Henry and I watched this movie for Valentine's Day and we both thought it was wonderful. It is a beautiful movie. The costumes, lighting, scenery, acting (& actors for that matter!), and cinematography were all masterfully executed and I didn't think the music was distracting at all (a complaint from at least one review I read). The critics panned the movie and neither of us can really understand why. Perhaps our support of it is the underdog mentality or the fact that I heard more than one interview with the director, Shekhar Kapur, and felt that I understood his intentions with the movie. Whatever the reason, I know that this will be watched again many times by both of us.
Kapur stated in his Fresh Air interview (on NPR) that he intended the movie to be the telling of Elizabeth's journey from the role of a Queen into the role of a legend or a mythic figure. Kapur is of Indian background, where the culture does not bat an eye at the retelling of a famous figure in history through mythic stories. The Western world has an aversion to this and wants all stories told to be based in fact and reality. But they also want fact and reality to be exciting, beautiful and dramatic - something that is rarely the case.
He makes beautiful movies and brings new life to the subject matter in a way that makes people want to learn more about world history (even if it IS learned on Wikipedia & can't really be trusted!). He makes me want to study my genealogy and see if I really am related to Henry VII like some of my family historians state (then I'd be related to Elizabeth!). No matter what, the point is that his movies make you think and get you excited about history and life and all the possibility that exists. I am amazed by how inspirational a film like this can be. At this moment is it inspiring me to plan a trip to England! now if only I had money for such a trip...
You can blame my love of this film and it's precursor on name sharing (Libba is a nickname of Elizabeth) and a fascination with the clothing of the period and Henry's love of the movie on the fact that he is so into the Elizabeth movies that I think he was Lord Burghley in another life. Or you could just agree with us that both of these movies are amazing in their own right. May Cate win an Oscar for her performance and I'm glad to see the costumes get a nod as well since they are most beautiful and amazing like the sets - though an internal struggle now ensues between these costumes and those in Sweeney Todd for Best Costumes!
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