the master of her spy network. all this intrigue and romance is set amongst the most lavish scenery and costumes. cate blanchett deserved an oscar for her performance. that only way the movie could have been better is if it were longer. maybe in a few years we will get to see the next stage in elizabeth's life...

Rating:
Summary: Not 100% historically accurate, but...
Review: ...Cate Blanchet gives a nuanced, remarkable performance that redeems the story's slight distortion of history and actual facts. As good as Gwyneth Paltrow was in "Shakespere in Love," Cate Blanchett's performance was the better of the two and was far more deserving of an Academy Award. Here's the story of Elizabeth's rise from a timid, unsure monarch to a powerful and confident Queen. The film's history isn't always consistent with actual facts, but "Elizabeth" is a film that shouldn't be missed, largely due to Blanchet's performance.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Movie on Good Queen Bess
Review: This movie on Queen Elizabeth I of England was absolutely extraordinary! The actors are absolutely incredible, particularlly Cate Blanchette, Joseph Fiennes, Geoffrey Rush, Richard Attenborough, John Gielgud, and Christopher Eccleston. The story is suspenseful, the characters are genuine, and the history sticks to the most basic account of Elizabeth's early reign. The settings are wonderful and convincing, and the movie shows great insight into the troubles of the young queen. Do not view this movie if you are looking to pass your history exam with this. Rather, view it as a well acted, beautiful, suspenseful, and gothic story. A word of warning for parents: definitely not suitable for children.

Rating:
Summary: As an Elizabethan Historian I LOVED this movie !!
Review: I have studdied the reign and life of Elizabeth I for the past 12 years. This movie very accurtly portrays Elizabeth as a person, if not always accurate with historican facts. If you were moved my this movie to learn more about Good Queen Bess, look for several books by Alison Wier and Antonia Fraser. Also there are also several historical mysteries out there that portray her inner life and life at court rather accuratly, including the Robsart Murder. The author of these books is Fiona Buckley.
All in all I LOVE this movie and find myself watching it at least once a week...

Rating:
Summary: ANNE BOLEYN'S DAUGHTER KEEPS HER HEAD
Review: IT'S SWEET TO KNOW THAT THE DAUGHTER OF A MURDERED QUEEN WHO HAD BEEN PROCLAIMED A BASTARD NOT ONLY SURVIVED HER VENGEFUL HALF-SISTER'S REIGN, BUT BECAME ENGLANDS GREATEST QUEEN HERSELF.STUNNING PERFORMANCE BY KATE BLANCHETT.PREVIOUS REVIEWERS MENTION THAT ELIZABETHTURNED UNEXPLICABLY COLD TOWARD ROBERT DUDLEY AFTER GAINING THE CROWN.THE TRUTH IS ROBERT SECRETLY MARRIED ONE OF HER LADIES-IN-WAITING , WHO SUPPOSEDLY RESEMBLED ELIZABETH.STILL ROBERT CONTINUED TO PROFESS UNDYING LOVE TO THE QUEEN.NO WONDER SHE WAS FURIOUS!JOSEPH WAS GREAT AND I THINK I PERSONALLY WOULD HAVE TO FORGIVE SUCH A HOTTIE.BEAUTIFUL MOVIE.ONE CAN STILL LEARN A LOT ABOUT THOSE TIMES FROM A MOVIE LIKE THIS EVEN IF IT WAS NOT 100% ACCURATE.YOU OTHER CRITICS OUT THERE NEED TO LIGHTEN UP WITH THE OBSESSIVE DETAIL BASHING.MOVIES ARE FOR ENTERTAINMENT UNLESS THEY ARE DOCUMENTARYS!