Elizabeth

84%

Tomatometer

67 Reviews

86%

Audience Score

50,000+ Ratings

Elizabeth Tudor (Cate Blanchett) becomes queen of a divided and dangerous England in 1558. She is roundly perceived as weak by threats from within and abroad, and she is strongly advised to marry by counsel William Cecil (Richard Attenborough). But she will be married only to her country. Intelligent and cautious, she must choose where to place her trust: with her shrewd secretary Walsingham (Geoffrey Rush), a master of espionage, or her secret lover, Sir Robert Dudley (Joseph Fiennes).

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Elizabeth

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Critics Consensus

No mere historical drama, Elizabeth is a rich, suspenseful journey into the heart of British Royal politics, and features a typically outstanding performance from Cate Blanchett.

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Critics Reviews

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Lisa Schwarzbaum

Entertainment Weekly

Without [Blanchett], Kapur's extravagant history lesson (written by Michael Hirst) blurs into dark doings among men in tights.

Rated: B+

Sep 7, 2011

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David Rooney

Variety

"Elizabeth" is superior historical soap opera that shrewdly sidesteps all the cliches of British costume drama with its bold, often modern approach.

Jul 31, 2008

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Time Out

Kapur cunningly confuses gender roles, equates sex with death, and rattles through dark, stony passions with some considerable panache.

Jan 26, 2006

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Kapur makes wonderful use of Blanchett’s abilities

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 8, 2024

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Sort of like Dallas with more extravagant costumes (sex and power plays lurk around every corner).

Rated: 3/4

Sep 16, 2023

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Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

The technical aspects are terrific, from the beautiful score, great acting and wonderful sets, all the way down to the last stitch of thread on the costumes.

Rated: 4/4

Dec 20, 2022

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Audience Reviews

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Ari V Liked it quite a bit as a teen and perhaps in my 20s, but not so much in my 40s. The self-adulation and evangelism, though somewhat counterbalanced, are just too palpable. 2.75/5 Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/27/24 Full Review rosanne m A new fresh show. I'm in! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/06/24 Full Review Alec B Not that I am terribly invested but this is clearly anti-Catholic propaganda. Rated 1.5/5 Stars • Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 10/13/23 Full Review Dan S Wonderful!! They could not make something like this today. They would update it creating or changing the characters! Revisionist history. I loved this film!! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/06/23 Full Review Ruth H Wouldn't blame Elizabeth if she came back and chopped off some heads but I doubt that she would even recognize herself in this wildly inaccurate version of events. Rated 1/5 Stars • Rated 1 out of 5 stars 09/11/23 Full Review Gareth v Gwenyth Paltrow winning the best actress Oscar over Cate Blanchett was and still is a travesty.An excellent movie that comes across as more political thriller than biopic.Led by the mesmorising Blanchett, this is one of 1998's best movies. Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 06/22/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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Cast & Crew

Shekhar Kapur Director Cate Blanchett Elizabeth I Geoffrey Rush Sir Francis Walsingham Christopher Eccleston Duke of Norfolk Joseph Fiennes Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester Richard Attenborough Sir William Cecil, Lord Burghley

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Elizabeth

Elizabeth: Official Clip - The Small Question of Religion