Elizabeth: The Golden Age
By Mal Simons, Blockbuster.co.uk

“Go back to your rat hole! Tell Philip I fear neither him, nor his priests, nor his armies. Tell him if he wants to shake his little fist at us, we're ready to give him such a bite he'll wish he'd kept his hands in his pockets!”

Reuniting director Shekhar Kapur, writer Michael Hirst (The Queen) and stars Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush from 1998’s Elizabeth; Elizabeth: The Golden Age focuses on the period in this impressive monarch’s life from where she meets Sir Walter Raleigh through to the isolation by superpower Spain and the attempted invasion of the Spanish Armada.

In the first film, director Shekhar Kapur focused on Elizabeth’s early years that culminated in her being declared the ‘Virgin Queen’.This time around, Kapur focuses on Elizabeth mid-way through her rule – she is torn between her responsibilities as head of state and her needs as a woman.

The issue of marriage has reared its head again. Spain is the only superpower in the world and it is led by King Philip II, a religious zealot who has grown obsessed with Protestant England – the only country in Europe out of reach of the Spanish Inquisition. Elizabeth needs an heir to prevent her Catholic cousin Mary Queen of Scots (Samantha Morton) from succeeding her. Vetting candidates at the palace, none of them peak her interest; but when the dashing Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen) turns up, following his trip to the New World, Elizabeth finds herself drawn to the rogue adventurer.

When a plot to murder Elizabeth is uncovered and leads straight back to Mary Queen of Scots, the Queen is forced by her aides to sign an execution warrant to put her cousin to death under the law. Finding it difficult to make the decision, Elizabeth is wracked by guilt for having signed the death warrant of another member of her family.

Elizabeth doesn’t have too long to feel guilty however, as it soon becomes clear that the assassination plot was actually arranged by King Philip of Spain with the intention of driving the Queen to put Mary to death – this was all the King needed in order to declare war on England.

Faced with an impending invasion by the Spanish Armada and torn by duty to her country and her feelings for Raleigh, Elizabeth must remain strong in order to remain on the throne.

Cate Blanchett is superb as Elizabeth and masterfully displays the Virgin Queen’s longing for intimacy and love while Clive Owen excels as the smug, arrogant but very heroic Walter Raleigh. Special mention should go to Geoffrey Rush who stars as Sir Francis Walsingham, adviser to the queen – his character is loyal until the end.

All in all, a terrific take on this part of the Virgin Queen’s life with plenty of drama, intrigue, brilliant camera and costume work and special effects. The battle between the English and Spanish fleets is done very well and it is probably the most accurate retelling of the battle that has ever been committed to film. If you enjoy good quality English dramas, there are few as good as this film. Add to your list now.