Elizabeth I

I'm so brainwashed about Elizabeth I, Bette Davis, Judi Dench, Glenda Jackson, Flora Robson that it was startling at first to get to know the woman behind the icon. Helen Mirren is beyond superb, she is a miracle worker. Meryl Streep called her "an acting God" and she wasn't kidding. I'm not going to go into the story, we all know it, more or less, but I can assure you we've never seen it quite like this. Her imposing presence doesn't cancel her humanity, her rages, her pain, her longing her capacity for love and compassion with the fierce awareness that she is the queen and not just any old queen but Elizabeth I Queen of England. A total absorbing delight from beginning to end. Long Live Helen Mirren!

... the greatest actress of our time portraying the legendary Queen Bess. And, needless to say, Mirren surpasses herself, and in all likelihood Elizabeth I, too. What a treat this series is! The historical aspects were slightly inaccurate, as they must be when 19 years are covered, but only occasionally inaccurate – and the film benevolently grants Elizabeth the faithful suitors she may never have had; Alencon seems genuinely interested in the old girl, as does Leicester, and the Essex rebellion was reduced to a spur of the moment undertaking, completely unpremeditated, so as to render the hero, the Earl of Essex, a bit purer than was the actual case.

Almost every quote we know from Elizabeth's reign (even the authentic ones) is in this admirable production. However, the film coquettishly cuts the most famous Elizabeth quote short: when Robert Cecil tells the dying queen that she must go to bed, Mirren only says: "Must?", and does not proceed to say: "Little man, 'must' is not a word to be used to princes". But the 'golden speech' is there, Elizabeth's most famous speech, marvelously punctuated by the Queen looking shrewdly at Cecil while the enthusiastic Parliament applauds, as if to say: "They bought it!"

When I browsed the cast (on IMDb, the moment I saw that the film was on), I was dismayed to find that Shakespeare was not in it, but the Bard is profusely quoted throughout the script (for instance "love is not love which alters when it alteration finds") and his beloved, long-haired patron, the Earl of Essex was truthfully revealed in his shameful betrayal of Essex when push came to shove at the trial. Even Catullus made a brief guest appearance in Latin ("Odi et amo")to set off Elizabeth's doomed love for Essex. But this will be quite enough of me exhibiting my classical education. Let it suffice that this series is an absolute must. I'll buy it as soon as it comes out for sale.

The story of Elizabeth I's reign is one that has been told so often, you'd think it would be extremely difficult to bring any kind of freshness to it, but damn it all if the producers of this beautifully mounted version from Channel 4 haven't managed to find a way! I'm not familiar with the work of screenwriter Nigel Williams or director Tom Hooper, but I will most definitely be watching for their names in the future. Both have done quality work here; the kind you'd expect from a Merchant/Ivory film or a lavish Hollywood production.

But I daresay that Hollywood should turn green with envy at the production values shown here; everything from the sets to the most minute details of the costuming is top-notch. But where ELIZABETH I really excels is in its casting.

Helen Mirren, in my not so humble opinion, has been sorely deprived of the full measure of accolades she has been due for decades. When someone like Meryl Streep can't sing your praises enough, you have got to be beyond good and Helen most definitely is. Granted, actresses of such renown as Bette Davis, Glenda Jackson and Dame Judi Dench have all brought their unique interpretations to this role, and until now the best of the crop was Cate Blanchett, who showed us a younger and more winsome version of the woman who became known as the Virgin Queen.

But here, Williams' script brings out both the softness and the steel of the woman behind the throne, and Mirren throws herself into the role as if it were her last. Every color of mood is on display here, and I will be completely baffled if she doesn't win so many awards for this role that she'll need help to carry them all.

And matching wit for wit and word for word is another underestimated actor, Jeremy Irons as the Earl of Leichester. Irons has excelled always at anything he plays, be it vile villains or charming rakes, and in the Earl he has found a way to play the best of both worlds - a robust rapscallion not beneath dalliances with other women of the court, but whose heart truly does belong to the one woman who would always be his better, other half...but never his lover or his wife. The intricate dance of endearment and desire between him and Mirren is so wonderful and intense, it's hard to believe that this is their first time working together, and hopefully not the last.

And not enough can be said about the supporting cast, which includes Patrick Malahide as Sir Frances Walsingham (played by Geoffrey Rush in the Cate Blanchett version), Toby Jones as Robert Cecil, the plain-looking but cunningly resourceful son of Lord Burghley and his logical successor, and Ian McDiarmid as William Cecil, a.k.a. Lord Burghley, showing us that there is truly life after the Emperor Palpatine. These trusted advisers were both unerringly defending and covertly condescending of their queen, making damn sure that they did their jobs to the best of their ability, but always subtly reminding her with the arch of an eyebrow or the inflection of a phrase that no matter how regal, "Bess" is still a woman living in a man's world.

And for eye candy, the beautiful Hugh Dancy as the impetuous and headstrong Robert Devereaux, the Earl of Essex. One look at him and it's not difficult to understand why Elizabeth would become involved in an affair with a man half her age. And I say bravo for her good taste! It's to Dancy's credit that the Earl becomes much more than just another pretty face, but a man struggling to establish himself as such while in the grip of Bess's grasp of iron and velvet...a bond he both desires and rebels against, letting his exuberance, ambition, vanity and hot-headed pride ultimately become his undoing. He proves the point that everyone realizes even more so these days as the cult of celebrity holds sway over all: the beautiful people are always the most favored, but with the spoils comes a heavy price.

A word of caution, though: be advised that when it comes to depictions of violence that took place in this period, most other productions 'tastefully' avoided showing too much graphic detail. This version has no such pretensions. The realism of the depictions of the characters extends to the situations which very often warranted the bloody torture and deaths of others, and you will see it all depicted here in full strength, including the beheading of Mary, Queen of Scots, which may leave you open-mouthed with its stunning savagery. (The drawing and quartering of Elizabeth's would-be assassins will stick with you as well).

If you are a fan of historical dramas or just really great acting, this is a definite must-see. With programs like CARNIVALE, ROME and DEADWOOD, HBO has long prided itself on presenting outstanding period pieces. It's good to know that the tradition continues, especially when network television continues to deliver such cheesefests as THE TEN COMMANDMENTS remake and call them "good."

Helen Mirren truly shines as Queen Elizabeth I. All of the cast members are excellent, especially Jeremy Irons and Hugh Dancy.

I do not know how accurate this miniseries is with respect to all of the events that were happening at this time (circa 1589), but the characters were all portrayed in a totally believable and brilliant manner. The costumes were wonderful! Helen Mirren, I believe, gave the performance of a lifetime as the incredibly complex Queen, a daughter of Henry the VIII.

I think this is one of the most intense, brilliant, and wonderful miniseries produced. Sit back and prepared to be swept away to the 16th century. A most memorable miniseries! I rarely give a 10 out of 10 possible points but this miniseries truly is deserving!

There are many films and dramatisations of the life of Queen Elizabeth I, and of the ones seen all of them range from good to outstanding. While not quite as great as 1998's 'Elizabeth' and 'Elizabeth R' with Glenda Jackson, though almost in the same class, 'Elizabeth I' is one of the outstanding ones.

'Elizabeth I' has a couple of things that don't quite come off as well. Leicester's role is rather underwritten, and it does give Jeremy Irons (who is still very good in the role and makes a real effort to give him complexity) little to do. For such a big time span covered, dates and years are not always clear even to people familiar with the Tudor/Elizabethan period and a couple of events are depicted in a slightly confused manner.

However, these are outweighed by the things that 'Elizabeth I' does incredibly well, these are a great many and done brilliantly. It's gorgeously made, with scenery, settings and costumes that will take the breath away and photography that makes one forget that it was made for TV. 'Elizabeth I' is strongly directed as well, the style is never cheapened and pacing and clarity of storytelling are rarely compromised. The music, with a mix of classical and medieval period which gives it authenticity, is dramatic yet sympathetic, giving scenes stirring power and nuanced pathos, always a good fit for every scene's atmosphere.

With the script, it has a humorous edge, touching yet never mawkish romance and a lot of emotion beautifully balanced, while always provoking thought. The storytelling throughout is incredibly compelling, the romantic elements feature prominently but not at the expense of everything else, political commentary and dilemmas of the time are not neglected and the very graphic executions and torture wrench the gut (some may feel that the series overdoes it with the brutality, with the execution of Mary Queen of Scots being especially shocking, to me as decapitations, drawing and quartering and torture were gory and brutal it wasn't inappropriate). There are liberties taken with history to accommodate the story, but there are far worse and more insulting cases of films and series playing fast and loose with the facts.

Great acting helps, and the performances are more than great across the board with all the characters well realised (with only underwritten Leicester being a reservation). A wonderful job is done with making Elizabeth a complex character and as a woman of many passions. Hugh Dancy is dashing, charming, loyal and passionate as Essex, while Irons, Toby Jones, Barbara Flynn (as a touching and dignified Mary Queen of Scots), Ian McDiarmid, Patrick Malahide et al are without fault. Reigning over them all is the always great Helen Mirren, whose Elizabeth is nothing short of a miracle.

All in all, not devoid of flaws but a real joy to watch. 9/10 Bethany Cox