Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007)

Director:

Shekhar Kapur

Writers:

William Nicholson (written by) and
Michael Hirst (written by)

Release Date:

12 October 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History | Romance

Tagline:

Woman. Warrior. Queen.

Plot:

An exploration of the relationship between Elizabeth I and the adventurer Sir Walter Raleigh.

Plot Keywords:

Virginia | Pipe | Royalty | Queen Elizabeth I | Pardon

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 3 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Cate Blanchett	...	Queen Elizabeth I
Geoffrey Rush	...	Sir Francis Walsingham
Clive Owen	...	Sir Walter Raleigh
Samantha Morton	...	Mary Stuart
Rhys Ifans	...	Robert Reston
Jordi Mollà	...	King Philip ll of Spain
John Shrapnel	...	Lord Howard
Aimee King	...	Infanta
Susan Lynch	...	Annette
Elise McCave	...	Laundry Woman
Abbie Cornish	...	Elizabeth Throckmorton
Penelope McGhie	...	Margaret
Eddie Redmayne	...	Thomas Babington
Stuart McLoughlin	...	Savage
Adrian Scarborough	...	Calley

Also Known As:

Elizabeth - Das goldene Königreich (Germany)
Elizabeth - L'âge d'or (France)
The Golden Age (UK) (working title)

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

UK | France | Germany

Language:

English | Spanish | Swedish

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Sweden:15 | UK:12A | South Africa:13V | Singapore:NC-16 (DVD rating) | Brazil:14 | Argentina:13 | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Ireland:12A | France:Unrated | Netherlands:12 | Finland:K-13 | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | Australia:M | South Korea:12 | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Singapore:PG | Malaysia:U | Taiwan:R-12 | Canada:14A | USA:PG-13 (certificate #43467)

Filming Locations:

Baddesley Clinton, Warwickshire, England, UK

Company:

Motion Picture ZETA Produktionsgesellschaft

Trivia:

Director Shekhar Kapur filmed Elizabeth's personal time (bathing, bedroom) in circular sets to reflect the infinite questioning of her mind, aspiring to a different kind of freedom and exploration. In contrast, he filmed Elizabeth's professional moments (throne room, etc.) in rectangular rooms that enclosed her where you could see straight walls and corners.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The execution of Mary Stuart (Mary, Queen of Scots) is shown with a single, swift ax stroke. Historically, it was far worse, actually taking at least two strokes - the first hitting Mary in the back of the head (reportedly prompting her to cry out, "Sweet Jesus") and the second severing all of her neck save some sinew, which the executioner then cut through by using the ax as a saw. Some reports say the execution in fact required a third stroke as well.

Quotes:

[from trailer]
Queen Elizabeth I: Spain intends to place Mary Stuart on our country's throne, and I am to be assassinated. Does this sound familiar?

Movie Connections:

Features Elizabeth (1998)

Good Fun but Flawed History

Overall I enjoyed the movie. There have been too many recent films about the Tudors and Elizabeth in particular, but this film looks good and it keeps you entertained. It's set at the time of the Spanish Armada in 1588. Elizabeth is shown as tough, smart, and married to her country. She also suffers from bouts of insecurity and irrational jealousies. This film is more hagiographic and melodramatic than its predecessor.

The film tends to ignore the facts when they get in the way of the story. Elizabeth was 55 at the time of the Spanish Armada and she was never a looker. Blanchett's Queen is youngish and attractive. Blanchett's acting performance is powerful and impressive but also a bit stagy. The way the politics of the time are depicted is a bit too black and white. The Spanish look grim and are dressed in dark colors. They are portrayed as crazy, religious zealots. Spain had a right to be upset at English privateers / pirates who attacked their ships and stole their gold. Mary, Queen of Scots is shown as a dowdy, schemer who disliked Elizabeth. The reality was that Mary was a pretty bimbo who made bad choices when it came to men.

Parts of the film veer too much towards soap-opera. Sir Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen)becomes a favorite, but when Bess Throckmorton, one of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting and Raleigh get secretly married, Elizabeth becomes jealous and behaves badly. Later, Raleigh and Francis Drake are shown defeating the Spanish at sea. In reality Raleigh was looking after the coastal defenses in the South West of England and didn't marry Throckmorton until 1591. The real Raleigh was a brilliant man: soldier, explorer, writer, poet and courtier and probably deserves his own film. The film is good fun but it's simplistic, cartoon history.