Elizabeth
Composite Score: 87.37
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Christopher Eccleston, Amanda Ryan, Kathy Burke, James Frain, Emily Mortimer, Joseph Fiennes, Kelly Macdonald, Geoffrey Rush, Richard Attenborough, Fanny Ardant, Vincent Cassel, John Gielgud, and Daniel Craig
Director: Shekhar Kapur
Writer: Michael Hirst
Genres: Biography, Drama, History
MPAA Rating: R for violence and sexuality
Box Office: $82.15 million worldwide
My take on Watching This Film:
Elizabeth is the 1998 biopic of Queen Elizabeth I of Britain, following her ascension to the throne as the successor of her childless half-sister Mary through the early days of her reign as she wrestles with the political machinations of the British nobles and foreign monarchs who would see her used as a puppet in their larger geopolitical moves. The film stars Cate Blanchett in the titular role, joined by an ensemble supporting cast that includes Joseph Fiennes, Christopher Eccleston, Emily Mortimer, and Geoffrey Rush. Technically, the film is full of period excellence, and it received plenty of below the line Oscar nominations for it in addition to nominations for Best Picture and Best Actress (Blanchett), even winning its nomination for Best Makeup.
While I don’t always try to engage with issues of historicity and accuracy in films, the portrayal of Elizabeth in this film feels a bit off from her typical historical perception, coming across at times as a bit flightier and more insecure than the historical monarch is often portrayed. I’m certain that the alterations were made to help sell the film’s coming-of-age themes, it does feel like a bit of soft-washing of a historically capable woman in power, an obvious product of 90s cinema. I will say, though, that these alterations do give Blanchett plenty of opportunity to develop the character into something richer than your typical biopic. She’s got a few moments in the film that really outshine many of the best female performances of the era, presupposing Blanchett’s amazing career success in the years since. Her loss to Gwyneth Paltrow in the Best Actress race feels even more egregious now than it did in 1998, and it’s a good thing that she’s won more Oscars since then. The scene where she’s preparing to give her first court address by itself is one of the best acted sequences of the entire 1990s. Some of her more austere moments fall victim to the cliches of period biopics, but even then, it’s still Cate Blanchett giving her all to a performance, so it’s better than average.
Blanchett’s performance carries the period biopic about Britain’s first iconic queen, elevating Elizabeth above the trappings of its genre alongside some technical excellence, earning the film a place among the greatest films of all time. Some of the artistic license taken with the history might rub people the wrong way, but it allows Blanchett to truly shine, so I can’t complain about it too much. You can currently stream this film with a Starz subscription or rent it on most streaming platforms if you’d care to see Blanchett’s great performance for yourself.
