Stars: Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Fiennes, Richard Attenborough, John Gielgud, Daniel Craig

Director: Shekhar Kapur

Summary: England 1554 and Princess Elizabeth remains in grave danger from a dying Queen Mary, a Catholic, who has weakened England financially and religiously. On her death Elizabeth is made Queen and sets about wiping out all opposition to her leadership.

Shekhar Kapur's visually stunning film tells the story of Queen Elizabeth I (Cate Blanchett), from her days as an innocent young woman to her coronation, up to the formation of her reputation as England's stern 'Virgin Queen.' A lush portrait of history, full of pomp, intrigue, and romance and anchored by Blanchett's award-winning performance and colourful direction from Kapur. The excellent supporting cast includes Geoffrey Rush, Joseph Fiennes, Christopher Eccleston, and Richard Attenborough.

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One of the big Elizabethan-era films of 1998, Shekhar Kapur's Elizabeth serves up a brimming goblet of religious tension, political conspiracy, sex, violence, and war. England in 1554 is in financial and religious turmoil as the ailing Queen "Bloody" Mary attempts to restore Catholicism as the national faith. She has no heir, and her greatest fear--that her Protestant half-sister Elizabeth will assume the throne after her death--is realised. Still, the late Queen Mary has her loyalists. The newly crowned Elizabeth finds herself knee-deep in dethroning schemes while also dodging assassination attempts. Her advisers (including Sir William Cecil, superbly played by Richard Attenborough) beg her to marry any one of her would-be suitors to stabilise England's empire. No matter that she already has a lover. The passionate Robert Dudley (Joseph Fiennes) is married, however, and shows he cannot stand up to the growing strength of the Queen. With the help of her aide Walsingham (Geoffrey Rush), Elizabeth strikes against her enemies before they get to her first. But her rise ultimately entails rejecting love and marriage to redefine herself as the indisputable Virgin Queen.

Cate Blanchett's Oscar-nominated performance as the naive and vibrant princess who becomes the stubborn and knowing queen is both severe and sympathetic. Her ethereal, pale beauty is equal parts fire and ice, her delivery of such lines as "There will be only one mistress here and no master!" expressed with command rather than hysterics. As striking as Blanchett's performance is the film's lavish and dramatic production design. The cold, dark sets paired with the lush costuming show the golden age of England's monarchy emerging from the Middle Ages. Rich velvet brushes over the dank stones while power is achieved at any price, and with such attention to physical detail, Elizabeth fully immerses you into its compelling chronicle of pioneering feminism and revisionist history. --Shannon Gee

Aspect Ratio:	1.85 Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Making of
Year:	1998
Release Date:	October 22, 2007
Runtime:	118 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	8250813
Keywords:	English, Elizabeth, Drama, Historical
Genre:	Drama