Elizabeth 1998, Rated R Polygram Home Video

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Starring Cate Blanchett. Released to DVD on April 27, 1999.

As certain rocket scientists have speculated, Elizabeth is the tale of Queen Elizabeth's rise to power in 16^th century England. With enemies abounding in France and Spain (the Spanish Armada was defeated in 1588, some 30 years after the time period investigated in this film), Elizabeth's succession to the throne was ripe with second guessing officers and vengeful lords who wished the new queen harm.

The acting performances in Elizabeth were far superior to the performances given in the other Best Picture nominees. Joseph Fiennes and Geoffrey Rush, who were both nominated for Oscars for their work in John Madden's Shakespeare in Love, were far more deserving of nominations for their acting in Elizabeth, with Rush in particular displa.html>spla.html>spla.html>spla.html>splaying a calm, poised seriousness as Sir Francis Walsingham that greatly benefited Elizabeth's final product. However, it was virtual screen rookie, Cate Blanchett whose performance as Queen Elizabeth drew the most raves.

Blanchett's portrayal of the virgin queen is stellar for two distinct reasons: 1) her character is one of the strongest, most influential women in history, the type of role at which actresses drool, and 2) Elizabeth goes through a complete transformation as a person from the time the film opens to the closing credits.

As Elizabeth opens, we are introduced to a weak, naïve Elizabeth. She is subservient to all persons she meets, despite her albeit bastardized royal blood. Kapur shoots Blanchett dancing gaily in the English fields and shows how her kind of boyfriend, Joseph Fiennes, steps up to protect her when necessary. However, this all changes once Elizabeth is crowned queen. No longer does she allow others to step up for her; she is adamant about taking care of herself. She begins to care more about her country and people than she does her personal self, and Blanchett's portrayal of Elizabeth's changing persona is shown beautifully on-screen.

I especially liked Elizabeth because of its dark nature, both literally and metaphorically. The middle ages are often romanticized into fairy tales of far-off lands and of princes and princesses, while the actual truth was quite the brutal opposite of that vision. Backstabbing, secret alliances, and harsh punishments were not the exceptions, but rather, the rule. It was this dark essence that Kapur so vividly put on-screen. The interiors of the castles and churches were all poorly lit, giving the production a cold sense of realism that well accompanied the script.

Kapur's style of direction was self-indulgent to say the leastóElizabeth was the only film nominated for Best Picture that didn't also get a nod for the Best Director awardóand with lots of close-ups quickly cut together with wide angled set-up shots, the good sense of pacing that this film wanted to have was often compromised. But even the destructive nature of Kapur's direction couldn't detract from the story screenwriter Michael Hirst wanted to tell in Elizabeth.

The story behind Elizabeth and the translation of this tale to the big-screen is far superior to any other film made in 1998, but Kapur's constantly moving camera and penchant for rapid editing won't earn this film the Best Picture statuette. All the same, one cannot help but be stunned by this almost epic parable of Elizabeth and her rise to power.