1. Elizabeth (Cate Blanchett)
was Queen of England and Ireland from November 17, 1558 to March 24, 1603, and was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty. She never married, so she was called the "Virgin Queen". When she came to power England was in a state of internal chaos due to religious divisions, but she not only succeeded in keeping England united, but after nearly half a century of rule, England became one of the most powerful and wealthy countries in Europe. English culture also reached a peak during this period, and famous figures such as Shakespeare and Bacon emerged. British colonies in North America also began to be established during this period. Her reign is known in British history as the "Elisabeth Period", also known as the "Golden Age".
2. Walsingham (Geoffrey Rush) is
an English politician who is deeply trusted by Queen Elizabeth. Skilled at diplomacy, his language knowledge and ability to organize espionage were invaluable in advancing Queen Elizabeth's foreign policy.
In the second, he exposes Throckmorton's conspiracy and Mary's letter expressing her full support for Babington's plan to kill Elizabeth. Promoted the guillotine of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots in 1587.
3. Robert Dudley (Joseph Fiennes) in Part 1 as
Joseph Fiennes has a bitter love with Elizabeth As a gift from Lord Robert, their love was forced to deteriorate because Elizabeth was transformed from a princess who almost went to hell to the Queen of England. The marriage proposal of the Spanish king and the French king turned her marriage into a political deal. .
4, Sir Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen) in the second part of the hero
he is a warrior returning from sailing, he is tall, handsome, kind manner, full of wit.
He first caught the Queen's attention by throwing his cloak in the quagmire so that the Queen's noble feet could pass smoothly.
While gaining the favor of Queen Elizabeth, Raleigh fell in love with the queen's handmaiden, made her pregnant, and secretly married. This also made the queen very angry, because at that time the maid by the queen's side had to get the queen's permission to get married.
But at the end of the film, the climax of the film, during the war with Spain, Raleigh is forgiven by the queen and goes to sea against Spain.
However, the role was fraught with controversy because it was so far removed from the personality traits of the real Sir Raleigh.
2. Historical Background
1. Elizabeth
In 1554, England, Henry VIII died, and the country was torn apart. Catholicism opposed Protestants, and Henry's eldest daughter, Mary, who believed in Catholicism, became queen. She had no children, and Catholics feared that Mary's Protestant half-sister would inherit the throne, Elizabeth.
2. Elizabeth II
In 1589, Elizabeth I ruled England for nearly 30 years. At this time, King Philip II of Spain, relying on the Holy See Inquisition and the support of the Armada, was bent on attacking the Protestant England under the rule of Elizabeth I. In order to defend Britain, Elizabeth I fought against the mighty Spain at war, and her colleagues who survived and died in the country were attracted by the adventure-loving civilian Raleigh. Entangled in the whirlpool of spiritual contradictions. At the same time, an assassination attempt to overthrow the British throne is unknowingly pointing the United Kingdom to the road
of destruction. 3. Clothing Features
Two films about Elizabeth's different ruling eras shot in different periods have followed the same style. Whether it is in the choice of actors, the shooting techniques, or the color processing of the shots, the biggest feature worthy of attention is the costume features. Both films won the Oscar.
1. Style
The Elizabeth period in the Middle Ages was called the "Golden Age", and its clothing also showed magnificent colors, and the Baroque style was even more popular. It can be said that this series of movies shows this style most vividly, especially the second one. The rich baroque style in the play and Cate Blanchett in gorgeous costumes are enough to make your eyes follow again and again.
It needs to be admitted that the men of any era are not as charming as the men of this era. Because it is unimaginable that in an era when feminism is popular like "Elizabeth: The Golden Age", a man's underwear will actually need to be decorated with more than 100 meters of ribbons. And when you close your eyes, imagine such a tight wrap in layers of gorgeous underwear, wearing dense breasts from top to bottom, so that the separated hem is pretty and fancy. The upright decoration is extremely gorgeous. Long coats and trendy bloomers and red high-heeled riding boots with spurs, a small section of boots and socks decorated with flowers or ribbons, waving large sleeves embroidered with patterns, with a tripod of black velvet inserts. When the "gentleman" with exaggerated feather decoration bows to you, perhaps, what you really worry about is whether there will be a bare field under the man's exaggerated wig.
Compared with men, women seem to be able to show their beauty more perfectly. They wore extremely popular corsets and short sleeveless coats, with lace-inlaid necklines dug deeper and wider, revealing imaginative breast space, and a short length of silk tied with floral knots for decoration. The voluminous blouse and the splayed sleeves are embellished with beautiful lace. Ditch the old-fashioned panniers for a voluminous skirt with layers of petticoats and beautiful folds at the waist, embroidered with lots of embroidery. When going out, wear a dark cloak.
2. The function of expressing character
Elizabeth is the king of a country, and there are people who need her to protect her, but she is also a woman who needs the nourishment of love, occasional tenderness, and wants to pursue an unfettered life. This contradictory character is vividly displayed in the film, and as the most eye-catching costume, it is also reflected everywhere.
The formal dress is gorgeous, the mother is in the world; the pleated embroidery is delicate and gentle. Between hardness and softness, which man understands this kind of charm. The light she refracted blinded the eyes of all men and made them stay away, but left her alone.
The most profound is the suit of armor worn when reviewing soldiers during wartime. The first is that the long wig gives the image of freedom, even if it is scattered, it is noble. The second point is that even if wearing armor, the characteristics of women's clothes are still the sleeves, and the breastplate is flat with sapphire on it, and a white cape is placed on top of the silver armor. This is Elizabeth of war.
4. Scenario Analysis
First, extensive use of long-range shooting allows everyone to have a panoramic view of the battle. And in the grand scene, no matter how small Elizabeth may be, she is definitely the focus.
When there are a lot of people, use the crowd as a background to highlight Elizabeth. For example, in the second part, Elizabeth put on armor and rode on the back of a white horse. When she appeared in front of the soldiers to cheer up, the soldiers were lined up neatly and became the background of the whole picture at the same time, and the light directly hit Elizabeth. Bai's body highlights her importance. This scene shows Britain's fearlessness in the face of war, and also reflects Elizabeth's perseverance after self-doubt, and her determination to defeat the enemy, heralding her victory.
When there is no crowd to foil, use the beautiful scenery as the background. Coincidentally, both films feature scenes of the male lead and Elizabeth frolicking in the wild. The green mountains and green fields become the background. No matter how small the characters are in the picture, they are the focus. It also shows that the delicate relationship between Elizabeth and the hero has always been the focus of controversy in her career. And she chose to give up the common feelings of her children and dedicate her life to the country.
Second, in addition to the panoramic scenes, the director also makes good use of the transformation of light to reflect the inner activities of the characters. The dim environment shows the character's mood is low, and the bright light shows hope in the front.
When Spain went to war with England, Elizabeth was struggling with her relationship with the Earl of Raleigh and the pain of killing Mary, Queen of Scots. She felt guilty and felt that she had made a wrong decision and let the whole The country and the people are in crisis. When I asked the fortune teller, the light of the whole picture was only supported by the light of a candle, accompanied by Elizabeth's emotions of contradiction, doubt, confusion, and fear.
And when the fortune teller says: When the storm breaks, each man acts in accordance with his own nature. Some are dumb with terror, some flee, some hide, and some spread their wings like eagles and soar on the wind. Lighting up Elizabeth's heart, her face was directly lit by the faint candlelight.
The last shot, the ending was very good. The war was won, Raleigh's child was born, Elizabeth looked confident, hugged the swaddle baby, and smiled kindly. The only light is the floor-to-ceiling window behind Elizabeth, and it is incredible that when the camera is switched to her face, it is full of bright and neat light, ending with the phrase "I am the mother of a country".
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