Elizabeth I: The Virgin Queen...

[fajrdrako]

Over the weekend I watched Elizabeth I The Virgin Queen, which was a Masterpiece Theatre production following the life of Elizabeth I.

I loved it. Though there have been numerous good movies about Elizabeth, I thought this was the best yet, for characterization, pacing, intensity, accuracy and general watchability. Of course, as movies must, it focused heavily on Elizabeth's relationship with Robert Dudley, and then with Robert Devereux - who in this interpretation was unstable and delusional. Good performances particularly from the actors playing these men, Tom Hardy and Hans Matheson. Anne-Marie Duff was great as Elizabeth herself, managing to be sympathetic without whitewashing. I also particularly liked Derek Riddell as Sir Walter Raleigh.

Now, I must confess, I missed a lot of names as the story went by, and sometimes could only identify people belatedly by their roles - if at all. Matthias Gibbig seemed surprising underplayed as the Duc of Anjou. Neil Stuke bore no resemblance to my imagination's picture of Francis Bacon. But all in all... good film.

Bad luck, to be born the daughter of Henry VIII.

Comments

[msilverstar]

Bad luck / good luck? No guarantee she'd have been happy in love in any other situation. She had one hell of a life, far more interesting than most people's lives, men and women, then and now. My feeling is that she'd say it was worth it, all told.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Bad luck / good luck? No guarantee she'd have been happy in love in any other situation.

I wasn't think so much of her love life as her difficult situation: orphaned young, imprisoned by her sister, and then feeling compelled to imprison her cousin; plots against her position and her life, with religious feeling running high; the fact that her father had her mother killed. Yes, I think she had a successful and satisfying life, and would say it was worth it - and after all, someone had to take the crown.

But it was also a life much more difficult that most people have to endure.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

Great miniseries. :)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Too bad there aren't more like that.

[janne-d.livejournal.com]

Interesting - I missed that series when it was on in the UK, because it was shown not long after Elizabeth I (on the BBC I think) with Helen Mirren as Elizabeth, Jeremay Irons as Robert Dudley and Hugh Dancey as Devereux, and I had Elizabethan fatigue. Plus I thought it might suffer from comparison, because Helen Mirren and Jeremy Irons were both superb.

Sounds like it was worth a watch though.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Helen Mirren and Jeremy Irons are pretty much unsurpassable. But I thought this version had better writing, pacing and direction - despite a moment or two when I wished we could have Jeremy Irons back! That version was certainly excellent, and I'm glad I didn't see them too close together. It has been just enough time that I could look at this with fresh eyes and not think of that one - or Cate Blanchett, either.

[filkferengi]

Worse luck to be born [or not born] his son.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Evward VI, you mean? He didn't strike me as having such a troubled life -not that things were easy for him, and of course he died, young, but he didn't start out with his father killing his mother, and he was never imprisoned by his sister. Doubtless his life was no bed of roses, but his position was somewhat simpler.

[filkferengi]

That, & the real Henry Fitzroy likewise died young. Anne Boleyn's son never got born at all.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

True enough. One begins to wonder about the health of those Tudor genes - though I suppose in those days longevity was never assured for anyone.