We watched Elizabeth last night for the first time, and I was well and truly angered by gross distortions in a film that purports to be historically accurate. Most dramatic tales take some poetic license, but this was outrageous, and served no purpose at all.
Elizabeth's life, not to mention the era, was interesting enough without inventing such foolishness as Bishop Gardiner serving under Elizabeth (he was dead before she even ascended the throne), the execution of Sussex (who was responsible for squelching a rebellion against Elizabeth), Walsingham's assassination(!) of Mary of Guise, and the dismissal of Cecil in favor of Walsingham, who wasn't even part of Elizabeth's court till much later in her reign.
Elizabeth doesn't even mention one of the greatest scandals of the era: the suspicious death of Amy Robsart, Robin Dudley's wife, which left him free to pursue the Queen, and would have been a much more dramatic anchor for the film than the various Godfather-like reprisals carried out in the Queen's name.
I won't even go into the numerous other inaccuracies, but will instead conclude by repining over the waste of talented actors on such inferior material. In revenge, I am indulging myself by re-reading Anne Sommerset's wonderful Elizabeth I. I suggest that anyone who hasn't already seen Elizabeth do the same.
