Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007)
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Queen Elizabeth I must navigate a web of Catholic plots and personal desires as the Spanish Armada looms on the horizon.
The story
In 1585, Catholic Spain, ruled by King Philip II, seeks to invade and re-Catholicise England with the Pope's blessing. Philip plots to overthrow Queen Elizabeth and install his daughter, Isabella, as Queen. Meanwhile, Elizabeth faces pressure from her advisor, Francis Walsingham, to marry to ensure the throne's succession. Amidst these political tensions, English explorer Walter Raleigh returns from the New World, capturing Elizabeth's attention. As Jesuits in London conspire with Philip to assassinate Elizabeth and replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots, the Queen must navigate a dangerous landscape of religious conflict, personal attraction, and looming naval threats.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1585, King Philip II of Spain, backed by Pope Sixtus V, plots to invade England and install his daughter Isabella as Queen. Queen Elizabeth I is pressured by her advisor, Francis Walsingham, to marry to secure the succession. Elizabeth becomes enthralled by explorer Walter Raleigh, who begins a secret affair with her lady-in-waiting, Bess Throckmorton. Concurrently, Jesuits and Anthony Babington plot to assassinate Elizabeth and replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots. After Walsingham reveals the Spanish plan, Elizabeth confronts Spanish diplomats and expels them. Philip builds the Spanish Armada to invade. Babington attempts to assassinate Elizabeth at a cathedral but fails as his pistol is empty. Elizabeth agrees to execute Mary, Queen of Scots, to quell revolts. However, Philip uses Mary's death as a pretext for war. Bess reveals she is pregnant with Raleigh's child; Elizabeth berates her and banishes her, but later forgives her. As the Spanish Armada approaches, a storm blows them toward the English coast, where they are destroyed by English fire ships. Elizabeth watches the Armada sink, resigned to her role as the Virgin Queen.
- First release year
- 2007
- Runtime (minutes)
- 114
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; France; Germany
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Shekhar Kapur
- Writers
- William Nicholson · writer; Michael Hirst · writer
- Cast and characters
- Cate Blanchett · Elizabeth I; Geoffrey Rush · null; Clive Owen · null; Rhys Ifans · null; Jordi Mollà · null; Abbie Cornish · null; Samantha Morton · null
- Genres
- biographical; historical drama
- Themes
- Religious conflict; Power and succession; Tolerance vs. Fundamentalism
- Tone and mood
- Lavish; Melodramatic; Patriotic
- Premise and plot tags
- Historical Drama; Biographical; Sequel; Epic
- Source material / true-story basis
- Loose but fact-based portrayal of events during the latter part of the reign of Elizabeth I
- Franchise connections
- Elizabeth
- Reception
- The film received generally mixed to negative reviews from US critics, with praise for Cate Blanchett's performance but criticism for lacking the heart of the original.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 34% · scale: percentage · review count: 163; Metacritic · score: 45 · scale: 100 · review count: 35; CinemaScore · score: B · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Best Costume Design · Academy Award · 80th · Won; Best Actress · Academy Award · 80th · Nominated; Special Screening · Pyongyang International Film Festival · 2008 · Won
- Production trivia
- Cate Blanchett was the first female actor to receive two Academy Award nominations for playing the same role.; The film's production designer was Guy Hendrix Dyas.; The score was composed by two artists with totally different backgrounds and cultures: A. R. Rahman and Craig Armstrong.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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