"The Virgin Queen" (2005) TV mini-series

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

13 November 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The Virgin Queen explores the full sweep of Elizabeth's life: from her days of fear as a potential victim...

Plot Keywords:

Historical Fiction | Historical | 16th Century | Queen Elizabeth I | TV Mini-Series

Awards:

1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Anne-Marie Duff	...	Queen Elizabeth I (4 episodes, 2006)
Sienna Guillory	...	Lettice Knollys (4 episodes, 2006)
Ian Hart	...	William Cecil - Lord Burghley (4 episodes, 2006)
Tom Hardy	...	Robert Dudley / ... (4 episodes, 2006)
Dexter Fletcher	...	Sir Thomas Radcliffe - Earl of Sussex (3 episodes, 2006)
Richard Syms	...	Courtier (3 episodes, 2006)
Tara Fitzgerald	...	Kat Ashley (3 episodes, 2006)
Kevin McKidd	...	Duke of Norfolk (2 episodes, 2006)
Ben Daniels	...	Francis Walsingham (2 episodes, 2006)
Jason Watkins	...	Christopher Hatton (2 episodes, 2006)

Also Known As:

"Elizabeth I: The Virgin Queen" (USA) (DVD title)

Runtime:

237 min (4 parts)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

UK:12 (parts 1 & 4) | UK:PG (parts 2 & 3) | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Alnwick Castle, Alnwick, Northumberland, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Quotes:

[rallying her troops to fight the Spanish]
Queen Elizabeth I: I know that I have the body of a weak and feeble woman. But I have the heart and stomach of a king - and a king of England, too. And I think foul scorn that Spain or any prince of Europe should dare to invade the borders of my realm. To which, rather than face that dishonour...
[...]

Soundtrack:

The Queen Lives

A different look at Queen Elizabeth's life

Retelling a story in history in the framework of film can be tricky business and Masterpiece Theatre's The Virgin Queen doesn't attempt to adhere to accuracy in the slightest. But, if you're like me, you would love to experience the story of Queen Elizabeth a thousands times over in a thousand ways, and this film richly succeeds in it's own right.

I have never seen such accurate costuming, beautiful sets or clever a soundtrack in any Elizabethan film (Oh my God, the soundtrack). Royal stoicism is put aside in lieu of emotive imagery. More than many films of this historical powerhouse, I appreciate the attention paid to the human side of Queen Eliazabeth--her vanity, weakness for the opposite sex (considering her royal responsibilities), and infamous indecisiveness.

I could have done without the laughably overblown Casa Nova characterization of Lord Robert Dudley (Tom Hardy, ). He came off as a retired Backstreet Boy, looked far too young for the part, and portrayed none of the cultivated finesse that those familiar with the real man know, in-turn, leaving the audience wondering what about this man is worth the scandal.

If you have any interest in a new take of Elizabeth's life since the 1998 film Elizabeth, I truly recommend this mini-series. For a more historically accurate glance of the time period in England, check out BBC's Elizabeth (1971) starring Glenda Jackson.