Andras Illes: Response to Elizabeth

The story of Elizabeth is a drama based on how the illegitimate daughter of King Henry VIII made it to power and became one of England’s greatest leaders. Directed by Shekhar Kapur, this elegant, dark yet powerful movie sets the standard for historic biopics. Cate Blanchett gives an award winning performance as Queen Elizabeth I. As the passionate and loving princess who was set up for failure by her court, with strong fortitude and unconventional (for their time) and loyal friends she pushed past the danger and criticism to become the mighty “Virgin Queen”.

The director’s use of elevated camera angles in many scenes puts the viewer in a position of separation from what is happening in the scene. For instance, in the opening scene three people were burned alive at the stake for heresy and the camera was angled in a straight downward position directly above the people. This gives the audience a feeling of being above the situation and does not allow the audience to get emotionally involved in the plight of the characters. Also, to add to a dramatic and anxiety ridden scene when Elizabeth was being drilled with questions concerning her religious beliefs, Kapur uses sporadic camera movements such as a 360 degree orbiting movement around her. Other noticeable camera work was the low angle shots, such as when Elizabeth entered the court to speak with the many priests. The upward angle gave a sense of being dominated by the court and of Elizabeth feeling small and insecure. As time went on and Elizabeth’s power and confidence grew, so did the camera angles. Toward the end, the feeling was that Elizabeth was a giant among her people and she looked downward upon her subjects.

The lighting played a very large part in setting up the scenes in this film. In the beginning of the movie the light was soft and elegant to reflect the lighthearted freeness Elizabeth felt as a young carefree princess. As the movie progressed and the plot thickened, the use of shadows and dark, dank rooms seemed to reflect the frustration and confusion that Elizabeth felt. At the point when Elizabeth has become the powerful queen, the lighting around her set her apart and was extremely bright and almost supernatural.

I believe that the editing in this move tells the story flawlessly and to a level where the viewers are left feeling as if they know this character on an intimate level. Not only were the scenes well sequenced but the small scenes seem to be the most powerful. Seeing Elizabeth practice her speech to the priests while she is feeling nervous and a bit scared, as the court fills with these menacing men really helps the audience feel as if they can relate to her as a person. This type of editing allows the audience to have a front row seat through the emotional rollercoaster ride of this great ruler’s life.

David Hirschfelder, I felt, did a great job in composing the score. The music not only set the mood but made you feel the authenticity of the time. In many films made about this era the music can feel forced and out of place, keeping it not only from setting the mood but also properly extracting the reactions from the viewers. However, Hirschfelder did a fantastic job in evoking the joy, passion, drama and brutality out of each scene in this powerful film. For instance, early on in the film Elizabeth is dancing with Sir Robert in a field and the music is light and frivolous to reflect the cares and concerns of the lovers. Later, the dance between the same two characters is abrasive and harsh after infidelity is proven.

I can understand how many people could feel that this movie was a little dark and gloomy but what they forget is that in that time there was only natural light and the usage of only natural light for authenticity’s sake makes this film seem more genuine. I feel in all aspects of this film, from directing to sound, costume to set design, this movie is a first class act and it seems that Oscar can agree.