Riveting, but excessively brutal for most audiences.

Rating: 6/10 (17 January 1999)

Knowing some background of the Elizabethan age did not prepare me for the realistic portrayal of life in and around her court. The film was well-done (though the Godfather-like climax was not as well done as Coppola) and well-cast, but it seemed somewhat unfocused to me at times. The 27 year old main character conveys a great presence, as do Geoffrey Rush and Joseph Fiennes. Unfortunately, we did not get to see enough of Elizabeth and her advisors in the "war room" preparing to plot strategy, and I'm convinced that had I not taught this age many times, I would have been thoroughly lost. An "A" for effort, but definitely an "E" for editing.