“I had to make a choice: whether I wanted the details of history or the emotions and essence of history to prevail.” Shekhar Kapur zit. nach Rosanna de Lisle: Shekhar Kapur – The original Elizabethan. In: The Independent, 27. September 1998.
“The film is more a metaphorical thing about what it means to be queen.” Cate Blanchett zit. nach Rosanna de Lisle: Shekhar Kapur – The original Elizabethan. In: The Independent, 27. September 1998.
“The Virgin Queen’s crown now belongs to Blanchett. […] But the romantic element is tackled less convincingly […]. The supporting cast is tremendous. […] Kapur’s direction has a lavish, sinister energy, tempered by a sensitivity to the potential silliness of a film which puts a legion of British character actors into tights. […] But unfortunately, Michael Hirst’s script […] lags a long way behind […] the film’s luscious monumentalist pictures […]. The final scene of the film, for instance, has a visual magnificence rarely seen in British cinema.” Matthew Sweet: Elizabeth the Magnificent. In: The Independent, 4. Oktober 1998.
“Elizabeth offers a reasonably accurate overview of the 16th century monarch’s character and life. When it comes to specifics, however, the film is sorely lacking. […] Overall, however, this is a fine historical melodrama […]. One of the primary reasons Elizabeth works is because of the superlative performance of Cate Blanchett. […] she breathes life into the revered historical figure. […] The supporting cast is top-notch.”James Berardinelli, vgl. reelviews.net
rogerebert.com
“Elizabeth is […] steeped in rich, saturated colors and emotions. […] The movie, indeed, compresses and rewrites history at its own convenience, which is the rule anyway with English historical romances. What it gets right is the performance by Cate Blanchett.”Roger Ebert: Elizabeth. In: Chicago Sun-Times, 20. November 1998.
“Elizabeth is […] imposingly beautiful, persuasively resonant, unfailingly entertaining. […] Blanchett’s triumph is to create a thoroughly convincing depiction of the journey from canoodling girlhood to the threshold of an imperial monarchy […]. Sir Francis Walsingham [… is] given a cool, dangerous and watchful presence in Geoffrey Rush’s memorable portrayal. […] Blanchett is nothing short of electrifying.”Richard Williams: Liz the Lionheart. In: The Guardian, 2. Oktober 1998.
“Elizabeth is superior historical soap opera that shrewdly sidesteps all the cliches of British costume drama with its bold, often modern approach. […] Blanchett conveys with grace, poise and intelligence that Elizabeth was a wily, decisive, advanced thinker […]. Visually, the pic is a superb achievement.” David Rooney: Elizabeth. In: Variety, 9. September 1998.
