Editor Reviews:

Description:
Academy Award-winners Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush and Richard Attenborough lead a distinguished cast in Elizabeth - the critically acclaimed epic of the Queen's turbulent and treacherous rise to power! Before the Golden Age, Elizabeth was a passionate and naïve girl who came to reign over a land divided by bloody turmoil. Amidst palace intrigues and attempted assassinations, the young Queen is forced to become a cunning strategist while weighing the counsel of her mysterious advisors, thwarting her devious rivals, and denying her own desires for the good of her country. Relive the majesty and drama of one of history's greatest monarchs in this stunning production that was honored with 7 Academy Award nominations including Best Picture!

Amazon.com:

One of the big Elizabethan-era films of 1998, Shekhar Kapur's Elizabeth serves up a brimming goblet of religious tension, political conspiracy, sex, violence, and war. England in 1554 is in financial and religious turmoil as the ailing Queen "Bloody" Mary attempts to restore Catholicism as the national faith. She has no heir, and her greatest fear--that her Protestant half-sister Elizabeth will assume the throne after her death--is realized. Still, the late Queen Mary has her loyalists. The newly crowned Elizabeth finds herself knee-deep in dethroning schemes while also dodging assassination attempts. Her advisers (including Sir William Cecil, superbly played by Richard Attenborough) beg her to marry any one of her would-be suitors to stabilize England's empire. No matter that she already has a lover. The passionate Robert Dudley (Joseph Fiennes) is married, however, and shows he cannot stand up to the growing strength of the Queen. With the help of her aide Walsingham (Geoffrey Rush), Elizabeth strikes against her enemies before they get to her first. But her rise ultimately entails rejecting love and marriage to redefine herself as the indisputable Virgin Queen.

Cate Blanchett's Oscar-nominated performance as the naive and vibrant princess who becomes the stubborn and knowing queen is both severe and sympathetic. Her ethereal, pale beauty is equal parts fire and ice, her delivery of such lines as "There will be only one mistress here and no master!" expressed with command rather than hysterics. As striking as Blanchett's performance is the film's lavish and dramatic production design. The cold, dark sets paired with the lush costuming show the golden age of England's monarchy emerging from the Middle Ages. Rich velvet brushes over the dank stones while power is achieved at any price, and with such attention to physical detail, Elizabeth fully immerses you into its compelling chronicle of pioneering feminism and revisionist history. --Shannon Gee

Rating : - "Elizabeth" reigns supreme on film.
Every aspect of this film is flawless. All period films should use this one as an example of how to bring history to life.

I can't speak much about the plot that hasn't already been discussed to death here and Amazon itself has done a decent job recapping the basics of this story. I'll resort to my simple Hits and Misses on this one:

The HITS:

1. This film is flawlessly acted by all. While Cate Blanchett dominates the screen and well-earned her Oscar nomination that year, Geoffrey Rush and the suburb, but under appreciated Sir Richard Attenborough (The Great Escape, A Passage To India and Jurassic Park) are outstanding in their supporting roles as is the rest of the terrific cast.

2. Exquisite photography, costume design, and settings bring this period piece to life. No detail seems missed. The audience is immersed in the era.

3. Historically speaking, the film is rather accurate although the whole situation with Elizabeth's lover is conjecture base upon quite a lot of hearsay (but may be correct).

4. This film is lovingly directed. The director let's the plot and the actors actually tell the story in a fashion that is unobtrusive.

5. The script is pure gold and provides the brilliant foundation for this outstanding film.

The Misses:

I couldn't find a thing wrong with this film. When I said it was flawless, I meant it. Of course, that's just my opinion.