Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007)

Biography,Drama,History English "Woman. Warrior. Queen." Divx 5 : 101 An exploration of the relationship between Elizabeth I and the adventurer Sir Walter Raleigh. Cate Blanchett Queen Elizabeth I Geoffrey Rush Sir Francis Walsingham Clive Owen Sir Walter Raleigh Jordi Mollà King Philip ll of Spain John Shrapnel Lord Howard Aimee King Infanta Susan Lynch Annette Elise McCave Laundry Woman Samantha Morton Mary Stuart Abbie Cornish Elizabeth Throckmorton Penelope McGhie Margaret Rhys Ifans Robert Reston Eddie Redmayne Thomas Babington Stuart McLoughlin Savage Adrian Scarborough Calley Robert Styles Palace Doorkeeper William Houston Don Guerau De Spes Coral Beed First Court Lady Rosalind Halstead Second Court Lady Steven Loton Manteo Martin Baron Wanchese David Armand Walsingham's Agent Steven Robertson Francis Throckmorton Jeremy Barker Ramsey George Innes Burton Adam Godley William Walsingham Kirstin Smith Mary Walsingham (as Kirstin Coulter Smith) Kelly Hunter Ursula Walsingham Christian Brassington Archduke Charles Robert Cambrinus Count Georg von Helfenstein Tom Hollander Sir Amyas Paulet Sam Spruell Torturer Tim Preece Old Throckmorton Vidal Sancho Spanish Minister David Threlfall Dr. John Dee Benjamin May Dance Master David Sterne Cellarman Kate Fleetwood Woman with Baby Glenn Doherty Royal Servant Chris Brailsford Dean of Peterborough Dave Legeno Executioner Antony Carrick Spanish Archbishop John Atterbury Marriage Priest David Robb Admiral Sir William Winter Alex Giannini First Spanish Officer Joe Ferrara Second Spanish Officer Jonathan Bailey Courtier Alexander Barnes Courtier Charles Bruce Courtier Jeremy Cracknell Courtier Benedict Green Courtier Adam Smith Courtier Simon Stratton Courtier Crispin Swayne Courtier Kitty Fox Mary Stuart's Lady in Waiting Kate Lindesay Mary Stuart's Lady in Waiting Katherine Templar Mary Stuart's Lady in Waiting Hayley Burroughs Queen Elizabeth’s Lady in Waiting Kirsty McKay Queen Elizabeth's Lady in Waiting Lucia Ruck Keene Queen Elizabeth's Lady in Waiting Lucienne Venisse-Back Queen Elizabeth's Lady in Waiting Laurence Fox Sir Christopher Hatton

Producer:	Tim Bevan,Jonathan Cavendish,Eric Fellner
Writer:	William Nicholson,Michael Hirst

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.

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Nr of disks/tapes:	1
Storage device:	Divx 5