The Golden Age

Rating: 3.5/5

Elizabeth: The Golden Age captures the anxiety, fear and chaos in England under the rule of Elizabeth I, the Protestant “bastard Queen” who has usurped power from Mary Stuart. Amidst whispers of dethronement, war and return to Catholicism, the film portrays The Virgin Queen as a tough ruler, yet terrible isolated and loveless. When ["Queen"] Mary Stuart is beheaded, Spain declares a holy war on Elizabeth’s “godless” empire. The movie then follows the intense war fought by the Queen against the Spanish Armada, noting every spell of anxiety, self-doubt and rage of Elizabeth.

I can’t think of any other actress who can play Elizabeth I as well as Cate Blanchett has. As the powerful “prince of the female gender”, Cate exudes vibes of being brutal and ready for war, but is also able to bring out Elizabeth’s softer, more fragile side - her hunger for what has been denied to her - love and happiness. At times, Elizabeth seems to be in a quandary, of self-doubt and anxiety.

This movie is lucky enough to have a fabulous cast. The background score is beautiful and apt. The costumes are exquisite. Shekhar Kapur deserves much appreciation for his handling of the scene in which Elizabeth is shown watching the naval battle from afar - the subtle explanation of the results of war through light and darkness is sheer genius.

For some reason, this movie, Googling reveals, has been panned by critics. Granted, this movie is not historically accurate throughout. Several scenes, such as the one in which Elizabeth is shown in full armour on a steed as if she were ready to step into battle, or the one in which Walter Raleigh is shown performing dare-devilry on and under a ship, have been “Hollywoodised” to satiate the tastes of people who would otherwise watch mindless movies based on comic books [cough cough, Spiderman, X-men etc]. It would have been preferable had the movie elaborated on the stance of Spain’s King Philip [and the future Queen Isabella], instead of having portrayed him as a stereotypical calculating, cold-hearted “villian” [sounds like Hillary Clinton..lololol].

Nevertheless, despite its historical flaws, Elizabeth: The Golden Age is a great insight into the mind of the woman who firmly defeated the Spanish Armada and thus ushered in an era of peace and prosperity in England.

VERDICT: You MUST watch it, for the Oscar-winning talent of Cate Blanchett, and if you happen to like British monarchy, period dramas and fabulous costumes and sets.

Notable mentions: Samantha Morton as Mary Stuart [especially when she realises that she is to be tried for treason - splendid acting]