Comic Book History
The cartoon history of the Elizabethan age continues in “Elizabeth: The Golden Age,” the follow-up to 1998’s well-reviewed “Elizabeth.” It’s 1585, 27 years after the events in the first film, and Queen Elizabeth (Blanchett) has more troubles to contend with. The least of these is her persistent unmarried state – she’s not called the Virgin Queen for nothing – while the biggest threat to her reign is Catholic King Philip of Spain and his desire to rid England of her Protestant inclinations, a plot that involves the imprisoned Mary, Queen of Scots (Morton), and a Jesuit secret agent (Ifans).
Comparisons to a comic book are apt, not because of its shameless and questionably forgivable historical fantasizing, but because “The Golden Age” has the fast pace that comes from condensing an entire history book into a few paragraphs. From plot to characters, all is presented with broad outlines and with a greater concern for visual and melodramatic impact than detail. In this sense, the first film was much like a superhero origin story. After Elizabeth survives the attempts to dislodge her from the throne, she earns her beautifully-designed superhero costume: the iconic deathly white face-paint and resplendent, virginal white dress. No longer Elizabeth, she is Captain Lizzy, mother and defender for the good people of the British Empire.
A Successful Melodrama
“The Golden Age,” then, is the requisite challenge to the superhero’s complacency. Enter emotional turmoil in the form of Sir Walter Raleigh, played with charming winks and swashbuckling swagger by Clive Owen, and the aforementioned plot to draw England into a war it is not prepared to fight. Cate Blanchett, so regal and beautiful, magnificently storms and fumes, agonizes and worries, loves and yearns. Captain Lizzy is put through her paces, divested of her angelic accoutrements as her resolve is challenged until, with victory finally in hand, the camera can be permitted to linger on her beatific, golden-lit, and properly costumed form.
For all that, the film is shallow in the big picture. There are wonderful scenes of drama that resonate without being overly cloying. There is enough to become genuinely invested in the story and colourful characters, making “The Golden Age” an entertaining historical romance. But it’s also worth noting how richly visual an experience the film is. While perhaps not as obviously stylized as, say, “Sin City,” director Shekhar Kapur and his cinematographer Remi Adefarasin compose scenes of an almost classical beauty, bringing together lighting, costuming and sets in such a way that the images have as much drama as the story. The overall impact of “The Golden Age” is, like its predecessor, that of a rare kind of film these days: the successful, engaging melodrama.
*Entertainment Value:* ** (out of two)
*Technical Quality:* ** (out of two)
Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Directed by Shekhar Kapur. Written by Michael Hirst and William Nicholson. Starring Cate Blanchett, Clive Owen, Geoffrey Rush, Jordi Molla, Samantha Morton, Abbie Cornish and Rhys Ifans. 115 minutes. Rated PG-13 (for violence, some sexuality and nudity).
