Beats the crap out of ordinary horror films.

Rating: Null/10 (7 June 1999)

In the same way the opening 26 minutes of Saving Private Ryan beats the shit out of conventional horror movies like I Know What You Did Last Summer for scaring the crap out of you, so the opening of Elizabeth is utterly terrifying, setting the tone for a dark, broody epic bursting with energy.
Blanchett's sardonic Elizabeth sparkles, her relationship with Fiennes a fascinating study of forbidden love and Geoffrey Rush's turn as a sinister henchman is simply fantastic, if only because it provides so much contrast from his other high-profile roles. And, the French guy from L'Appartement turns up as a hilarious comedy trans-sexual prince.
Top Draw.