A history in a dramatic sense.

Rating: Null/10 (2 December 1998)

If you approach Elizabeth looking for a more-or-less historically accurate account of the great Queen's reign, then I'm afraid you'll be in for a disappointment. When I first saw the film I was turned against it by the outrageous sets (bare 11 century stone walls in a 16th century palace - I don't think so) and unlikely scenes (French transvestites in the vestry), but I thought the history believable, as I've never studied the period. Then I got home and to my dismay found that the history was greatly distorted, not least in chronology.
Then I realised how to view this film - its not docudrama history like 'Private Ryan' or 'Platoon'. This film is a history in the Shakespearean sense - a series of set pieces conveying the drama of the day, with sets and costume, situations and dialogue, all splendid but with little pretence of realism; as such, it's highly polished.
Thumbs up for using the Greatest medieval building in the world too.