Elizabeth
Directed by Shekhar Kapur
- drama
- history
The story
The story of the ascension to the throne and the early reign of Queen Elizabeth the First, the endless attempts by her council to marry her off, the Catholic hatred of her and her romance with Lord Robert Dudley.
What it’s like
Candlelit interiors dominate, with shadowed stone halls, velvet and brocade catching warm amber against near-black, and sudden cold daylight when the story steps outdoors into rain-grey English fields. Shekhar Kapur builds the frame with tight, theatrical compositions: faces pressed into corners, figures framed by doorways and tapestries, and camera moves that drift in and stop abruptly, as though something is about to be decided. Michael Hirst's dialogue lands in brisk, pointed bursts, and the score by David Hirschfelder keeps its orchestral swells sparing, with long stretches of quiet broken by tolling bells and hushed chant. The mood is tense and watchful, a slow-burn court drama where paranoia simmers under ceremony. Violence is brief but sharp, including a few sudden executions and a bloody mob scene, and there is some sexual content and an arranged-marriage undercurrent, with dread running throughout rather than gore. Its emotional arc follows a young woman learning to wield power while hiding her loneliness behind a public mask. Best for viewers who enjoy period intrigue, sumptuous costume, and a sharp, controlled performance by Cate Blanchett across a long, rainy evening.
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