Elizabeth (1998)

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.

Director:

Shekhar Kapur

Writer:

Michael Hirst

Stars:

Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Christopher Eccleston

Won 1 Oscar. Another 32 wins & 32 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

This film details the ascension to the throne and the early reign of Queen Elizabeth the First, as played by Cate Blanchett. The main focus is the endless attempts by her council to marry her off, the Catholic hatred of her and her romance with Lord Robert Dudley.

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Plot Keywords:

protestant | throne | catholic | england | queen | 

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Taglines:

Absolute power demands absolute loyalty.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and sexuality

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English French

Release Date:

22 November 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Elizabeth: The Virgin Queen

Filming Locations:

Alnwick Castle, Alnwick, Northumberland, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$275,131 (USA) (6 November 1998)

Gross:

$30,012,990 (USA) (7 May 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Polygram Filmed Entertainment, Working Title Films, Channel Four Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Thomas Howard, AKA Duke of Norfolk (Christopher Eccleston) and Sir William Cecil, AKA Lord Burghley (Richard Attenborough) actually had a common relative. Norfolk's mother was Frances de Vere, whose nephew Edward de Vere, the Earl of Oxford, was married to Burghley's daughter Anne Cecil. It has also been suggested that Edward de Vere was the true author of Hamlet (usually considered to have been written by William Shakespeare), and that the characters Hamlet, Ophelia and Polonius were based on himself, Anne, and William, respectively. Christopher Eccleston has played Hamlet on stage, and Richard Attenborough appeared in the 1996 film Hamlet.

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Goofs

When Walsingham enters Arundel home looking for the priest he picks up the little girl and if you look closely you can tell that he's holding a doll.

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Quotes

Norfolk: So cut off my head, and make me a martyr. The people will always remember it.
Walsingham: No... they will forget.

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Connections

Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Saw VI/Cirque du Freak/The Vampire's Assistant/Amelia (2009)

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Soundtracks

"Rondeas I and VII"
from "Dansereyr" 1551
Composed by Tylman Susato
Performed by New London Consort
Conducted by Philip Pickett

User Reviews

Creative camera work

During the opening credits the camera hovers high above three people being burned at the stake, what an angle, as the fire consumes them in a maelstrom. The cineamatography was so incredibly creative, very Hitchcockian. One need not possess any knowledge of history to make sense of the plot and story. Like a good mystery there were subtle nuances. Glances between characters that foreshadowed events and interactions to come, such as the woman that betrays Norfolk, and the child that inadvertently reveals his father's hiding place. The story wasn't exactly historically accurate, but it got my 15-year-old interested in Elizabethen England. Call it artistic license. The movie was so lush, so complex that I easily saw it twice without becoming bored. Terrific acting, fabulous costumes, great staging.