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Elizabeth (1998)

7.5
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Ratings: 7.5/10 from 55,938 users   Metascore: 75/100
Reviews: 393 user | 139 critic | 30 from Metacritic.com

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.

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Title: Elizabeth (1998)

Elizabeth (1998) on IMDb 7.5/10

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Won 1 Oscar. Another 32 wins & 32 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Earl of Arundel
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Liz Giles ...
Female Martyr
Rod Culbertson ...
Master Ridley
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Male Martyr
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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. Written by CharmedGirl47

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

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


Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and sexuality | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

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Release Date:

22 November 1998 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Elizabeth: The Virgin Queen  »

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

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

Gross:

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

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

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Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Sir William Cecil, Lord Burghley, served Elizabeth for most of her reign as Secretary of State and Lord Treasurer. He continued to advise her up until his death in 1598. See more »

Goofs

As Walsingham is speaking with Mary of Guise, she is holding a table knife up to her lips, and is playing with it by rotating the handle. The camera then switches to a shot from behind her head and the knife is oriented the other direction. Then, as they continue speaking, the camera shot returns to the original angle and the knife handle is reoriented back to the original hand. See more »

Quotes

Queen Mary: [shouting] My sister was born of that whore, Anne Boleyn! She was born a bastard! She will never rule England!
See more »

Connections

Followed by Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007) See more »

Soundtracks

"Nimrod"
from "Enigma Variations"
Composed by Edward Elgar (as Sir Edward Elgar)
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Queen Blanchett
13 January 2008 | by (Italy) – See all my reviews

The Academy Awards ceremony of 1999 angered many people: Shakespeare in Love, albeit a very smart and funny film, robbed the superior Saving Private Ryan of the Best Picture Oscar; Roberto Benigni beat Edward Norton in the Best Actor category (though it was the Italian star's behavior, rather than his performance, that irritated those attending the event); and Gwyneth Paltrow, who wasn't actually bad in Shakespeare, walked away with the Best Actress award, depriving Cate Blanchett of the recognition she should have received for her revelatory work in Elizabeth.

This film, the first in what the director hopes will be a trilogy (the second installment was released in 2007), covers the early years of Elizabeth I's reign, from her harsh upbringing to the decision to call herself "the Virgin Queen". To describe her situation as tough is an understatement: she was a Protestant monarch in a largely Catholic kingdom, several covert groups wanted her dead and foreign sovereigns kept asking for her hand in marriage, without ever succeeding, for the only man she loved was also the only one she couldn't have.

Conspiracies and unhappy romances: two unusual ingredients for a period drama. And that is exactly why the film succeeds: in the mind of director Shekhar Kapur, this is not the usual costume film where events are observed with a static eye and what might be perceived by some as excessive slowness (Quentin Tarantino's infamous rant about "Merchant-Ivory sh*t" is aimed at those productions); instead, we get a lively, vibrant piece of work, with the camera sweeping through the gorgeous sets and leering at the exquisite costumes while recounting the grand story. And what a story: the thriller aspect aims to please viewers who find the genre a bit lacking in the tension department, whereas the Queen's doomed love affair with Joseph Fiennes' Earl of Leicester (a plot element to which the BBC miniseries from 2005, starring Helen Mirren and Jeremy Irons, is a sort of sequel) is the polar opposite of the sanitized, passionless romantic tales that tend to feature in other period films.

Good-looking technique and strong storytelling would, however, be useless if the title role wasn't played by an equally great actress, and Pakur found the perfect Elizabeth in Blanchett: an odd choice she may have seemed (she was a complete unknown in Hollywood prior to being cast in this movie), but the performance she delivers is nothing short of astonishing. Doubtful, determined, passionate, naive, heartbroken, firm and charismatic - she is quite simply the best on-screen incarnation of Elizabeth in the long history of biopics. The supporting cast (Fiennes, Geoffrey Rush, Christopher Eccleston, Richard Attenborough) is also excellent, as expected from British and Australian thespians, but it is Blanchett who dominates the entire picture. Shame the Academy didn't take notice.


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Why Walsingham too loyal to elizabeth? mangkook
Compre and Contrast Elizabeth and Golden Age Tgogators
Edited Version for Classroom Use? gbeasley1
Robert wanted Elizabeth assassinated? jimrm1
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Is it just me or is this movie weird?! darylUK
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