Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Title: Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Genre: Historical Drama
Rating: 3.5/5
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Clive Owen

I wasn't intending on watching this film tonight, I forget it was on, but when I remembered I got curious and decided to check it out. In general, I got through it gladly and enjoyed watching "Blanchett" put on the best performance I saw for her. The actors did good job, the costume design was stunning, and the cinematography was brilliant, although all these factors weren't enough to make the film better. There's always the issue of credibility. And so, I watched a film exploring the relationship of the queen with an explorer, her dilemma with Catholic-Protestant ordeal, how she dealt with the attack of "Philip II" of Spain, and how she deals with "Mary I".

I am no scholar of history, and I am especially no scholar of "British" history, but I would really appreciate it when making a film about a figure as important as "Elizabeth" not turning it into a melodrama. I don't condone changing many significant facts just to suite the films motives and plans. For instance, we saw various suitors coming to "Elizabeth" in the film, the timing was near the war with "Spain", while in reality she was in her early 50s at that time and the suitors had come much earlier than what presented, not forget many things fabricated about "Walter Raleigh". It's arguable that the depth of their relation was explored, but his involvement in the war as we saw was completely made up. I thought it was a good idea with trying to explore another side of the queen, but here we come to a point where it's a mere fable, similar to that of "Dido" as I saw, than fact. Many things that I shall abstain from mentioning were changed, this film can be considered an atrocity to any historian, but one thing I won't question, that thing is bring the "British" patriotism and heroism to screen. I thoroughly enjoyed it, even if I haven't been to the UK.

Let's us discuss the technical merits of this film. The costume design and setting gave the film such splendor, that we sometimes forget what's going on just to focus and the way people dress. It's probably some of the best I have seen since "Amadeus". "Alexandra Byrne" really did a meticulous job! The cinematography is and editing is charming, capturing particular moments that leave us at awe. The score and music composed were an epitome of epic! Graceful at times, strong at others. Every actor did a really good job, but of course, "Cate" stole the show. The director, "Shekhar Kapur" did a fine job in letting us live that age, and letting us enjoy each moment. As I said, this film was brought to us as a fable rather than a historical film, and for that I object. This is a similar case to "Shakespeare in Love". One of the things that really bothered me in this film was its rush. The movement of the film was quicker than what it's supposed to be, so we remain thinking and wondering about many things in this film. So much ground covered in a film that didn't cross a 2 hours mark, which leads me to believe the film's plot as a whole could've been better.

The film is enjoyable and entertaining. Though not prefect, I didn't regret watching it. Yes there are some mistakes we can't forget or overlook, these mistakes would lower the film's rating, yet it isn't a complete waste of time to watch it. A general knowledge of "Britain's" history is preferred to have before watching it, or we'd be having some troubles comprehending what's going on. To those interested in this sort of movies would thoroughly enjoy it, but not the best film to any one seeking historical accuracy.