ELIZABETH (M).
Director:Shekhar Kapur
Stars:
Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush,
Joseph Fiennes, Christopher
Eccleston, Richard Attenborough,
Kathy Burke, Fanny Ardant, Jamie
Forman, Vincent Cassel, Eric
Cantona, Edward Hardwick, Jamie
Frain, Kelly MacDonald, John
Gielgud
Running Time:122 minutes.
In essaying the role of Elizabeth I, the "virgin queen,"
Aussie actress Cate Blanchett (Oscar And Lucinda,
etc) steps into the formidable shoes of Bette Davis
and Glenda Jackson, et al. This lavish, powerful film
traces her rise to power, from the playful princess to
the respected and formidable Queen who oversaw
England's transformation in the so-called "golden
age." An epilogue informs us that, under her more
enlightened reign, England became the most powerful
and wealthiest country on earth, with a rich history in
literature and the arts.
Elizabeth grows in stature and resolve, hardened by
experience and adversity. The film explores her
efforts to end the divisive religious hatred, and
overcome the many plots to usurp her. Powerful
enemies, both within her own court and overseas,
were plotting against her. The only person she could
trust was Sir Francis Walsingham (Geoffrey Rush),
the cunning and ruthless spy master, an Elizabethan
James Bond who was unequivocally the power
behind the throne.
Indian director Shekhar Kapur (The Bandit Queen,
etc) and writer Michael Hirst take many liberties in
order to create a compelling, bold and bloody telling
of her rise to power. The film concentrates on her
early years, from her succession to the throne during
troubled times in 1588, through to her first public
appearance as the so-called virgin queen, wedded
solely to her country. This is territory previously
explored in the tv series Elizabeth R, but Kapur and
Hirst throw away the history book for this
interpretation. They suggest that, far from being a
"virgin queen", Elizabeth only adopted the cloak of
virginity for political purposes.
It is clear that Kapur likes to take creative risks, and
he certainly doesn't pull his punches. His lack of
reverence for historical accuracy works a treat, giving
Elizabeth an almost contemporary flavour. From the
opening scene, in which heretics are burnt at the
stake, it is clear this biopic is going to spare us few
unpleasantries in vividly capturing this bloody era.
The film is crammed with sex, blood and treachery,
and its bold and bloody staging is more reminiscent of
Queen Margot than Kapur's own Bandit Queen. The
staging of the final scene, in which Walsingham
systematically eliminates Elizabeth's enemies, is
reminiscent of the famous baptism scene from
Coppola's The Godfather.
Kapur has assembled an eclectic international cast to
flesh out the roles. Blanchett is superbly cast as the
young Elizabeth, and her assured performance here
should propel her onto the world stage as an actress
of note. She has a wonderful presence that reminds
audiences of a younger Glenda Jackson. Rush's
performance here is effectively sinister and strong,
without being showy. Like his character Walsingham,
he is always on the periphery of the action, only still
making his presence felt when necessary.
Most bizarre is football star Eric Cantona as a
French diplomat. Joseph Fiennes (Ralph's brother)
plays Elizabeth's illicit lover Dudley, while
Christopher Eccleston (Jude, etc) is wonderfully
sinister as the treacherous and ambitious Duke of
Norfolk. Kathy Burke (from Nil By Mouth, etc) is
fine as a shrewish and scheming Queen Mary, while
Fanny Ardant makes the most of her smaller role as
Mary, Queen of Scots, Elizabeth's rival for the
throne.
Elizabeth is certainly a handsomely mounted
production, beautifully photographed by ace BBC
cameraman Remi Adefarasin. The costumes and
impressive sets add to the authenticity, while Kapur's
use of a number of authentic British castles further
adds to the feeling of veracity. Kapur eschews the
glorious colour that suffuses most historical epics,
preferring lots of dark and dank settings that seem to
effectively underscore the palpable threat of treachery
and violence.