Running time: 114 minutes
Rating 6 out of 10
The melodramatic Elizabeth: Golden Age reunites director Shekhar Kapur, writer Michael Hirst and stars Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush from 1998's Elizabeth, which would qualify it as a sequel in some eyes. As such, the prospect of calling it Elizabeth II must have been tempting were it not for the obvious confusion this would have caused. Coming up with a justifiable hook on which to hang yet another cinematic study of the formidable English monarch must have been an issue. The answer, though, was simple being it's the central theme of most films: love. Elizabeth was known as the Virgin Queen, a title bestowed as much to reflect her strong, single-minded resolve as her sexual status. First time around Kapur focused on Elizabeth's early years. Here he endeavours to show both her fortitude and vulnerability as she finds herself conflicted, torn between her responsibilities as queen and needs as a woman. Through Cate Blanchett's riveting portrayal of Elizabeth, The Golden Age captures her internal anguish, but the film's overwrought, simplistic approach deals only in broad brush strokes. It's loud in every aspect, from its performances and dialogue, to its lavish production and music. The Golden element in the title could just as easily apply to the film's polished sheen as the era in which Elizabeth reigned.
When we meet Elizabeth, she is vetting potential suitors. With Spain, under the zealous rule of its catholic king Philip, threatening to attack England and overthrow the protestant monarchy, Elizabeth needs an heir to prevent her catholic cousin Mary Queen of Scotts (Samantha Morton) succeeding her. None of the candidates stir anything in Elizabeth, but when the tanned and dashing Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen) shows up, fresh back from his adventures in the New World, her normally implacable demeanour betrays a trace of interest.
Set against the backdrop of England's impending invasion by the Spanish Armada, Elizabeth and Raleigh embark on a chaste relationship, one that can never be consummated, despite her desperate yearning for intimacy and love. Blanchett, fully embodies the strength and sensitivity of Elizabeth, while Owen adopts his all too familiar smug, aloof manner to portray the heroic Raleigh. Though set in the 16th century, Elizabeth: The Golden Age possesses a very contemporary feel, exemplified by the look of Owen who appears to have come straight from the set of a shampoo commercial rather than an intrepid voyage of discovery. The pair look to have come from two very different eras, and the performances from different movies.
As a historical drama, Elizabeth: The Golden Era lacks authenticity. It's more akin to the stylized cinematic interpretation recently afforded to the life of another great Queen, Marie Antoinette. What it does possess is a masterful performance from Blanchett, plenty of bluff and bluster, and the possibility of Elizabeth III.
Kevin Murphy
