Uncompelling

Rating: 6/10 (13 December 2019)

I prefer to look at historical films as works unto themselves. This means that I ignore historical inaccuracies--whether real or possible. In part that is because we can only be dependent upon other people´s versions of what happened before us. Every work of history is omissive, so we can never really know ¨the whole truth¨. My disappointment with this film, therefore, has nothing to do with what others may decry as false depictions of history.
Instead, I found that the character of Elizabeth ¨The Virgin Queen¨ portrayed through most of this production does not cohere with the conclusion of the work. She is shown to be weak and lacking in self-esteem and resolve for fully three-quarters of the film, making it very difficult to admire or sympathize with her. Even worse, it simply does not make sense that she suddenly becomes a strong woman of determination just so the film can have a triumphant ending.
The costumes were great, and I hope to watch the first Elizabeth film at some point to see whether it is more consistently crafted.