Unfortunately shallow depiction of characters

Rating: Null/10 (9 December 1998)

Unfortunately the film depicts Elizabeth as someone to whom the crown descended as a surprise. Nothing in her characterization reveals the depth of her previous learning or that she was indeed schooled to become queen. She was not a country lass frolicking on the hillside. Likewise, William Cecil, Lord Burghley is depicted as little more than an errand boy to Elizabeth, whereas in reality he was a very powerful shaper and mover of events, with constant interaction between himself and other powerful lords.. Sir Francis Walsingham is at least revealed as the cunning, determined and decisive man that he was (as the originator of the British secret intelligence service); but his motives in promoting Elizabeth never appear. As a consequence of these hollownesses, the characters, clad in all the finery possible, remain shallow. On a more technical level, there are some cute and pointless camera tricks and blinding moments, such as when Elizabeth hears of her ascension or when she dances, that draw attention to themselves without advancing the story or the characters. The nice thing is that there will still be other opportunities to tell this story and do it better.