Very enjoyable, but where was Drake?

Rating: 8/10 (27 November 2007)

I am no scholar of the Elizabethan era, so I can not comment on the historical accuracy of this enjoyable costume drama, but I am sure that the figure of Sir Francis Drake played a larger part in the decisive battle against the Spanish Armarda than appeared to be the case here. The only sight you have of him is on board ship, and then you only realise it is him when Sir Walter Raleigh mentions his name! I know that was not the main emotional point of the film, and I do appreciate that Raleigh and Elizabeth had a very close, intense relationship, but surely one of England's most crucial sea victories should at least feature with one of its major players having a larger role.
Now I've got that off my chest, on with the review. The film is splendidly mounted, and looks great - it was a pity that the print that my local had was very scratched in places. The acting is, as one would expect from such a prestigious production, uniformly excellent, with Blanchett again showing amazing emotional range. Geoffery Rush is also very good, and Clive Owen has great presence as Raleigh.
The fact that the film concentrates mainly on the relationships between the main characters allows us to see Elizabeth as a human being with all the faults and passions that brings with it, rather than someone above the humanity around her. Having said that there was a couple of times when the lighting was used to make her look like a Saint, notably when she 'survives' the assassin attempt on her.
The politics of the era were, naturally, somewhat simplified - I am sure the politics of the time were as complicated and complex as ours today - but this did not matter, and served to increase the dramatic tensions on the screen.
Whether or not this is as good as the first film starring Ms Blanchett in the role I can not say as it seems a life time ago I saw that film, but in its own right it is well worth the admission fee, even if it is not entirely historically accurate.