Elizabeth (1998)
Director: Shekar Kapur
Cast Notables:
Introduction
The rise to power of Elizabeth I, Queen of England and France, is the intended story, but given the vast liberties taken with history, perhaps it would be better to call this a historical fiction. I won't get too far into the historical deviance, as that would take a book of its own, and would also spoil the movie, but suffice to say that if you go in expecting history you'll be disappointed. If you expect a riveting story line peopled with a superb cast dressed in masterful period costumes and excellent direction, I think you will be quite pleased.
Dramatis Personae
For me, Ms. Blanchett has embodied the role of Elizabeth I. After her sudden (and slightly awkward) transition from giggling princess to Head of State, she is stately, regal, and not just a little feminine. I enjoy studying English history, and now it is with great difficulty that I can banish the picture of Blanchett in my mind when I read of the last of the Tudor dynasty.
Another historical notable, Sir Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth's spymaster, is carried away by Geoffrey Rush. What is known of Walsingham historically makes him a very interesting character without the personality, but Rush adds an air of intimidating mystery and casual ruthlessness which makes him a highly memorable character.
Joseph Fiennes finally gets the role he was meant for: A snivelling, whining, self-possessed weasel. He did an excellent job of making himself unlikable, and in this movie, he was in character!
Richard Attenborough plays Sir William Cecil, and is quite entertaining as he portrays a man who is driven above all else to convince Elizabeth to marry, and so to continue the Tudor line and secure her throne.
The Review
Elizabeth successfully takes us back to late 16th century England, as we watch the war between the Protestant Church of England--founded by Elizabeth's father, Henry VIII--and the Catholic Church. The entirety of England was engaged in that struggle, and it is portrayed interestingly in this picture, sharply contrasting Queen Mary, Elizabeth's sister, a devout Catholic, and a particularly homely and not terribly bright woman, with Elizabeth, a Protestant, full of intelligence and beauty. Throughout the movie, Protestants are portrayed as the righteous rebel cause and the Catholics are monsters who would stop at nothing achieve their own ends. The Catholic Church did plenty to demonize itself throughout history without moviemakers making overtures to the obvious. It is not so much the struggle that I object to, but the "In case you didn't realize these were the bad guys, here's another reason to dislike them." plot scenarios became stale quickly, and is the only major drawback to the movie.
The setting is done well, and the costuming was excellent. The costuming actually won an Oscar, and rightly so. It is a rare film that can actually make you feel as though you are looking at the 16th century, but Elizabeth manages to pull it off.
The cast, however, is the real shining point in this movie. As detailed above, the casting choices were so good that I would be hard pressed to name another movie with such an appropriate cast. I am not saying that everyone was perfect, as there was more than a little drawn-out melodrama, particularly from the Spanish ambassador, and the Duke of Anjous. My point is that the people fit their characters well, regardless of how well they acted.
All in all, I give this movie 3 stars out of 4. The missing star is from the deviation from the actual (and not uninteresting) story of Elizabeth I, and from the insult to my intelligence regarding the Protestant/Catholic struggle.