InsidePulse DVD Review – Elizabeth I

(Credit: DVDtown.com)

Directed by
Tom Hooper

Cast:
Helen Mirren …. Queen Elizabeth I
Jeremy Irons …. Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester
Patrick Malahide …. Sir Francis Walsingham
Toby Jones …. Robert Cecil
Hugh Dancy …. Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex
Barbara Flynn …. Mary Queen of Scots
Ian McDiarmid …. William Cecil, Lord Burghley
Jérémie Covillault …. Duke of Anjou
Erick Deshors …. Jean de Simier
Simon Woods …. Gifford
Diana Kent …. Lady Essex
Toby Salaman …. Dr. Lopez
Geoffrey Streatfield …. Sir Anthony Babington

Is there really better Television programming than you get on HBO? Yes, being pay cable affords it the advantage of not having to deal with network censors, but The Sopranos, Deadwood, Rome, and The Wire consistently all benefit from having some of the best writing and acting in all of mass media, whether it be movies or TV. Each week, you get a cinematic experience while not having to deal with the crowds, ten dollar movie tickets, or even commercial interruptions. That same high lever of quality also goes for HBO’s miniseries and TV movies, which completely outclass anything comparable on any of the major networks. Warm Springs, Angels in America, and Empire Falls all featured top flight casts and amazing scripting that would make any Hollywood producer salivate.

With Elizabeth I, HBO keeps up the trend with a heartfelt four hours about perhaps one of the most important people of all time. Starring Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth I, the film avoids the mistake of making Elizabeth a larger than life caricature and instead makes the most intimate and personal rendering of the English sovereign’s life ever put on film. Giving the miniseries HBO’s signature stark violence, Elizabeth I is also able to avoid the trappings of a typical costume drama with moments of harsh reality amongst the politics and romance of the English court.

Elizabeth I begins twenty years into the monarch’s reign, and she has neither married nor produced any heir to speak of. With the Pope declaring her a heretic and outlaw, war looms with France and Spain. The Queen is saddled by constantly being under pressure to marry another monarch, perhaps even possibly a prince from one of England’s enemies in order to form a truce. A lover of her own, Jeremy Irons’ Earl of Leicester schemes and begs to get her to marry him. It is within this backdrop that this Shakespearean-like account of a Queen passionate for both peace and love, amongst her advisors, lovers and enemies unfold.

What I love about this miniseries is the amount of complexity the film makers are able to bring to Elizabeth. Her true happiness is stalled at every turn, because while she simply wants to love and be loved, her responsibility to her country is foremost in her life. Even when she confides in men, she cannot be completely sure that their intentions are true. Making things more complicated than even the queen’s love life are her duties to the throne. At one point, when Mary, Queen of Scots (Barbara Flynn) is found guilty of treason, Elizabeth must decide on whether to execute an anointed monarch, who also happens to be her cousin, with the likely repercussions being that Spain and France may want revenge. The alternative would be to weaken the monarchy with letting a traitor live to scheme and plot again. The miniseries is filled with these quandaries, but never makes them too weighty that they get in the least bit dull or tired.

Thankfully, the acting is as good as to be expected. Mirren is simply incredible here as Queen Bess, displaying at once both the commanding presence of a true monarch of the court, and yet still showing a tendency to be a weakling when she dotes on the loves of her life. She knows she cannot marry them, and indeed cannot ever really possess both Earl of Leicester and then the Earl of Essex (Robert Devereux), but still pursues them as best she can. The scenes with Irons and Mirren strive for real greatness, as each display tremendous warmth and chemistry when they are together that few can match.

I love being able to see Ian McDiarmid in something other than a Star Wars film as the old pro gives us a myriad of emotions as Lord Burghley, the Queen’s most trusted advisor. It’s interesting to watch a performer, who you instinctively just don’t trust due to former roles (like say, Gary Oldman or F. Murray Abraham), and then watch them blow your expectations out of the water. This is what McDiarmid is able to do here, because you expect Emperor Palpatine to show up at any moment, but he never does. Instead, McDiarmid gives you a character that you can actually like, which in itself is a testament to the quality of this piece.

Special mention should probably be made for Hugh Dancy, who gets to show off all of his boyish charm, and then is able to show what happens when one goes too far on their charisma instead of their abilities. Dancy does well against this most revered aristocracy of actors, imbuing Essex with just the right amount of wit, yet not enough actual common sense to not test the Queen to her limits. Also, Toby Jones comes out of nowhere to give weight to Robert Cecil, the son of Lord Burghley. At first, the character seems superfluous and doomed to reach the gallows, and yet he grows to become a trusted advisor to the Queen, and even a seemingly close friend.

With a bevy of romance, political intrigue, a touch of action, tremendous production value, one horrific beheading, and a gruesome display of draw and quartering, Elizabeth I is a terrific cinematic piece, whether TV miniseries or no. Mirren is the best to ever play the Virgin Queen by a landslide, beating out all who have previous played the part, including Cate Blanchett and Dame Judi Dench in recent years. This is an actor’s dream of a piece and Mirren knocks it out of the park. In the end, Elizabeth I is worthy of being part of the pantheon of HBO, which is perhaps the highest praise I could possibly give it.

Score: 9.5/10

The Video
I’m surprised that this didn’t look better on this disc. While colors in British productions do tend to be muted to a degree, I was still expecting the splendor that Rome and Deadwood looked like on DVD. While the print certainly isn’t awful, this isn’t up to the beauty of other HBO discs. The miniseries is presented in Anamorphic Widescreen with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1

The Audio
This is much better, as the Dolby Digital 2.0 audio on this disc is pretty good. Every single minute of beautifully crafted dialogue can be heard in the decent quality.

SPECIAL FEATURES: 2 Featurettes

The Making of Elizabeth I – This is a pretty decent “Making of” doc with all the actors giving some remarkable insights into the piece. I love that Helen Mirren really tried to study this person before she took up this role, and that she understood the nature of her love for men. It’s so obvious how adept she and Jeremy Irons are in this type of film and they each play off each other so well.

Uncovering the Real Elizabeth – This is a terrific, yet kind of short Featurette on the real life of Elizabeth I at this time in her life. They praise the miniseries for its accuracy, citing it as the best version of this story ever made. It’s this type of background info that allows you to really get some background on a feature like this, and I’m glad its on this disc.

Score: 4.5/10