Was there a better film here?

Rating: 5/10 (9 February 1999)

I got the impression watching Elizabeth that, in order to make the running time audience-friendly, huge chunks of this film were lost to the editor's knife. I can't help but think that there must have been a lot more to this movie. So many scenes appear only loosely attached to those before them; so many characters appear out of nowhere and disappear just as easily. As a result, some great performances seem to get lost in a quagmire of choppy storytelling. There has been a huge glut of three-hour-plus movies recently, many of which are audience killers (The Thin Red Line, Beloved, etc.), but a truly good film will hold people's attention as long as it has to. Studios shouldn't try to present an epic at breakneck speed. It's more than likely not going to work. I would love to see a director's cut of Elizabeth -- I think it would be a much better film.