Elizabeth R (6pc)
by Donald McWhinnie, Richard Martin (IV), Roderick Graham
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Product details
Actor: Glenda Jackson, Ian Barritt, John Ruddock, Robert Hardy, Ronald HinesDirector: Donald McWhinnie, Richard Martin (IV), Roderick Graham
Edition: VHS Tape
Audio: English (Original Language), Analog
Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
Running Time: 540 minutes
Release Date: 1995-06-27
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Publisher: 20th Century Fox
Studio: 20th Century Fox
VHS Movie Reviews of Elizabeth R (6pc)
Movie Review: "Good Sir, if you value your life, go not to the first man, but to the first woman in this kingdom."
Summary: 5 Stars
Glenda Jackson gives the performance of her life as the Virgin Queen. Far superior than any big screen treatment devoted to the life of Elizabeth I, this excellent British mini-series is at once historically accurate and highly entertaining. Costumes are spectacular and sets authentic-looking, but it is the superb writing (much of it culled from the historical record) and inspired acting that conspire to bring the past vividly to life. The Tudor Court supplies an endless stream of plot-twists: factions, rebellions, rivalries, tortures, beheadings, murders, suicides, romances, diplomacy, treachery, war--you name it. An hour and a half in length, each episode is a movie unto itself. My one complaint is that the French are caricatured, and Catholics are portrayed as effeminate, mad, or downright evil.
Episode One begins near the end of the reign of Elizabeth's half-brother, Edward VI, who came to the throne when he was only nine and died at age fifteen. Since Edward was Henry VIII's only male heir, the order of succession devolves to Henry's two daughters, Mary (Daphne Slater, in a spectacularly wicked performance) and Elizabeth. This first episode centers on the conflict between these royal sisters. Some back story is needed to appreciate their rivalry: Henry had divorced Mary's Spanish-Catholic mother, Queen Katherine of Aragon, in order to wed the nubile Anne Boleyn. But Anne, like Katherine, only gave Henry a daughter, so he had her executed and married Jane Seymour, who finally gave him a son (Edward). Mary blames Elizabeth's mother for Katherine's suffering when Katherine was cast aside by Henry. Mary also believes that Boleyn was a "strumpet" and witch who cast a spell on--and effectively killed--Katherine, whose autopsy revealed a mysterious, black lump in her heart. Yet, despite all this blood under the bridge, Mary can't help feeling sisterly affection for Elizabeth, with whom she played when young. After the failure of Wyatt's rebellion, however, which was undertaken to place Elizabeth on the throne, Mary consigns her to the Tower, last stop for Anne Boleyn before she was executed. Death, it turns out, lurks everywhere when you are heir to a throne (or bride to a King). Yet Elizabeth, through her sharp survival instincts and keen intelligence (and help from faithful followers), manages to survive. Eventually, Mary marries Prince Philip of Spain. But Philip, disgusted by the sickly, overbearing Mary, falls in love with Elizabeth instead. Mary dies without an heir, Philip goes back to Spain, and Elizabeth is proclaimed Queen.
Episode Two finds the lusty, young Queen pressured by her Privy Council to marry. She's being courted by the King of Spain and, it seems, every prince in Christendom. But Elizabeth has eyes only for Robert Dudley, her childhood friend, who is already married. Meanwhile, Elizabeth proves to be an able monarch, in no need of a husband. Were she to marry, her husband would become de facto ruler, just as Philip had ruled over Mary. To her Council's chagrin, Elizabeth has no intention of giving up her power. When Dudley's wife commits suicide, the rumor is that he killed her to wed Elizabeth. But Elizabeth insists she will marry no one. Calamity strikes again when the whole kingdom is thrown into uncertainty as the Queen contracts smallpox and almost dies without an heir. After her recovery, the pressure to wed grows more intense. "I will have no master," Elizabeth declares, recalling how her stepmother, Katherine Howard, ran screaming through the galleries of the castle pleading for her life when Henry VIII ordered her head cut off. Elizabeth, who associates marriage with death, will not put herself in that situation, not even for Dudley, whom she dearly loves. Unmarried, she is absolute Monarch, both King and Queen.
Nevertheless, Episode Three finds Elizabeth coming close to marrying. For a virgin, she proves an insatiable flirt. Her main suitor is Francis, the Duke of Alencon. Ironically, her Council cannot give their blessing since the people of England oppose the marriage because of the Duke's Catholicism. Moreover, a marriage alliance with France means a quarrel with Spain, which Elizabeth wishes to avoid. In any case, when Elizabeth finds out that Robin has remarried, her jealous wrath shows where her true love lies. Her engagement to Francis is called off.
Episode Four centers around Mary, Queen of Scots, Elizabeth's cousin, and next in line to the English throne. Mary (Vivian Pickles, in a magisterial performance, particularly at her beheading) has been put under house arrest by Elizabeth, who fears that Catholics will depose her in favor of Mary. Elizabeth refuses to execute Mary, despite urgent warnings from her advisors. But when Elizabeth receives omens of death from the astrologer John Dee, her fear of being deposed nudges her in that direction. When Elizabeth's spymaster, Walsingham, sets a trap for Mary, the latter incriminates herself by getting involved in Babington's plot to kill Elizabeth. Even so, Elizabeth is still reluctant to dispatch her cousin to the next world. When Mary is finally beheaded through Walsingham's machinations, Elizabeth screams bloody murder and denies any involvement. This episode is particularly dark, laying bare the barbarity--the most horrible cruelties and sadistic tortures--to which people descend over matters of religion and state. As Mary exclaims, "What great sins are committed in the name of duty!"
Episode Five again turns to Philip of Spain, who, as Mary's husband, had once been King of England. Now quite old, he is being pressured by Catholic Europe to war against England, despite the old man's reluctance to battle Elizabeth, whom he once loved ("that remarkable woman," he calls her). But, before her death, Mary, next in line as monarch, bequeathed the English throne to Spain, giving Philip, as he sees it, a legal claim, especially since Catholic Europe considers Elizabeth a bastard (Henry's divorce from Katherine of Aragon wasn't recognized by the Vatican). When the British pirate Francis Drake continues to plunder Spanish ships and ports, Philip, in ill health and believing that England's Catholics long to be liberated, finally decides to sail against Britain, albeit despite his better judgment (his father had warned him never to lose England's friendship). The enterprise, thanks in part to the "Protestant wind" that blows against the Armada, proves a fiasco for Philip and marks the beginning of the end of Spain's dominion over Europe.
"To be a king and wear a crown is a thing more glorious to them that see it than it is pleasant to them that bear it." In the concluding episode, Elizabeth dotes on the brash, young Essex (Dudley's step-son). After their defeat at sea, the Spanish take to funding the Irish, against which the British are mired in costly campaigns. To Ireland Elizabeth sends the increasingly insolent Essex, whose ambition soon turns to arrogance. Suffering humiliation in Ireland, and feeling himself to be slighted by Elizabeth, Essex, despite her wish for him to remain in Dublin, returns to London full of hubris and bravado. Making a secret alliance with King James of Scotland, Essex launches a coup against Elizabeth. It fails, and Essex is executed. Elizabeth's last days are spent in addressing the grievances of Parliament regarding monopolies awarded to courtiers (this sets the stage for her so-called Golden Speech to Parliament, movingly delivered by the incomparable Jackson), and in being hectored by her people to determe an heir to the throne. Will it go to Spain, to whom Mary bequeathed it before she died, or to Mary's rebellious son, James? Elizabeth's answer is inconclusive (but, as we know from history, the crown devolved, naturally, to Elizabeth's next of kin, James). If you like history, or just good writing and acting, don't miss this wonderful series. Glenda Jackson IS Elizabeth.
Movie Review: Great Show
Summary: 5 Stars
First show I remember of Elizabeth I. Captured my interest as a child. I know it seems "old" compared to whats out today, but it is a great production.Movie Review: Elizabeth R for a generation
Summary: 5 Stars
Glenda Jackson brilliantly captures the emotional maelstrom which drove Elizabeth I. The production is typical BBC--great sets and costumes. The production shows its age in technical aspects, particularly lighting, but the core is the insight to the characters' personalities which the writers hand to an excellent cast of actors. As Bette Davis was for a previous generation, Glenda Jackson is the Elizabeth of hers in a brilliant triumph of acting. Additional materials include an extensive interview with Ms. Jackson filmed only a few years ago, so she can discuss politics with an insider's perspective. This set is worth every penny if you're an English history-Tudor history buff.Movie Review: long and boring
Summary: 3 Stars
it is loooooong and boring. which is probably closer to the truth of the situation--like not every day of life is filled with exciting experiences. But it was like watching an Mary Hartman. the acting really bad and so are the props. Maybe for real info it might be ok but for entertainment. well......Movie Review: Elizabeth R
Summary: 5 Stars
This was received in a timely manner, packaged well, and the video is quite wonderful. I will be happy to choose this sender in the future.
Ginny Adams
Summary of Elizabeth R (6pc)
Glenda Jackson is majestic in the six-video miniseries from the BBC, Elizabeth R. Covering the entire reign of Elizabeth I, from her struggles with her half-sister Mary just before being crowned as queen to her death in 1603, the series profiles the life of the Virgin Queen in detail--and with historical accuracy--not possible in the as beautiful, but much shorter, theatrical release, Elizabeth. Religious conflicts, her struggle over the execution of her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots, battles with Spain, court politics, and of course her flirtations with Robert Dudley (portrayed as an almost-comical fop by Robert Hardy) and her decision to remain unmarried are just some of the highlights of this magnificently costumed and finely acted piece. Jackson skillfully captures the capricious moods and incredible intellect of the queen who defied the pope and the conventions of the time as a strong-willed woman, and characters from textbooks--Sir Francis Bacon, Sir Walter Raleigh, King Phillip II--come vividly to life. Elizabeth R (and for those not in the know, the "R" is for "Regina") is a splendid melding of history and entertainment, and as thorough as this series is, you will still long for more. --Jenny BrownDrama Video
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