Elizabeth

Rating: 8/10 (28 April 2016)

A reunion, of sorts, for Shakespeare in Love actors Geoffrey Rush and Joseph Fiennes, Shekhar Kapur's 1998 epic combines their talents along with Cate Blanchett's in the film Elizabeth. Telling the story of the turbulent events leading to Queen Elizabeth's rise to power and outlining the origin of the Catholic against Protestant war in Europe, Kapur's film brings to life the beginning of the Golden Age of England. Highlighting the magnitude of internal struggle one person undertakes to lead a nation, Elizabeth is a captivating story of struggle and triumph.
Being born out of wedlock to Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth (Cate Blanchett) never expected to rise to power, but the reality of her childless sister Mary I (Fanny Ardant) dying with no heir made Elizabeth's rise the only possibility. Crippled with fear that Protestant Elizabeth would un-do Catholic reign and bring Protestantism to England. While trying to learn about and establish her monarchy, Elizabeth is aided, sometimes, by a team of advisers. Where many of the advisers have good intentions, some are there plotting to restore the Catholic line, refusing to pledge allegiance to the new queen. Another difficulty for Elizabeth is the immense pressure on her to marry and produce an heir. Her longtime lover Lord Robert Dudley (Joseph Fiennes) is not viewed as an acceptable choice, and once Elizabeth learns that he has been carrying on an affair with her against his wife, she never speaks to him again. Elizabeth traverses the difficulties of her new reign with grace while she decides which of her advisers to keep and which to ignore all the while building an empire.
Cate Blanchett is exceptional as ever playing the meek turned mighty Queen Elizabeth. She handles the difficulties of playing a woman thrust into power no one wants her to have, yet still trying to do the best for England phenomenally. She also switches from love to scorn for Robert Dudley in a believable way. The production design on this film was fantastic, so intricate and detailed one feels as though they are truly watching the royals interact. The costuming was also beautiful in this film. I greatly admire period pieces that don't take the easy/cheap way out with simple costuming. For instance, the bird's eye view shot of Queen Elizabeth's first appearance from the throne was brilliantly overtaken by her gorgeous red velvet dress. A wonderful directorial choice made by Shekhar Kapur was to show Elizabeth's transfer to power with bright white flashes of light, illustrating the drastic transformation she, and the rest of England were about to endure. Another directorial choice that added to the depth of the film was the flashback of Elizabeth's trials and troubles near the ending scene. While the film loses some of its luster and struggles with pacing in the middle of the movie, it rebounds with a strong enough beginning that one doesn't mind waiting to get re-engaged into the story.
Class and sexuality are huge focal points in this film. Sexuality is under the microscope when many men doubt Elizabeth's abilities to govern as a woman. Sexuality is also an overarching issue when it comes to marrying off Elizabeth and producing an heir, as that is the primary focus of women in the 16th century. Class and nobility are central issues as well, with Elizabeth's longtime lover not being seen as regal enough to marry a queen. There is also a certain expectation of forthcoming change Elizabeth is expected to make once she takes the throne; she must be viewed as a royal and forgo peon activities. Elizabeth is a wonderful period piece and a display of directorial force from Shekhar Kapur, whose work I have not familiarized myself with.