Elizabeth (1998)
I can only imagine how upset Cate Blanchett was by the results of the 1998 Academy Awards. An elaborate period piece in Elizabethan England with fantastic sets and costumes, featuring Joseph Fiennes and Geoffrey Rush, won Best Actress – but it was Gwyneth Paltrow instead! And to add insult to injury, Judi Dench took home Best Supporting Actress for a brief appearance as Queen Elizabeth. Shakespeare in Love was a delightful movie, but my sympathy certainly lies with Miss Blanchett. She practically came out of nowhere, and this was her first lead in a major motion picture. Her unadorned face and flawless, translucent skin made it easy to believe she was, in fact, young Elizabeth come to life and set before a camera.
In this very authentic looking period piece, the filmmakers spare no detail for their potentially squeamish viewers. People in the 1500s had rotted teeth, greasy hair, and looked like they hadn’t bathed in a year. Remember Queen Elizabeth was considered excessive for taking a bath once a month “whether or not [she] needed it”? This movie looks like you snuck a camera into a time machine and filmed those filthy people. My hat goes off to the dim candlelight, the exquisite sets and costumes, and the cold weather that seeps out of the screen.
Now that I’ve complemented it, here are my words of warning: Those who suffer from vertigo cannot watch this movie. In nearly every scene, director Shekhar Kapur swirls the camera around in a circle. Whether he adopted that tactic to convey what a whirlwind Elizabeth found herself in, or to add a touch of modernity to the period piece, it’s quite excessive and will give some viewers cause to turn the movie off. Also, it’s very violent. Extremely violent. The opening scene shows women being prepared to be burned at the stake; their heads are shaved and cut by the razor, they scream and scream and scream, and finally, they’re shown gasping out their last as the fire and smoke kills them. This movie shows beheadings and the prizes mounted on stakes. If you’re squeamish, either watch it from behind a pillow or pick something else tonight.
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to violence, I wouldn’t let my kids watch it.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. In nearly every scene, the camera swirls in a circle, and that will make you sick. In other words, “Don’t Look, Mom!”
More Cate Blanchett movies here!
In this very authentic looking period piece, the filmmakers spare no detail for their potentially squeamish viewers. People in the 1500s had rotted teeth, greasy hair, and looked like they hadn’t bathed in a year. Remember Queen Elizabeth was considered excessive for taking a bath once a month “whether or not [she] needed it”? This movie looks like you snuck a camera into a time machine and filmed those filthy people. My hat goes off to the dim candlelight, the exquisite sets and costumes, and the cold weather that seeps out of the screen.
Now that I’ve complemented it, here are my words of warning: Those who suffer from vertigo cannot watch this movie. In nearly every scene, director Shekhar Kapur swirls the camera around in a circle. Whether he adopted that tactic to convey what a whirlwind Elizabeth found herself in, or to add a touch of modernity to the period piece, it’s quite excessive and will give some viewers cause to turn the movie off. Also, it’s very violent. Extremely violent. The opening scene shows women being prepared to be burned at the stake; their heads are shaved and cut by the razor, they scream and scream and scream, and finally, they’re shown gasping out their last as the fire and smoke kills them. This movie shows beheadings and the prizes mounted on stakes. If you’re squeamish, either watch it from behind a pillow or pick something else tonight.
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to violence, I wouldn’t let my kids watch it.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. In nearly every scene, the camera swirls in a circle, and that will make you sick. In other words, “Don’t Look, Mom!”
More Cate Blanchett movies here!