On Tuesday (24/02), I got the chance to watch Elizabeth: The Golden Age starring Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush for my drama class. In this movie, Cate Blanchett reprises her role as 16th Century Virgin Queen Elizabeth I in director Shekhar Kapur's sequel of sorts to Elizabeth (1998). This movie centres on an older Elizabeth and her trials and tribulations around the time of the imminent threat of Spain, and the imprisonment of her Catholic cousin Mary Stuart. Another theme which is frequently addressed, is the Queen's love life and her virginity. She isn't getting any younger, and is yet to marry or produce an heir to the throne.
In my opinion, this movie was one of the best historical movies I've seen. It changed my views of the Queen Elizabeth of England. Although this movie is not exactly historically accurate, they made the war with Spain amazing and absolutely striking. Cate Blanchett does an amazing job as the queen for she is powerful, forceful, amazing, and weak at times when necessary. Although the camera angles are OK, the movie has some blurred focus effects that do not add into the overall appeal of the movie. I think the best scenery in the movie is when Queen Elizabeth places the ring back on her finger and walks out the camp, barefoot and climbs up to the edge of a cliff and watches the whole Spanish Armada sink and burn. The scene shows a scene that kind of looks like a scene from Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightley.
Although there were some unnecessary blood and violence in this movie, the overall effects were great. However, I'm a little disappointed in how they conveyed the virgin queen. They focused so much on her faults and her weaknesses rather than her strong points and did not show how Philip of Spain at first wanted to be with the Virgin Queen and after she denied him and went to Mary Stuart of Scots. I would give this movie 7.5 out of 10. =)
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