Elizabeth (1998)

Directed by: Shekhar Kapur | 124 minutes | drama, thriller, biography | Actors: Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Joseph Fiennes, Richard Attenborough, Christopher Eccleston, Vincent Cassel, Fanny Ardant, John Gielgud, Eric Cantona, Kathy Burke, Edward Hardwicke, Emily Mortimer, Liz Giles, Rod Culbertson, Paul Fox, Terence Rigby, Peter Stockbridge, Amanda Ryan, Valerie Gale, George Yiasoumi, James Frain, Jamie Foreman, Kelly Macdonald, Wayne Sleep, Sally Grey, Kate Loustau, Elika Gibbs, Sarah Owen, Lily Allen, Joe White, Matt Andrews, Liam Foley, Ben Frain Lewis Jones, Michael Beint, Angus Deayton, Kenny Doughty, Hayley Burroughs, Joseph O’Conor, Brendan O’Hea, Edward Highmore, Daniel Moynihan, Jeremy Hawk, James Rowe, Donald Pelmear, Tim Bevan, Charles Cartmell, Edward Purver, Daniel Craig, Vladimir Vega, Alfie Owen-Allen, Daisy Bevan, Jennifer Lewicki, Viviane Horne, Nick Smallman

Sumptuous production on all sides of the early reign of Elizabeth I (1558-1603) with Cate Blanchett starring as the titular queen. Here and there historical facts are taken for granted. For example, several events took place much later than in the displayed time frame. The ‘mistakes’ range from minor – Elizabeth’s adversary Bishop Gardiner (Rigby) had died before she became queen – to major – William Cecil (Attenborough) was not retired, but remained her chief counselor almost until his death. As for the role of Robert Dudley (Fiennes), the film is unequivocal: he was also Elizabeth’s physical lover. In reality, this has never been proven and the debates among historians about this aspect of her life still continue. Was the Virgin Queen actually a virgin?

Historical reality aside, ‘Elizabeth’ is a film full of intrigue, conspiracies and attacks. The acting is superb across the board, with a brilliant Rush al the sinister Walsingham. In the supporting roles various actors who have become known to a larger audience, such as Mortimer as a lady-in-waiting and Craig as a fanatical monk. Also nice cameos from Angus Deaton and former footballer Eric Cantona as the French ambassador.

The film looks beautiful and was made with a lot of love and an eye for detail. From the shot depicting Elizabeth’s coronation portrait to the Tudor roses in the carpeting and the multicolored dresses and costumes, it’s a visual feast. At the same time, the wide corridors and the high shots from the ceiling also show the shadows and caverns of the palaces, so that the dark side of the glittering court life also becomes visible in a literal way. Elizabeth’s transformation from insecure and passionate princess to icy and stately queen is beautifully symbolized. This is mainly due to the star role (and deserved Oscar nomination) of Blanchett, whose character at the end of the film is completely different than at the beginning.