Mary Queen of Scots Parent Guide

Mary, Queen of Scots is a polarizing figure for history buffs. Born a Roman Catholic heir to the throne of Protestant Scotland, widowed after the death of the French king at age 18, she returned to Scotland to rule. Her reign was turbulent, with two troubled marriages, a murdered husband, and a popular revolt which forced her to flee to England and rely on the mercy of her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I. Found guilty of plotting to overthrow Elizabeth and seize the English throne, Mary was beheaded at age 44. But Mary had the final victory: her son was named heir to the childless English queen, and upon Elizabeth’s death, James VI of Scotland united both realms and became James I of what would henceforth be known as Great Britain: England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

History fans have long been divided about the circumstances of Mary’s life. Was she involved in the plot to murder her husband, Henry Darnley? Did she really conspire to usurp Elizabeth’s throne or was she framed? Mary Queen of Scots doesn’t bother with the niceties of historical debate or accuracy: it is firmly on Mary’s side. In this film, Mary (played brilliantly by Saoirse Ronan) is a bold, visionary leader who is thwarted at every turn by designing, disloyal and ambitious men. Her belief in religious tolerance is thwarted by fanatical anti-Catholic clergyman John Knox (David Tennant) and her unassailable right to the throne is undercut by the treachery of her illegitimate half-brother, James, Earl of Moray (David McCardle). To make matters worse, her attempts to develop a sisterhood of monarchs with Elizabeth (Margot Robbie) are thwarted by Protestant courtiers and the English queen’s own indecision, insecurity, and jealousy. Clearly, Elizabeth isn’t “woke” enough to see through male machinations and bond with her forward-seeing cousin on the neighboring throne.

Aside from the absurd levels of “presentism” in this movie, its most egregious flaw is its depiction of Queen Elizabeth I. Whether you are on Team Mary or Team Elizabeth, there is no denying that Elizabeth was a shrewd and wily monarch who skillfully manipulated both her court and the rest of Europe as she consolidated her hold on power and stabilized England after the upheavals of the Reformation. However, the screenwriters have ignored the historical record and created an Elizabeth who sounds like a 13-year-old fan girl, mawkishly maundering on and on about Mary’s beauty and vitality and power. As one puerile line after another came out of Elizabeth’s mouth, I began rolling my eyes, suppressing derisive laughter, and restraining my desire to throw my notebook at the screen.

On top of its annoying script, Mary Queen of Scots is loaded with disturbing content. There is some violence, although aside from one brutal murder, it is much less gory than it could be. The most unsettling aspect of this movie is its sexual content. On one occasion, Mary has a sexual encounter with her fiancé, which cannot be described in detail on a family website. She remains clothed but the activity is clear and she climaxes on screen. This is the only sexual activity which Mary enjoys. Further sexual contact with her husband involves hostility, pain and demeaning treatment. Following one act, we see Mary curled up in a ball on her bed, asking her ladies in waiting to pray for her. Her third marriage, which is forced upon her, fares no better. When she capitulates and agrees to marry Lord Bothwell (Martin Compston), he demands a sexual encounter with the unwilling queen. We see him on top of her, his buttocks briefly visible, and a look of tight-lipped anguish on Mary’s face.

Normally I would be frustrated by a Restricted movie which, like this one, could have achieved a PG-13 rating with judicious editing. But in this case the Restricted rating is a boon. By reducing the size of the potential audience for Mary Queen of Scots, it spares many potential moviegoers from sitting through this absolutely appalling piece of pseudo-historical trash.