Elizabeth - The Golden Age
Monday, 29. December 2008, 14:37:31
Phonies
Slide Show
Historical background...
In 1558, Philip II of Spain’s second wife, Mary I of England – “Bloody” Mary – died. They had wed in July 1554, a year after Mary’s accession to the English throne, but the English Parliament had refused to crown him jointly with Mary so he had little power in England. On Mary’s death he had then tried unsuccessfully to persuade her sister and successor, Elizabeth, to marry him, but she would not agree.
Plot synopsis...
The film opens in 1585; Roman Catholic Spain is the most powerful country in Europe, with King Philip II (Jordi Molla) on the throne. Seeing Protestant England as a threat, and in retaliation for English piracy of Spanish treasure ships from the Americas, Philip intends to make war on his long-time enemy. He plans to take over the land that is now England and add it to what is already Spain, making his daughter Isabella Queen of England.
Meanwhile, in England, Elizabeth (Cate Blanchett) is still being pressured to marry by her advisor, Sir Francis Walsingham (Geoffrey Rush). She is aging in years (she was actually born in 1533) and, with no child, the throne will pass to her next of kin, her cousin once removed Mary, Queen of Scots (Samantha Morton). The Queen is presented with many portraits of crowned heads of Europe and princes; these include Ivan the Terrible, Erik of Sweden, Charles II of Austria, the Archduke of Austria (Christian Brassington) and a French prince. As always, Elizabeth refuses to take someone's hand in marriage, particularly that of the young Austrian archduke who has become infatuated with the Queen.
Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen) is presented at Elizabeth's court, having returned from the New World, and offers her some of the New World's riches: potatoes, tobacco, and two Native Americans. Raleigh also offers her gold from Spanish ships that he ironically claims were unable to continue their journey, but the Spanish ambassador present protests that Raleigh is a pirate and should not be welcomed. Elizabeth commands the Native Americans be treated well, and refuses to accept the gold.Elizabeth quickly finds Raleigh attractive. She becomes enamoured with his tales of exploration and high-seas adventure and asks Elizabeth Throckmorton (Abbie Cornish) (nicknamed Bess), her most favored lady-in-waiting, to observe him. Bess also finds Raleigh an attractive man and secretly begins an affair with the explorer. Elizabeth meanwhile seeks guidance and advice from her astrologer, Dr. John Dee (David Threlfall) who predicts that his art shows that two empires will go to war. However, he cannot predict which will triumph over the other, leaving Elizabeth to ponder her fate and that of England.
Meanwhile, a Jesuit group in London conspires with Philip to assassinate Elizabeth and replace her on the throne with Mary, Queen of Scots in what her advisor Francis Walsingham discovers is referred to between Philip and the group as "The English Enterprise," and is known to history as the Babington Plot. Mary sends secret correspondence from Fotheringhay Castle in Northamptonshire, England, where she is imprisoned, to the Jesuits, who recruit Thomas Babington (Eddie Redmayne) to assassinate Elizabeth.
Walsingham continues to warn Elizabeth of Spain's rising power and of the Catholic plots against her life. However she, unlike her predecessor and sister “Bloody” Mary, refuses to force her people (half of whom remain loyal to Catholicism) to share her beliefs. Even then, those conspiring against Elizabeth are being hunted and murdered, including Bess's cousin, whom Bess had failed to protect. After learning of her cousin's torture and death at Walsingham's hands, Bess turns to Raleigh for comfort. The barely hidden closeness of Bess and Raleigh causes tension between Elizabeth and Raleigh to mount, testing her desire to keep him in England and increasing his desire to go back to the New World.Walsingham's brother is a Papist who knows of the plot against Elizabeth. It is revealed, though, that Walsingham had known of the plot all along, intercepting letters, and his brother is jailed. He reveals the plot to Elizabeth, who angrily confronts the Spanish diplomats. The Spanish ambassador feigns ignorance and accuses Elizabeth of receiving Spanish gold from pirates and insinuating a sexual relationship with Raleigh. A sword fight nearly ensues between the queen's male escorts and the Spanish contingent. She throws the Spaniards out of court. Meanwhile, Philip is cutting the forests of Spain to build the Spanish Armada to invade England with his army.
Mary, Queen of Scots, writes letters condoning the plot. Anthony Babington storms into a cathedral where Elizabeth is praying and points a gun at her. Elizabeth opens her arms, seemingly fearless. He pulls the trigger, and the gun fires. It is later revealed by the traitor in the torture chamber that there was no bullet in the gun, Walsingham at first unable to discern why the gun was harmless.
Elizabeth learns of Mary's involvement, and Walsingham insists she be executed to quell any possible English Catholic revolt. Elizabeth is reluctant, but nevertheless agrees. Mary is tried for high treason, ascending the block in a blood-red dress, red being the Catholic liturgical colour for martyrs. She is beheaded on February 8, 1587. Walsingham then sees that this was part of the Jesuit's plan all-along. Philip had never intended for Mary to become queen (while Catholic, Mary was in fact more French than Scottish, being the daughter of a French queen and having been raised in France; her accession to the English throne would have benefited France, a major rival of Spain).Rather, Philip had planned on handing the throne over to his young daughter, Isabella. Now, with Mary dead, Philip uses this to obtain approval from the Pope to go to war. Since the Pope and other Catholic leaders regarded Mary as the true Queen of England, beheading Mary constituted regicide - which they considered just cause enough to avenge her death and overthrow Elizabeth's court.
In England, Raleigh asks to leave for the New World, which Elizabeth forbids, instead knighting him and making him Captain of the Royal Guard. Bess discovers she is pregnant with Raleigh's child and after telling him the news, she pleads with him to leave. He chooses not to and the couple marry in secret. At the same time, Elizabeth awakes during a dream as the wedding is taking place. She confronts Bess a few weeks later, who confesses that she is indeed pregnant with Raleigh's child, and that Raleigh is her husband. An enraged Elizabeth confronts her, reminding Bess that she cannot marry without royal consent. Feeling betrayed, the queen banishes Bess from court and has Raleigh imprisoned for the crime of seducing a ward of the Queen.
At the same time, Walsingham arranges for his brother, William, who is eleven years Francis' junior, to be released and taken to for France on the condition that he must never return to England.
The Spanish Armada begins its approach up the English Channel, and Elizabeth forgives Bess and sets Raleigh free to join Sir Francis Drake in the attack on the Armada. Elizabeth gives her Speech to the Troops at Tilbury seated on a war horse wearing full plate armour. The Spanish ships vastly outnumber England's, and the Spanish Army outnumbers England's by 8 to 1. But at the last moment, a major storm begins to blow the Armada towards the beaches, endangering their formation and ships. They drop anchor, and the Armada becomes a sitting duck for English fire ships. Raleigh arranges for the English to set fire to five of their ships and steer them into the Armada, the English sailors abandoning ship at the last minute. Elizabeth, back at her coastal headquarters, walks out to the cliffs and watches the Spanish Armada sink in flames. Philip's plan is shattered, and the Spanish naval fleet suffers their most humiliating loss in history.
As the film ends, Elizabeth visits Walsingham on his deathbed, telling her old friend to rest. She then visits Raleigh and Bess and blesses their child, presumably Damerei. Elizabeth seemingly triumphs personally through her ordeal, again resigned to her role as the Virgin Queen and mother to the English people.
Cate Blanchett as Elizabeth I of England
Clive Owen as Walter Raleigh
Geoffrey Rush as Sir Francis Walsingham
Abbie Cornish as Elizabeth Throckmorton Lady-in-waiting to Elizabeth I of England
Samantha Morton as Mary, Queen of Scots
Susan Lynch as Annette - Lady-in-waiting to Mary, Queen of Scots
Jordi Mollà as Philip II of Spain
Rhys Ifans as Robert Reston
Eddie Redmayne as Anthony Babington
Tom Hollander as Sir Amyas Paulet
David Threlfall as Dr. John Dee
Adam Godley as William Walsingham
Laurence Fox as Christopher Hatton
William Houston as Don Gerau De Spes
"I have a hurricane in me that will strip Spain bare!" Just one of my fav' lines from this wonderful movie. The costumes and hair absolutely immaculate. An impressive part played by Cate Blanchett. The art production a feat in itself. Computer graphics outstanding.
i've watched this 5 times since christmas day. I totally recommend it! This is the 2007 version not the 1998 production.Have you seen it? Love to know what you thought.........
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(38%)
WIDGETIZE
PainterWoman # 29. December 2008, 16:44
I can't wait to see this. It's probably already been in the theatres here which will be disappointing for me because I love seeing these kinds of movies on the big screen. In the theatres, the music is loud and the whole place seems to vibrate and I feel as if I'm there.
gdare # 29. December 2008, 21:41
momable # 31. December 2008, 00:19
Great telling and lovely screen shots, Henry.
gdare # 31. December 2008, 07:28
AOTEAROAnz # 31. December 2008, 16:22
Pamela that would indeed be best, seeing it in the large theatre. You know, these types of movies have the ability to have a soundtrack that sounds like the bloomin' 'Onedin Line' waaay too OTT...this soundtrack is excellent, very well done.
gdare # 31. December 2008, 18:30
momable # 1. January 2009, 03:09