Maria Stuarda regina di Scozia

I've read a lot of the other reviews of this movie and have to add my two cents here. Anybody critical of Glenda Jackson's portrayal of Elizabeth I is just plain wrong! If there is such a thing as reincarnation I suggest that Elizabeth came back as Glenda...not only were many of her lines historically accurate but Glenda has captured the conflict, the caprice, the indecisiveness, the intellect, the willpower, shrewdness and the brilliance of Elizabeth. Her portrayal of England's greatest queen is matched only by her own portrayal of the queen in "Elizabeth R." I guess that a trained shakespearean actress, like Glenda has been immersed in all things Elizabethan and reflects the time in general. Vanessa Redgrave, although a bit too old for the role of Mary in the earlier part of the movie did a good job at capturing Mary's character as well. The movie does well to illustrate the contrast between the women and why one was so successful, the other not. It takes license with history in that Elizabeth and Mary never met and Mary's captivity was almost two decades long. In my view one contrast, whether intentional or not, is that Mary is made to be a much more sympathetic character than Elizabeth--it seems to stress the womanliness of Mary and coldness of Elizabeth and it does quote the historically accurate line about her being barren, I think to reinforce this unfortunate contrast. Elizabeth was far more complex than portrayed and Mary was close to being an empty-headded ninny, at least in the political sense. The movie has beautiful scenery and some great shots. Well worth the watching.

Each film about Mary Stuart has,as heart, the duel between the queen of Scots and her cousin, Elisabeth. This movie is not an exception and the duel between Glenda Jackson and Vanessa Redgrave is just superb. But the great performance of each of them is only key to large, precise and seductive rebuild of the Elisabethan era. At the level of fine detail. The tension, the duties, the proofs, the words and the fear in colors of fury. All is in its scenes. And more. Because it is not only a beautiful film. First, for the work of the lead actresses, it is a memorable one.

Even though Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I, Queen of England never met, this is a brilliant film. Vanessa Redgrave is perfect in the role of Mary. She is such a wonderful actress. She plays the Scottish Queen in all her arrogance and deviousness. She looks and sounds magnificent throughout. Glenda Jackson is magnificent as Elizabeth I. She is so powerful and such a clever actress. What a great loss it is that she became a politician. Her great scene with Redgrave must be one of the classics of acting between two great actresses. Timothy Dalton is great as the devious and weak fop Lord Darnley and Nigel Davenport is incredible as the rugged Earl of Bothwell. The casting gets better with Trevor Howard as William Cecil, Ian Holm as David Rizzio and Patrick McGoohan as the half-brother James Stuart. Katherine Kath is suitably odious as Queen Catherine de Medici and Vernon Dobtcheff is highly suitable as the Duke of Guise, Mary's manipulative Uncle. Robert Fox is absolutely right as John Knox. The script is very clever, the scenery magnificent and the costumes incredible.

The story of Scotland's last Queen has been told in many versions throughout the history of cinema, and it might be thought that this one would not be that different. This is true: the major characters remain Mary herself (played by Vanessa Redgrave), and Elizabeth I of England (played by Glenda Jackson). The story progresses through her time as Queen to the sickly Francois of France, to her return to a Scotland dominated by Protestantism and regented by her brother Jamie (played by Patrick McGoohan), through her unfortunate marriage to the weak and selfish fop Lord Darnley (Timothy Dalton) and her eventual deposition following marriage to Lord Bothwell (played with charm by Nigel Davenport).

The script is a little clunky in places, and departs from the true historical record considerably in the name of drama: it is a pity that Darnley in particular is presented as rather one-note for the bulk of the time (although portrayed very well within the limitations of the script). However, Redgrave and Jackson are splendid, while Ian Holm gives a short but affecting portrayal of the doomed minstrel Rizzio.

of my favorite movies, especially for the time period! Vanessa Redgrave and Glenda Jackson are thrilling as rival queens in this movie. I felt badly for both of them, they seem to have been caught up in the intrigues of their time. I wish there were more movies like this!