20% Fact, 80% Fiction

Rating: 6/10 (3 June 2017)

OK I admit the 20%/80% is a rough estimate....but wow, this film really, really plays fast and loose with the facts. I mean, really. I enjoyed the first film ("Elizabeth" (1998), for which I gave 8/10), and that one also took liberties with the truth...but this one goes a little too far in my opinion.
I will focus on the numerous inaccuracies presented for just one character, Walter Raleigh, to illustrate the point. He is shown describing sea voyages to the new world to an enraptured Elizabeth (wrong - he never went to North America at all and only sailed to South America 10 years after the events in the film). He is shown having a potential romantic relationship with Elizabeth (there is no evidence for this). He is shown taking part in the battle against the Spanish Armada, igniting a 'fire ship,' when in fact he was on land at this time and played no active role in the fight. He is shown being named Captain of the Royal Guard prior to that battle when in fact that did not happen until four years later. And while it is true he impregnated one of the ladies of the court, and was imprisoned by Elizabeth for it, again these events happened several later than when they are presented in the film. This matters because it affects the 'why' - in the film, Raleigh is released from prison so that he can help defend England against the Spanish Armada - but of course in reality, that battle had happened years before, and when it did happen, he wasn't in it.
And sadly, it doesn't end there. The craziness with this tortured history ranges from extremely minor points like portraying Elizabeth speaking German (she didn't) or Isabella of Spain as a child when in fact she was 19-22 years old for the periods shown in the film (why she is shown as a child I have no idea, it did not seem to contain any relevance whatsoever) to serious fabrications or omissions, such as showing King Phillip of Spain wanting to invade England solely or mainly because it was Protestant. Yes some mention is made of English piracy on the open seas, but the crucifix-clutching Phillip is clearly shown to be desirous of deposing Elizabeth for her 'heretic' leanings and nothing more. The fact that the historical Elizabeth in 1585 sent English troops to the Netherlands in an effort to frustrate Spanish plans of domination there is never mentioned, and of course English actions such as these contributed greatly to Spain's eventual decision to send the Armada. But to watch this film, we are led to believe that Elizabeth is happily hanging out in England, minding her own business, when the big bad wolf (i.e., Spain) decides it wants to be a bully and punish England for embracing Protestantism. Yeah, it's not that simple ~
Even more laughable in this film was Elizabeth's reasoning for why England could not fall to Spain. What was it? She refers to the Spanish Inquisition! She states that she cannot allow Spain to take over and impose the Inquisition on her people, that they have the right to follow their own consciences, etc. As if that is the FIRST thing you care about. Not that your country would be invaded, or that you'd lose the war, or that England itself would be wiped off that map - no. Your concern is not any of that, your concern is a fear of the Spanish Inquisition? Is this a joke? "I don't care about my country (or my kingdom), it's that freedom of conscience thing that really gets me..." This is revisionist at its worst.
The film itself looks beautiful. The sets, costumes, locations are top-notch. That part of the film gets a 10. The music is mostly OK, although sometimes ramps up in needless intensity which could be annoying. But the truth...oh, the truth. Or lack of same. So so so far removed from reality it's egregious. And if you want to say it's fictional, fine. But then don't put this forward as history, giving textual preambles and postscripts about Elizabeth, because that suggests that what we are about to see, and then saw, was part of history...and of course it's not. Better to say this was Queen Elizabeth of fictional Freedonia (sorry, Groucho) and you're much better off. 6/10