Elizabeth: review

In the movie, "Elizabeth", starring Cate Blanchett as Queen Elizabeth, bastard daughter of King Henry VII, the moviegoer is embraced by color and lighting in every scene. In this movie, color and lighting are what make this movie a period movie of the Victorian era, we are not left guessing during what time or what land this movie takes place.

During the reign of Elizabeth's half sister, Queen Mary, the scenes are notoriously darkly lit. It is during this part of the movie where we experience uncertain times of the current Queen's health status and the uncertainty of her half-sister's determination of whether or not she is to live or die. The time portrayed in the movie is a time of religious upheaval between the Catholics and heathen Protestants. (I do not mean I feel this way about Protestants;it is the expression the Catholics have for the Protestants during this time and Queen's ruling).

We see the scenes change, subtly, towards a lighter feeling after the death of Queen Mary, beginning with the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth. The scenes are active with stillshots including all which could give us a better understanding of this time period's grandeur, from the intricately designed and detailed dresses of the Queen to the massive Cathedral and castle columns.

I found the final scenes in the movie to be the most impactive of the film. Queen Elizabeth finds herself to be judged as a woman and with that being a weakness, re-defines herself by cutting her hair, stating "I have become a virgin" and stripping her natural beauty away towards an emotionless, cold "Virgin Queen". The following and final scene is her grand entrance as the newly defined Queen, face painted ghostly white, lips a frightening red and non-revealing regalia. The special effects applied to this final entrance is the Ironic use of color with softened, blurred auras surrounding the Queen. This irony is defined and realized by the communication Queen Elizabeth had at the feet of the blessed Virgin Mary after she had her traitors heads cut off and posted on sticks for all the kingdom to see.

I found this movie to be very serious with very little whimsy or humor. It is a story told to those of us who have never experienced the Victorian age and none the less, of a country ruled by a woman suffering from the types of judgements all women seem to face, to this day, in all parts of the world. It is with great awe at the end of the movie we find out Queen Elizabeth ruled for 40 years during what she defined as "The Golden Age" as "The Virgin Queen".