Elizabeth I
Helen Mirren and Jeremy Irons star in Elizabeth I, a two-part HBO Films miniseries event that explores the intersection of the private and public life of Elizabeth I (Mirren) in the latter half of her reign, offering a personal look at her allies, her enemies and her suitors as she struggles to survive in a male-dominated world. Part 1 explores Elizabeth's tempestuous relationship with the Earl of Leicester (Irons) as it survives a French suitor, war, treason, and illness. Part 2 follows Elizabeth through her later years, during which she had an equally passionate affair with the young, ambitious Earl of Essex (Hugh Dancy), who had been raised, ironically, by his stepfather Leicester. In the end, Elizabeth I sheds light on one of the most popular members of the monarchy who held absolute power over everything... except her heart.
Member Reviews
One Of The Best This Year - Johnsmcgill
This was one of the best films I have seen this year. Helen Miren is exceptional (I had a hard time believing it was even her when she first appeared). It gives such a great look at Elizabeth both as a 'person' as well as a 'monarch' - brilliantly played by Miren. The supporting cast was equally amazing. This is a film I will likely watch again.Sheer brilliance! - AvidOscarBee
The life of Elizabeth I, portrayed by the sensational and brilliant acting skill of Helen Mirren, is a sheer delight to watch. Feast your eyes on the magnificent set designs and the queen and ensemble cast's costumes that were made to perfection. The two great loves of her life, even though she never married, were played by Jeremy Irons (Earl of Leicester) and Hugh Dancy (Earl of Essex). The ensemble cast and the Council played their parts to the hilt. Elizabeth's emotions could run from calculated kindness to sheer madness to sheer disdain depending on the circumstances. Often times frightened by the power of her emotions, she never deliated when it came to making a difficult decision that sometimes left her in sheer anquish. Politics rules and many times Elizabeth has to make tough decisions. Anyone who she thought tried to betray her was immediately punished or put to death. There are some very graphically violent and barbaric scenes in this masterpiece but for all historian buffs out there, this is surely a treat and treasure to watch. Well done Ms. Mirren and your Emmy award is well deserved.Good not Great - FilmJunkie
This miniseries chronicles the life of Queen Elizabeth I (Helen Mirren) through her two great loves and the wars that fell between. Mirren is brilliant as the queen and her work is a perfect evolution of the character Cate Blanchett developed in the film 'Elizabeth' (1998). Mirren has all the power and stature of the queen with the humanity and flaws of the woman we can never really know.
Jeremy Irons co-stars as the Earl of Leicester, her one great love. Irons is sexy in a way he has never been before, in my opinion, as a powerful and intelligent man who is genuinely in love with the great queen. When Leicester dies, he advises his step-son, the Earl of Essex (Hugh Dancy), to take care of the queen.
The second half of the film focuses on the queen's relationship with Essex. He is a young and foolhardy man whose life comes strangely close to Leicester. However this young man is not intelligent or modest in the ways Leicester was and it seems that the queen is using him for her own vanity rather than because she is actually in love with him.
It is an interesting way to examine the life of this extraordinary woman, however this film seems for interested in dispelling the idea of 'The Virgin Queen' than actually looking at what kind of leader she was. I wish the filmmakers had spent more time looking beyond the bedroom, because that is the queen I am curious about.
Mirren and the boys do a great job, but this film seems to demean the idea of a female ruler in its insistence on seeing her relationships as selfish and petty, especially that with Essex.
Member Reviews
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One Of The Best This Year - Johnsmcgill
This was one of the best films I have seen this year. Helen Miren is exceptional (I had a hard time believing it was even her when she first appeared). It gives such a great look at Elizabeth both as a 'person' as well as a 'monarch' - brilliantly played ...Sheer brilliance! - AvidOscarBee
The life of Elizabeth I, portrayed by the sensational and brilliant acting skill of Helen Mirren, is a sheer delight to watch. Feast your eyes on the magnificent set designs and the queen and ensemble cast's costumes that were made to perfection. The two ...Good not Great - FilmJunkie
This miniseries chronicles the life of Queen Elizabeth I (Helen Mirren) through her two great loves and the wars that fell between. Mirren is brilliant as the queen and her work is a perfect evolution of the character Cate Blanchett developed in the film ...