Taglines: Declared illegitimate aged 3. Tried for treason aged 21. Crowned Queen aged 25.
Elizabeth movie storyline. This British-made historical drama depicts the rise of young Elizabeth Tudor to Queen of England, a reign of intrigue and betrayals. In 1554, Queen Mary I (Kathy Burke) tries to restore Catholicism as England’s single faith. With no heir to the crown, she maneuvers to keep her Protestant half-sister Elizabeth (Cate Blanchett) from succeeding her, but her efforts fail.
With Mary dead, Elizabeth is proclaimed Queen of England in November 1558. Elizabeth relishes the return from exile of her childhood sweetheart, Lord Robert Dudley (Joseph Fiennes). Chief adviser Sir William Cecil (Richard Attenborough) urges the young Queen to forget personal matters and instead address the country’s pressing problems. England is bankrupt, has no army, and is under serious threat from abroad.
Elizabeth even has enemies within her own court, the most dangerous being the Duke of Norfolk (Christopher Eccleston). Hoping for an heir, Cecil suggests marriage candidates — King Philip II of Spain or the French Duc d’Anjou (Vincent Cassel) — to secure the realm. Elizabeth agrees to meet their ambassadors, but her true feelings are revealed when she meets Dudley for a secret tryst.
French “warrior queen” Mary of Guise (Fanny Ardent) amasses troops at the Scottish border. Elizabeth bows to the pro-War lobby led by Norfolk, despite protests from her Master of Spies, the enigmatic Sir Francis Walsingham (Geoffrey Rush), but the decision to fight leads to a humiliating defeat.
As dark clouds of court conspiracies gather, and the possibility of assassination looms, Elizabeth strikes out at her enemies and puts her trust in Walsingham. Shown at 1998 film fests (Venice, Toronto), this is the first English-language film of Indian director Shekhar Kapur, who shot on locations at Northumberland, Derbyshire, North Yorkshire, and at Shepperton Studios.
Elizabeth is a 1998 British biographical film written by Michael Hirst, directed by Shekhar Kapur, and starring Cate Blanchett in the title role of Queen Elizabeth I of England, alongside Geoffrey Rush, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Fiennes, John Gielgud, Fanny Ardant and Richard Attenborough. The film is loosely based on the early years of Elizabeth’s reign. Blanchett and Rush reprised their roles in the sequel, Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), covering the later part of her reign.
The film brought Australian actress Blanchett to international attention. She won several awards for her portrayal of Elizabeth, notably a BAFTA and a Golden Globe in 1998. The film was named the 1998 BAFTA Award for Best British Film and was nominated for seven awards at the 71st Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actress, winning Best Makeup.
The film sees a young Elizabeth elevated to the throne on the death of her half-sister Mary I, who had imprisoned her. Elizabeth’s reign over the divided and bankrupt realm is perceived as weak and under threat of invasion by France or Spain. For the future stability and security of the crown she is urged by advisor William Cecil to marry; she has suitors in the Catholic Philip II of Spain and the French Henri, Duc d’Anjou. However, she instead embarks on an affair with the wholly unsuitable Robert Dudley.
Elizabeth (1999)
Directed by: Shekhar Kapur
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Kathy Burke, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Fiennes, Richard Attenborough, Emily Mortimer, Fanny Ardant, Eric Cantona, Vincent Cassel
Screenplay by: Michael Hirst
Production Design by: John Myhre
Cinematography by: Remi Adefarasin
Film Editing by: Jill Bilcock
Costume Design by: Alexandra Byrne
Set Decoration by: Peter Howitt
Art Direction by: Jonathan Lee, Lucy Richardson
Music by: David Hirschfelder
MPAA Rating: R for violence and sexuality.
Distributed by: Gramercy Pictures
Release Date: October 23, 1998 (United Kingdom), February 19, 1999 (United States)
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