This historical drama set in the 16th century – starring Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush and charting the turbulent life and times of the self-proclaimed “Virgin Queen” – was given a vivid contemporary focus by Indian director Shekhar Kapur.
Spirited young Elizabeth is crowned queen upon the death of her sister Mary amid religious conflict and intrigue at court.
Her advisers urge her to protect England from attack by making a political marriage with a suitor from France or Spain, but her first commitment is to rule her country.
Australian actress Cate Blanchett plays the strong-willed monarch who nimbly transforms from naive girlhood to true majesty, assisted by Sir Francis Walsingham (Rush).
Richard Attenborough, Angus Deayton and ex-footballer Eric Cantona flesh out the interesting cast as Bollywood meets The Godfather.
The film is full of historical inaccuracies: In reality, Elizabeth was fully aware that her love interest, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester (Joseph Fiennes), was married, and he did not conspire against her at all but remained a close supporter of hers until his death; Mary of Guise (Fanny Ardant) was not killed by Walsingham but died from fluid retention; she was also not related to Francis, Duke of Anjou (Vincent Cassel); Elizabeth’s lady-in-waiting, Kat Ashley (Emily Mortimer), was not the same age as her but at least 20 years her senior, and Elizabeth was put under house arrest at Woodstock Palace, not Hatfield House.
Elizabeth I
Cate Blanchett Sir Francis Walsingham
Geoffrey Rush Sir William Cecil
Richard Attenborough The Pope
John Gielgud Mary of Guise
Fanny Ardant Bishop Gardiner
Terence Rigby Duke of Norfolk
Christopher Eccleston Lettice Howard
Amanda Ryan Queen Mary Tudor
Kathy Burke Alvaro de la Quadra
James Frain Earl of Sussex
Jamie Foreman Earl of Arundel
Edward Hardwicke Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester
Joseph Fiennes Isabel Knollys
Kelly Macdonald Kat Ashley
Emily Mortimer Woad, Chancellor of the Exchequer
Angus Deayton Monsieur de Foix
Eric Cantona Francis, Duc d’Anjou
Vincent Cassel John Ballard
Daniel Craig Lady in Waiting
Lily Allen
Director
Shekhar Kapur
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Her advisers urge her to protect England from attack by making a political marriage with a suitor from France or Spain, but her first commitment is to rule her country.
