Elizabeth The Golden Age parents guide

Elizabeth The Golden Age Parent Guide

Overall C

In this epic movie, Cate Blanchett plays Queen Elizabeth I during the golden age of her reign when the young ruler is challenged by threats of war from King Philip II of Spain (Jordi Molla), questionable council from her advisor Sir Francis Walsingham (Geoffrey Rush), an assassination attempt by her cousin Mary Stuart (Samantha Morton), and the yearnings of her heart for Sir Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen).

Release date October 11, 2007

Violence D+
Sexual Content C
Profanity B-
Substance Use B-

Why is Elizabeth The Golden Age rated PG-13? The MPAA rated Elizabeth The Golden Age PG-13 for violence, some sexuality and nudity.

Run Time: 114 minutes

Parent Movie Review

In 1999, Cate Blanchett received an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of the “Virgin Queen” who became England’s monarch despite a troubled accession. Now both Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush who played her resourceful advisor, Sir Francis Walsingham, reprise their roles in Elizabeth: The Golden Age.

Still single and childless, the spectacularly attired Elizabeth I is besieged by tiresome political wrangling and increasingly younger suitors who want to form an alliance with the sovereign and secure their chance at her throne. Her courtiers are also concerned with the lack of an heir apparent and the civil instability that may result. But Elizabeth herself, at least publicly, seems more interested in affairs of state than marriage.

Governing during turbulent years of Catholic and Protestant unrest, the Queen is under constant threat from religious fanatics and eventually finds herself the target of an assassination plot by her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots (Samantha Morton). As well, King Philip II of Spain (Jordi Mollˆ), eager to restore the Protestant England to Catholicism, is engaged in preparations to attack the coast.

But while traitors and warmongering rage around her, the Queen’s private life is also in turmoil. Arriving at the castle, Sir Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen), a high seas adventurer, is the first man seemingly more interested in Elizabeth as a woman than a regent. Without the usual flattery of a suitor, Raleigh befriends the Queen and absorbs her attention with tales of discovery and piracy. Although she knows he is an unsuitable marriage choice, she encourages her aid, Bess (Abbie Cornish), to keep close to the man. Later, jealousy ensues when the proximity between her favorite lady-in-waiting and Raleigh results in a growing romance and illicit affair.

However with the Spanish Armada bearing down on the country, the Queen has to put aside personal matters to deal with the danger. Unfortunately it’s these war measures that push this monarchy out of the realm of family viewing, Graphic depictions of bloody bodies, dark, dank torture chambers and impaling are shown along side gruesome battle scenes aboard the naval ships. Likewise, suspected traitors are summarily beaten, beheaded, stabbed or hanged.

Equally problematic is the film’s inability to connect audiences with the detached ruler who, of her own admission, puts up barriers between the citizens and herself. Dissipating any romantic notions about being a royal, the script depicts the heartache and loneliness suffered by monarchs who were often pawns in their court’s governmental schemes. With intrigues and deceptions often confusing to follow (and likely to bore most teens), the production focuses instead on extravagant costumes and intricate sets. Yet while those visuals may be pretty to look at, this script needs more than a little buffing to really shine like gold.

Starring Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Clive Owen, Samantha Morton.. Running time: 114 minutes. Theatrical release October 11, 2007. Updated

Elizabeth The Golden Age
Rating & Content Info

Why is Elizabeth The Golden Age rated PG-13? Elizabeth The Golden Age is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for violence, some sexuality and nudity.

Although likely accurate for the time, the torture methods used in the film are often gory and bloody. Severely beaten bodies are chained in torture chambers while other traitors are publicly hanged or beheaded. Unauthorized murders by gunfire or impaling also take place outside the palace. On the sea, cannon fire rips apart ships and human bodies (leaving one man legless) during intense battle scenes. On shore, an ill-advised affair (shown in blurred silhouettes) enrages the Queen who’s own aging body causes her some despair when she gazes upon it. (Female back and buttock nudity is seen). Brief, experimental tobacco use and some social drinking are depicted. Infrequent terms of Deity and a repeated term for an illegitimate child (properly used) are contained in the script. Religious followers are also often negatively portrayed.

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Elizabeth The Golden Age Parents' Guide

Hangings and beheadings are depicted as public affairs attended by aristocrats and common folk alike. What do you think intrigued onlookers with these gory events? How does our modern society compare? Are violent portrayals in movies, television programs and video games similar public displays of bloodshed?

According to the Queen’s astrological advisor, times of trial bring out the true natures of people. Do you agree with his observation? In what ways do difficulties expose a person’s real character? How have you seen this in your own life or the lives of others?

What is the difference between justice and mercy? Why is the Queen forced to choose one over another? What are the repercussions of her decision? Is it even possible for a person to invoke both justice and mercy at the same time?

How does the Queen’s appearance on the battlefront affect her citizens? What strengths does she possess as a monarch?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Elizabeth The Golden Age movie is February 5, 2008. Here are some details…

Elizabeth: The Golden Agereleases on Bu-ray on April 27, 2010.

DVD Release Date: 5 February 2008

Thanks to the four featurettes included in this DVD release, history and film buffs can give closer inspection to Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Actors Cate Blanchett, Clive Owen and Geoffrey Rush join director Shekhar Kapur in The Reign Continues, to discuss how this sequel came to the big screen. Commanding the Winds: Creating the Armada provides a behind-the-scenes look at how the film’s massive ships and dramatic battles were constructed. Inside Elizabeth’s World lets fans discover the secrets behind the film’s elaborate production design. And Towers, Courts and Cathedrals explores the historic and sacred locations use as sets in the film.

Related home video titles:

In A Man for All Seasons, Sir Thomas More, another famous Englishman, has his own run-in with the monarchy when he refuses to sanction the divorce of King Henry VIII who was Elizabeth’s father. In the Oscar-nominated production of The Queen, filmmakers construe about what might have gone on behind closed palace doors following the sudden death of Princess Diana.

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