Good Film With Its Fair Share of Flaws

Rating: 6/10 (27 January 2014)

I have been fascinated with Tudor history, but I when watching a film about the Tudor era, I was not expecting an accurate historical account. When I saw "Elizabeth" in 1998, I came to see some riveting performances, beautiful costumes gorgeous settings and stunning direction. I never let historical inaccuracies get in the way, because from my experience I know perfectly well that entertainment and historical facts don't collide very well in the Hollywood vacuum.
Cate Blanchett was spectacular as the titular character. She just seemed natural for the role, both physically and mentally in character. However, I found the portrayal to be at times a bit uptight at times when it would have been more stimulating if she was more stone-cold. But I guess the Hollywood community wanted to emphasis on the uptight psyche that shines upon Elizabeth's inner struggles. I guess it's more complex to play a laid-back stone-faced queen while being manifested with inner anxiety.
I was turned off the scene where Elizabeth was engaged in coitus with Sir Robert Dudley (Joseph Fiennes) while her ladies catch them in the act. I might assume this is a hook by Hollywood to include a romantic entanglement in this Tudor film. However, I found the scene to be grotesque because for the sake of decency, they should have made their sexual entanglement to be a little more private.
The scene where Elizabeth comes together as a monarch and uses low-key manipulative tactics towards her Parliament was executed to absolute perfection. Blanchett adds just the right touch of diffidence and nobleness along with subliminal humour to make this scene all the more effective. Elizabeth's shrugging over marriage is quite vocal and very determined fearing that if she should tie the knot, she will lose her powers as the top of the monarchy. The various scenes where our pale-faced majesty starts losing her grip on reality towards her power by consorting towards unremorseful and emotionally distant are brilliantly exhibited.
My main desire was to have Elizabeth deliver a more devilish charm while at the same time keeping if more subtle. On a historical basis, she did treat her suitors like puppets as she solely structured her country's defenses in order to gain her independence, but the low-key elements were not properly exhibited here. On a regular basis, she barks out that she will never wed and there was very little in terms of the Spanish suitor who's infamous Armada did not fare very well against Elizabeth's powerful Navy. I was disappointed this chain of events never materialized in the script.
Sure I may have done a rant a bit here, but overall the movie was not entirely terrible. It was entertainingly satisfying with plenty of historical references to please people who are aficionados of the Tudor Era period pieces. I guess this movie to me would be a onetime deal for me because there were several flaws about it.