Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Elizabeth I’s recent wave of filmic popularity continues with director Shekhar Kapur’s ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE, his follow-up to the Oscar-nomined 1998 film ELIZABETH. He has assembled a mini-reunion of names and faces seen in the original film, including stars Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush and screenwriter Michael Hirst, among others. While the first film focused on the early years of Elizabeth’s reign, playing fast and free with facts and ultimately producing an engaging and passionate film, this sequel focuses on the Gloriana days during the middle of Elizabeth’s reign, a territory studied twice in the past two years (both for British television). As a result, not only does the action seem all-too familiar this time around, the film does not succeed in creating an overarching theme that forgives the dramatic license taken.

As the film opens, Spain is mounting an attack against the protestant queen, enlisting not only the help of a devoted Catholic sect in London, but of Mary, Queen of Scots herself (the film does end up portraying her in a rather villainous light). All the while, England’s stalwart queen (Blanchett) still finds herself dealing with courtiers and would-be husbands from across Europe. She is disinterested until her passions are roused by the adventurous Sir Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen), who unfortunately also has eyes for Elizabeth’s favorite maid, Bess (Abbie Cornish). As pressure from Spain builds up and the queen’s opposition begins to show itself, Elizabeth must prove once again why God put her in her place.

As in ELIZABETH, the film rests entirely upon Blanchett’s shoulders. While she does have many strong moments throughout, she does not capture attention in the role as easily. She still remains a pillar of strength, her booming voice and cool complexion making her a natural born leader in every sense. Yet in the first half, the film seems to play almost as a comedy, and Blanchett reflects that. Instead of awe-inspiring tenacity, she imbues the character with a been-there, done-that sense of sarcasm reminiscent of Bette Davis in ALL ABOUT EVE. Once the action sets along its main course (the inevitable war with Spain), Blanchett strikes with all the bottled-in rage that the audience has been longing for. Her impassioned speeches, most notably to the Spanish ambassador and, later, to the English troops, are masterpieces of control and emotion. And as the film goes on, she begins to show signs of the panicked jealousy and fear that would mark Elizabeth’s later years, giving the fearless leader a more sympathetic slant sorely missed in the first half.

The film is sumptuously constructed, with every element seemingly one degree away from being over the top. That is, except the score, which is pervasive, loud and (at times) highly inappropriate. But the sheer epic scope as illustrated by the towering sets and intricate costumes make the film a visual feast. There are many beautiful images to behold, but even they veer dangerously toward the clichéd and over the top; a candle blowing out signifying defeat, a horse leaping over the side of a ship, etc. The script’s emphasis on wind is rather irritating as well. Not only does there seem to be a constant dramatic breeze blowing through drapes and curtains, but the characters make far too many references to the oncoming storm, the hurricane that is to come, the clouds that are gathering overhead, blah blah blah. The fact that there IS actually a storm when the English and Spanish collide makes these statements even more grating.

The film most errs in its depictions of the villains, which are so cartoonish and obvious that a two-year-old would be able to identify them. The Spanish are all of the moustache-twirling, darting eyes type, with Philip doing nothing more than delivering typically creepy sounding speeches of foreboding… well, creepiness. Even Samantha Morton’s minutes-long performance as Mary falls under into the clichéd villains club; the type that remains quietly evil and blindly aligned with their cause. It’s a wonder that the assassins in this film actually got so close to Elizabeth; they may as well be walking around with signs on their heads.

This film is a far cry from its predecessor, both in terms of storytelling and style. Where the first film was passionate and unexpected, this film plays it by the books, seeking out visual grandeur in place of meaningful scenes. Blanchett still gives it her all, and still remains impressive, but everything else seems half-baked, much like Elizabeth’s relationship with Raleigh. ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE is a sure sign that enough has been said about Elizabeth I in the world of film. It’s high time we moved on to the next fascinating monarch.

*1/2