Academy Award® winners Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush join Academy Award® nominee Clive Owen in a gripping historical thriller full of suspense, intrigue and adventure!
When Queen Elizabeth's reign is threatened by ruthless familial betrayal and Spain's invading army, she and her shrewd advisor must act to safeguard to the lives of her people. But when a dashing seafarer, Walter Raleigh, captures her heart, she is forced to make her most tragic sacrifice for the good of her country.
Elizabeth: The Golden Age tells the thrilling tale of one woman's crusade to control her love, destroy her enemies and secure her position as a beloved icon of the western world.
In 1998's Elizabeth, Shekhar Kapur added a layer of suds to his history lesson; the director follows the same audience-pleasing recipe in Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Since the first film, Blanchett scored an Oscar for her note-perfect rendition of Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator, and she plays the preternaturally bemused monarch in a similar fashion. By 1585, Elizabeth I is an experienced ruler about to face two of her biggest challenges: betrayal by her Catholic cousin, Mary Stuart (Control's Samantha Morton), and invasion by the Spanish Armada. It isn't so much that the Protestant Elizabeth wishes to rid England of "papists," but that she wants her country to remain free from foreign domination. Closer to her home, she enjoys a sisterly relationship with lady-in-waiting Bess (rising Aussie star Abbie Cornish). That changes when Sir Walter Raleigh (a dashing Clive Owen) hits the scene. In order to continue exploring the New World, he seeks the queen's sponsorship. She is charmed, but Raleigh only has eyes for Bess. As in the previous picture, Elizabeth enjoys better luck at affairs of state than affairs of the heart, but the conclusion is more beatific than before (and Kapur intends a third installment if Blanchett is willing). Elizabeth: The Golden Age is a rush of royal intrigue, bloody torture, fantastic headpieces, and irresistibly ripe dialogue, like "I have a hurricane in me that will strip Spain bare if you dare to try me!" To Kapur, victory for the Virgin Queen was a viable alternative to sex. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
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Stills from Elizabeth - The Golden Age (click for larger image)
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.5 / 5.0
Very nice pictures but historically inaccurate.:
Very nice pictures. This film is for those that appreciate more the stetical side of live/things than the real facts... a lot of both , Hollywood and historical inaccuracy.
Lots Of Visual Treats & Good Acting:
If you enjoy great acting performances, stunning direction and cinematography and more (sets, costumes, etc.) you should be entertained for most of the two hours. The story was pretty interesting, too. It's tough to beat a foursome like Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Clive Owen and Samantha Morton for good acting but - for me, the star of the film was the photographer. In this case it is Remi Adefarasin. Between his camera-work, the direction of Shekhar Kapur, and the production design by Guy Dyas,... more info
Elizabeth: The Golden Age is almost golden.:
While not quite as great and flawless as its predecessor, Elizabeth, it is, however, something grander in scope for which character development suffers a bit. This sequel is filmed 10 years after the first one, but little is lost along the way. The same writer and director are back and, of course, so is Cate Blanchett delivering yet another knockout performance as the "Virgin Queen" desperate to love, but all too aware of its perils for a queen like herself. The supporting cast is again outstanding,... more info
"I have a hurricane in me that will strip Spain bare if you dare to try me.":
In this sequel to Shekhar Kapur's 1998 Elizabeth, The Golden Age addresses Elizabeth's status in 1585, faced with war with Spain and the fate of her cousin, Mary Stuart, ousted from the Scottish throne and seeking Elizabeth's aid in reclaiming her rightful place. While plotting treachery against England, Stuart (Samantha Morton) enjoys the freedom to send secret missives to Spain. And Philip II of Spain (Jordi Molla) schemes to deliver the rigors of the Inquisition to England and banish Elizabeth... more info
