Elizabeth (1998)

Featured Audience Ratings

• xGary X

  
  Elizabeth chronicles the life of Elizabeth I from innocent young girl to one of the shrewdest and most politically savvy monarchs in England's history. Shekhar Kapur's story of the early life of the virgin queen certainly has a very impressive cast and the material concerns… More
  Elizabeth chronicles the life of Elizabeth I from innocent young girl to one of the shrewdest and most politically savvy monarchs in England's history. Shekhar Kapur's story of the early life of the virgin queen certainly has a very impressive cast and the material concerns itself with one of the most fascinating periods of British history but the film suffers for his approach. The early part of the film resembles a melodramatic soap opera more than anything else and suffers greatly for his unsophisticated direction that seems far more interested with unnecessary visual embellishment than story telling. Things settle down after Elizabeth is crowned Queen however, and as Geoffrey Rush's Walsingham becomes more involved in the political machinations it all gets a lot more interesting. The performances are all solid and the costumes as attractive as you'd expect but there's something a little "made for TV" about it all. Kapur's direction is the main culprit, but the photography is also not as attractive as it might be making it lack the historically epic sweep I was expecting. It never descends into absurd romantic fantasy in a similar way to its sequel however, and as a whole Elizabeth stands up as a solid if unspectacular historical drama.

• Jens S

  
  This excellent historical drama turned newcomer Cate Blanchett into a star thanks to a brilliant performance as the young queen Elisabeth the First. The rest of the cast is just as outstanding, especially Geoffrey Rush as her protector, who seems to sense every plot and intrigue a… More
  This excellent historical drama turned newcomer Cate Blanchett into a star thanks to a brilliant performance as the young queen Elisabeth the First. The rest of the cast is just as outstanding, especially Geoffrey Rush as her protector, who seems to sense every plot and intrigue a mile away. The film takes its tension from the situation of pretty much everyone being against the young queen and her being forced to choose between several options of political marriage, while she is in love with someone else. The web of danger, betrayal and intrigues is very enthralling and helps the film maneuver through a few slow sequences. The cinematography is absolutely stunning, though. An entertaining, interesting and impressive history lesson.

• Sanjay R

  
  This film is boring and forgettable. The one thing it does well is develop the Elizabeth character from a light hearted gal into a cold-blooded queen. However, the acting was so-so, the writing was plain and the editing was poor: Several scenes served no purpose but to prolong this… More
  This film is boring and forgettable. The one thing it does well is develop the Elizabeth character from a light hearted gal into a cold-blooded queen. However, the acting was so-so, the writing was plain and the editing was poor: Several scenes served no purpose but to prolong this mind-numbing bore-fest.

• Matthew S

  
  Trying to be both a cut-throat political thriller and a character study of the independent Queen Elizabeth I, this film is forced to take shortcuts and lie in order to create an essence of a queen's journey to self-discovery and strength in just 2 hours. It's very accessible… More
  Trying to be both a cut-throat political thriller and a character study of the independent Queen Elizabeth I, this film is forced to take shortcuts and lie in order to create an essence of a queen's journey to self-discovery and strength in just 2 hours. It's very accessible and mainstream as well as shallow and very misleading. Cate Blanchett's performance carries this movie.

• AJ V

  
  I saw this movie in a class a long time ago, it was strange, and I didn't really understand everything that was going on. Maybe if I try it again.

• Jameson W

  
  A great period biopic piece...Cate Blanchett is STUNNING! She completely deserved her Oscar nomination, she may have even deserved to win, but I have yet to see Shakespeare in Love for Gwyenth Paltrow's performance. I also liked Joseph Fiennes character and performance. I… More
  A great period biopic piece...Cate Blanchett is STUNNING! She completely deserved her Oscar nomination, she may have even deserved to win, but I have yet to see Shakespeare in Love for Gwyenth Paltrow's performance. I also liked Joseph Fiennes character and performance. I great film! A must see!

• Jeff "

  
  A stunning period piece, Elizabeth is a terrific piece of historical drama. The film explores the early of Elizabeth I of England. The film touches on many aspects of her reign. The production is stunning, the costumes, music and acting are terrific. Director Shekur Kapur crafts a… More
  A stunning period piece, Elizabeth is a terrific piece of historical drama. The film explores the early of Elizabeth I of England. The film touches on many aspects of her reign. The production is stunning, the costumes, music and acting are terrific. Director Shekur Kapur crafts a wonderful film and under his direction, Elizabeth is simply stunning. The best way you can look at this film is by viewing it as a work of art. The film oozes with elegance and serves as a good historical piece of cinema, I never thought I would enjoy a film like this, but I just love films that touches on historical matters. Cate Blanchett delivers a triumphant performance as Elizabeth and she steals every scene that she's in. Aside from Blanchett, director Shekhar Kapur assembled a fine cast of actors to play alongside Blanchett. Geoffrey Rush and Christopher Eccleston, Richard Attenborough are some of the many of the fine cast of actors who deliver on screen. Elizabeth is a sweeping dramatic film that portrays the early years of the reign of Elizabeth I, one of England's most beloved monarchs. The film feels long at times, but Kapur's directing allows for a great deal of tension in this film. The film evokes the tense situation of 1500's Great Britain as Elizabeth must deal with several threats to her Throne. The film examines how a naive girl became a mature head of state as well.This is one of the aspects of the film that I enjoyed because at first you don't think that her reign will survive, due the religious assassination threats ordered by the Vatican (Elizabeth was a Protestant, not a Catholic), and threat of invasion, and so forth. However despite all odds, she manages to come out on top and initiate the Golden Age Of England. Elizabeth, in summary is a tense and stunning historical drama film and is brilliantly directed by Shekur Khapur. His film is a phenomenal achievement, and is one great period piece. A future classic for sure.

• Chris W

  
  When I was younger, this kind of thing would have been completely boring and dumb to me. Now that I'm older, I found a lot to like ,and realize that this is far from boring. Even though I watched this for a class I'm taking, it's the type of thing that I might see… More
  When I was younger, this kind of thing would have been completely boring and dumb to me. Now that I'm older, I found a lot to like ,and realize that this is far from boring. Even though I watched this for a class I'm taking, it's the type of thing that I might see voluntarily, but I wouldn't go out of my way to see. Obvious liberties and inaccuracies aside, this is a pretty solid, clever, and quite entertaining historical drama. Period piece costume dramas (historical based or not) have never been my favorite, but I certainly appreciate them. This film can be seen as a great character study, and a fine example of waht it takes to be an effective female ruler. This is how you do it right. It's hardly ever pretty, and almost always risky, but hey, sometimes, you have to take chances and piss people off to succeed. This was the star making performance for Cate Blanchett, and she gives a strong performance here. Her portrayal of Elizabeth's transformation from the wartm and sensitive romantic to te cold, calculating "virgin queen" is wonderful. Geoffrey Rush is incredible as the ruthless but effective Walsingham. As my professor said, "everyone needs a Walingham." I agree. Joseph Fiennes left a little to be desired, but he wasn't terrible. Eccleston is good, and Attenborough is alright too, but for me, I liked Daniel Craig in his brief but fun role, and Vincent Cassell is terrific (both in general and a campy way) in a brief scene stealing role. He really reminded me of Tom Hulce in "Amadeus". The location shooting, sets, costues, and art direction are just gorgeous to look at, and make you appreciate the work that was put into them, Some of the high angle shots got a little overbearing and tedious, but still, I loved the places they got to film in. Give this one a shot. It's entertaining and solid, even if it's not perfect. It kind of helps to have some prior knowledge though, but it's not completely required.

• Lewis C

  
  "I am my father's daughter. I am not afraid of anything." I'll admit that I enjoyed recent historical dramas like The Duchess and The Young Victoria. But sometimes, pardon my language, I want to see a historical drama with some balls. And I don't mean the… More
  "I am my father's daughter. I am not afraid of anything." I'll admit that I enjoyed recent historical dramas like The Duchess and The Young Victoria. But sometimes, pardon my language, I want to see a historical drama with some balls. And I don't mean the kind with dancing and fancy dresses. Elizabeth fits that descriptor admirably. The movie opens with a chilling scene precluding the execution of some Protestant rebels, which does an effective job of setting the tone for one of the central conflicts of that time and the move; the conflict between the supporters of the Catholic church and the Protestants (of which Elizabeth was a steadfast member, to the dismay of many). Elizabeth covers the time period stretching from the early dangers she faced at the hands of her suspicious half-sister, Queen Mary I, to the political and personal successes and failures of the early part of her 44 year reign. We watch as she faces rebellion and betrayal, and gradually sheds her inexperience to become a forceful, capable, and independent ruler. Cate Blanchett is a fantastic actress. That should be a surprise to no one. And she certainly looks the part. She makes for a fine Queen Elizabeth. As for the rest of the cast (sans one person, in particular), I found them all to be suitable. Blanchett is clearly the focus of the movie, though, and the film works because it rests so well on her queenly shoulders. As for the settings, costumes, etc., they're less opulent than those that I've seen in some more recent movies of this type, but they serve their purpose within the story well. My only real problem with the movie (besides how comically evil some members of the Roman Catholic church were portrayed to be) was Robert Fiennes in the role of Lord Robert. His character seemed like he would be right at home in a bad romance novel, and I found myself rolling my eyes or losing interest nearly every time he was on screen. He was the wrong actor for the part, too much of the movie was unwisely (and unnecessarily) focused on him, and his interactions with Elizabeth were handled atrociously. Those were the only weak scenes in a very strong movie, but they did force me to drop my score. Other than that, though, I highly recommend Elizabeth.

• Tim S

  
  Excellent. I love Cate Blanchett.

• Anthony L

  
  Elizabeth is a stunningly beautiful film and as historical accuracy goes, it?s not too bad either! My only gripes with Shekhar Kapur's direction are that he over does the down shots and the one scene that nearly ruined the whole thing for me was the very contemporary quick cut… More
  Elizabeth is a stunningly beautiful film and as historical accuracy goes, it?s not too bad either! My only gripes with Shekhar Kapur's direction are that he over does the down shots and the one scene that nearly ruined the whole thing for me was the very contemporary quick cut editing scene during Elizabeth's speech practise. I put that one to one side though, as he more than made up for it with the stunning transformation scene towards the end, with Elizabeth emerging from the light. The imagery and symbolism work together beautifully. Certainly my favourite period drama/Royal adaptation, with fantastic performances too!

• Julie B

  
  Surprisingly tense, considering we already know what's going to happen. The great cast keeps things moving and you on your toes.

• Dan S

  
  An impressive, detailed look on Elizabeth, the virgin Queen of England who took over amongst much skepticism and internal corruption living inside her kingdom. While it's not for everybody, especially those that aren't history buffs, this is a straight-forward look on one of… More
  An impressive, detailed look on Elizabeth, the virgin Queen of England who took over amongst much skepticism and internal corruption living inside her kingdom. While it's not for everybody, especially those that aren't history buffs, this is a straight-forward look on one of the most important rules in history, and how her rule changed views on women, power, and marriage. Although it bogs down and Geoffrey Rush is underused to a degree, Blanchett's strong, powerful presence makes this film worthwhile.

• Mike S

  
  Inspiring performance by Cate Blanchett, who here plays the lead role of the psychologically tortured queen Elizabeth I, whose stormy life is fascinating indeed to behold on screen. The scenery of this movie was quite breathtaking and it truly felt like stepping back in time. And… More
  Inspiring performance by Cate Blanchett, who here plays the lead role of the psychologically tortured queen Elizabeth I, whose stormy life is fascinating indeed to behold on screen. The scenery of this movie was quite breathtaking and it truly felt like stepping back in time. And where costume dramas normally have a tendency to be a bit boring, this one, I felt, brought out the best and most interesting segments of real historic events. In fact, all factors considered, it's one of the most compelling historic dramas I've ever seen. I seriously doubt the follow-up, The Golden Age, will be anywhere near as good, but at least now I'll be able to compare it to the first installment.

• Sophie B

  
  Extremely good costume and fantastic acting from all the cast. Completely faultless. However I didn't find what should be an extremely interesting and gripping script, interesting at all. It dragged on and was confusing in places.

• Daniel P

  
  A great performance by Cate Blanchett in a solid period piece, but unfortunately, Elizabethan history is kind of dull. Oh, wait, no, it's not, only the ascension story is: the rest of her reign was called the Golden Age. Hmmmm, they should make a movie about that part of her… More
  A great performance by Cate Blanchett in a solid period piece, but unfortunately, Elizabethan history is kind of dull. Oh, wait, no, it's not, only the ascension story is: the rest of her reign was called the Golden Age. Hmmmm, they should make a movie about that part of her lif-- oh, I see. Nevermind.

• Robert C

  
  A truly epic film about a truly epic woman, staring one of the gretest actresses of our time. Amazing set and costume design and a performance by Cate Blanchett that will blow you away.

• Michael S

  
  Very good period film, elevated to near greatness by Cate Blanchett's extraordinary performance. Better than Shakespeare in Love.

• Fernando Rafael Q

  
  The movie is a little confusing, but makes up for it with dazzling sets and costumes. Cate Blanchett's performance is amazing, and i can't believe that Gwyneth Paltrow (who i find talentless) took the Oscar from her. Great performances by Christopher Eccleston, Geoffrey… More
  The movie is a little confusing, but makes up for it with dazzling sets and costumes. Cate Blanchett's performance is amazing, and i can't believe that Gwyneth Paltrow (who i find talentless) took the Oscar from her. Great performances by Christopher Eccleston, Geoffrey Rush, Joseph Fiennes, Vincent Cassel and Fanny Ardant. Very talented actors also appear in small roles (Emily Mortimer, Daniel Craig). The directorial work by Shekhar Kapur is reall good, so are the script and the performances, but, for some reason that i can't explain, i didn't think this movie was great.

• Drew S

  
  Elizabeth is a pretty well-done movie and all that, but there's not much that separates it from any other Bombastic Historical Piece About Royalty. Elizabeth is a woman, sure, and that in itself offers a little diversity to the genre, but she's also kind of a chowderhead.… More
  Elizabeth is a pretty well-done movie and all that, but there's not much that separates it from any other Bombastic Historical Piece About Royalty. Elizabeth is a woman, sure, and that in itself offers a little diversity to the genre, but she's also kind of a chowderhead. It's not much fun watching her be a mediocre queen for two hours. Most of the action seems to happen around her and not because of her, and I feel like Cate Blanchett was giving a great performance that had no relevance. Honestly, what does she do in the second hour of the movie? She rejects a couple of suitors and reacts to things. And Blanchett does it beautifully, but it isn't enough. It is to the movie's advantage, however, that the things that DO happen around her are really interesting. This is an accessible, riveting movie, if not particularly literate. The narrative is a sharp blend of the feminine and the brutal, a yin-yang of costume drama and sanguine violence. Elizabeth's components are the buzzwords that people love to hear - violence, sex, conspiracy, intrigue, decadence. Consider this movie Marie Antoinette's fat, bawdy, charismatic older stepsister.

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