Movie and Television Reviews

Elizabeth is a genre-hopping (adventure, romance, history, political intrigue) masterpiece; a near-perfect movie that will endure both in your thoughts for days after leaving the AMC and, I predict, on your DVD shelf between Lord of the Rings and Shakespeare in Love subsequent to that.

Follow up:

**For the plot, please refer to chapters 18 and 19 of your Western Civ. textbook.**

To paraphrase another Elizabeth (Barrett Browning): Elizabeth: The Golden Age, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways:

I love the acting. Beginning with Kate Blanchett in the title roll, the performances are astoundingly good. From the previews, I feared that the character of Elizabeth would cloak herself with one of a number of stereotypes: the Judi Dench regal, proper, and cold dominatrix; the Devil Wears Prada insufferable witch; the Michelle Rodriguez/ Drew Barrymore near-lesbian feminist icon; or the Oprah Winfrey hyper-caring, proto-socialist humanitarian. Blanchett is, in fact, all of these women, but adds heaping tablespoons of humor and femininity, vulnerability and idealistic traditionalism to her Elizabeth, creating a truly complex and fascinating character (which Raleigh notes several times, as if he needed to point it out). The Elizabeth of the movie commands armies, is prone to vanity and jealousy, speaks German, prays, credulously consults astrologers, and laughs it up with the girls- believably.

Elizabeth the fighter

Elizabeth's cousin, Mary Stewart (Samantha Morton), is also effective, with her plain face and pretentious piety. Clive Owen as Sir Walter Raleigh seems imposingly masculine enough to impress a no-nonsense queen tired of sycophants. Jordi Molla's King Phillip is twistedly sickly and religiously zealous, but, with admirable restraint, the film-makers don't pile on.

Which is the glory of this film and the second aspect I love: It's subtlety and depth. Elizabeth could easily have chosen to stab the viewer through the forehead with banal anti-war, anti-colonial, anti-religious, feminist messages or, for cheap effect, delved deeper into the melodrama of the romance or gone the CG mass-army/ special effect route, but instead feints towards these themes and styles and even their opposites without committing fully to any. The result is a focus on story and even deeper meanings, which I'll discuss momentarily.

I love the construction of the movie. In plot as in message, the film-makers assemble the many carefully hewn pieces of the Elizabeth puzzle, the flaring and receding court intrigues and romances, the politics; to form a beautiful whole. The writers, William Nicholson and Michael Hirst, deal fully with all subplots, yet I'd be upset if one scene were taken away. If there's one overwhelming part of the movie, it's the sense of impending doom caused by the inevitable mega-clash between the Spanish and English navies, extensions themselves of King Phillip and Elizabeth's personalities, that Elizabeth continually pours into you from the very first scene until you burst with delight at the thoroughly rewarding ending.

I love the reserved passion of Elizabeth. How understated is Elizabeth? Queen Elizabeth asks Raleigh to give her something she hasn't had in a long time. No, not the virgin (queen)-slayer- just a kiss; a powerful moment.

Elizabeth the woman.

I love the historical references. The movie contains troughs of historical slop in which history-nerds can wallow. We have Sir Walter Raleigh bringing back Native Americans, potatoes, and tobacco (Elizabeth tries it later for a comic scene); the devastating of Spanish forests to build Phillip's armada; the dramatic unfurling of Spanish war-banners adorned with the image of Christ.

Elizabeth the Queen

Message/Politics:

I love the messages. As I mentioned above, Elizabeth is a sophisticated movie that doesn't over-simplify complex issues. Had the message been, "religion is bad," for example, the movie would have been ruined. Rather, Elizabeth goes deep to discuss duty, courage, and the effort that imperfect people must make to become great. Elizabeth struggles with fear and love, but her sincere dedication to her country eventually effects success. Others, like William, obviously don't have greatness in them or, like Phillip, are too arrogant and blind to see things as they are.

Another theme is that even with great power, women still want to love and be loved. Elizabeth envies her lady in waiting, Elizabeth Throckmorton, because she can love freely.

Analogy junkies can see in sixteenth century sectarian conflict something of the currect Sunni-Shia situation in Iraq. I hope they get over it as well.

Finally, Euro-cynics may find the title "Golden Age" significant for, in Elizabeth, is a Europe that not only believes in a religion, but is willing to fight for it; a Europe that is confident enough in their civilization to wish to expand it.

Anyways, go see it.

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Abbie Thornish Many men would wait for this lady in waiting, I'm sure.

OK ladies. Equal time.

Credits:

Directed by
Shekhar Kapur

Writing credits
William Nicholson (written by) and
Michael Hirst (written by)

Cast (in credits order)

Jordi Mollà ... King Philip ll of Spain
Aimee King ... Infanta

Cate Blanchett ... Queen Elizabeth I
John Shrapnel ... Lord Howard

Geoffrey Rush ... Sir Francis Walsingham
Susan Lynch ... Annette
Elise McCave ... Laundry Woman

Samantha Morton ... Mary Stuart
Abbie Cornish ... Elizabeth Throckmorton
Penelope McGhie ... Margaret

Rhys Ifans ... Robert Reston

Eddie Redmayne ... Thomas Babington
Stuart McLoughlin ... Savage

Clive Owen ... Sir Walter Raleigh
Adrian Scarborough ... Calley
Robert Styles ... Palace Doorkeeper

William Houston ... Don Guerau De Spes
Coral Beed ... First Court Lady
Rosalind Halstead ... Second Court Lady
Steven Loton ... Manteo
Martin Baron ... Wanchese
David Armand ... Walsingham's Agent
Steven Robertson ... Francis Throckmorton

Jeremy Barker ... Ramsey
George Innes ... Burton

Adam Godley ... William Walsingham
Kirstin Smith ... Mary Walsingham (as Kirstin Coulter Smith)
Kelly Hunter ... Ursula Walsingham
Christian Brassington ... Archduke Charles

Robert Cambrinus ... Count Georg von Helfenstein

Tom Hollander ... Sir Amyas Paulet
Sam Spruell ... Torturer
Tim Preece ... Old Throckmorton
Vidal Sancho ... Spanish Minister
David Threlfall ... Dr. John Dee
Benjamin May ... Dance Master

David Sterne ... Cellarman
Kate Fleetwood ... Woman with Baby

Glenn Doherty ... Royal Servant
Chris Brailsford ... Dean of Peterborough
Dave Legeno ... Executioner
Antony Carrick ... Spanish Archbishop
John Atterbury ... Marriage Priest
David Robb ... Admiral Sir William Winter
Alex Giannini ... First Spanish Officer
Joe Ferrara ... Second Spanish Officer

Jonathan Bailey ... Courtier
Alexander Barnes ... Courtier
Charles Bruce ... Courtier
Jeremy Cracknell ... Courtier
Benedict Green ... Courtier
Adam Smith ... Courtier
Simon Stratton ... Courtier
Crispin Swayne ... Courtier
Kitty Fox ... Mary Stuart's Lady in Waiting
Kate Lindesay ... Mary Stuart's Lady in Waiting
Katherine Templar ... Mary Stuart's Lady in Waiting
Hayley Burroughs ... Queen Elizabeth’s Lady in Waiting
Kirsty McKay ... Queen Elizabeth's Lady in Waiting
Lucia Ruck Keene ... Queen Elizabeth's Lady in Waiting
Lucienne Venisse-Back ... Queen Elizabeth's Lady in Waiting