Elizabeth (1998)

Director:

Shekhar Kapur

Writer:

Michael Hirst (written by)

Release Date:

22 November 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History | Romance

Tagline:

Declared illegitimate aged 3. Tried for treason aged 21. Crowned Queen aged 25.

Plot:

A film of the early years of the reign of Elizabeth I of England and her difficult task of learning what is necessary to be a monarch.

Plot Keywords:

England | Queen | Advisor | Heretic | Treason

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 29 wins & 32 nominations

Cast

Cate Blanchett	...	Elizabeth I
Geoffrey Rush	...	Sir Francis Walsingham
Christopher Eccleston	...	Duke of Norfolk
Joseph Fiennes	...	Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester
Richard Attenborough	...	Sir William Cecil
Fanny Ardant	...	Mary of Guise
Eric Cantona	...	Monsieur de Foix
Vincent Cassel	...	Duc d'Anjou
Kathy Burke	...	Queen Mary Tudor
Edward Hardwicke	...	Earl of Arundel
Emily Mortimer	...	Kat Ashley
John Gielgud	...	The Pope
Liz Giles	...	Female Martyr
Rod Culbertson	...	Master Ridley
Paul Fox	...	Male Martyr

Also Known As:

Elizabeth: The Virgin Queen (USA) (closing credits title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and sexuality.

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | USA:R (certificate #35933) | Iceland:16 | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Brazil:16 | Philippines:PG-13 | New Zealand:R16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Austria:16 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-14 | France:U | Germany:12 (bw) | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:16 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | Singapore:R(A) (original rating) | South Korea:18 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Alnwick Castle, Alnwick, Northumberland, England, UK

Company:

Polygram Filmed Entertainment

Trivia:

Robert Dudley (Joseph Fiennes) recites "My true love hath my heart" to Elizabeth (Cate Blanchett), a sonnet written by Sir Philip Sidney, son-in-law of Sir Francis Walsingham (Geoffrey Rush), trusted advisor to the queen.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The beginning of the film shows Robert Dudley with Elizabeth while she was arrested. Historically, Robert Dudley, his four surviving brothers (including Guildford), and his sister-in-law (Lady Jane Grey) were all in the Tower of London indefinitely. In fact, Wyatt's rebellion threatened all of their lives and brought about the executions of Jane and Guilford, while Robert and his remaining three brothers to stay in the tower until eventually released later that year.

Quotes:

Lord Robert: You blush, Lady Knollys. Are you in love?
Isabel Knollys: No, my lord.
Lord Robert: Then you should be, or waste all that beauty.
[the ladies-in-waiting giggle]

Movie Connections:

References Ivan Groznyy II: Boyarsky zagovor (1958)

Soundtrack:

Requiem Aeternam

My favorite film of 1998!

Cate Blanchett's performance was awe-inspiring and has made me a fan for life. She should have won the Oscar in 1998.

Terrific performances from the other principal actors, excellent costume/art direction and cinematography, a good script (if you can relax any standards of strict historiography you might have, if any) and well-paced direction and editing make for a terrific period piece.

I loved this movie and raved about it for weeks afterward.