Elizabeth R (3 Disc Box Set) [1971] [DVD]

Excellent series. Watched this first time round when I was a schoolboy as it was the follow on to the "6 Wives of Henry VIII". Far better than I remembered. First rate performances all round. For me, Glenda Jackson's finest performances ever. Good direction and lighting. Tells the story of QEI really well. Can't fault it really.

This is one of the magnificent historical series theBBC made in the 1970's including "The Six Wives ofHenry VIII", "I, Claudius" and "Fall of Eagles".I highly recommend all of them.Queen Elizabeth I was voted in 1999 the greatestruler of the last 1000 years. Under her reign,England became a major world power. The beginningsof the centuries-long rule of the Royal Navy on theoceans of the world began and her role in it wasfinding master seamen Sir Francis Drake andJohn Hawkins to build it. The first Englishcolony in North American (named Virginia after her) wasestablished. She promoted a seriesof able statesman such as William and RobertCecil who built a stable and (relatively) honestgovernment that cared about the welfare of the peopleand not just enriching themselves.Of course, there were many problems in her long reign.This series shows the jealousy among many of hercourtiers, her controversial relationwhip withRobert Dudley (Earl of Leicester), the numerousthreats to her throne by various schemers,her indecision about what to do with her cousinMary Stuart, the religious strife, not justbetween Protestants and Catholics (who were stillthe majority in her reign) but also amongst theProtestants themselves (i.e. the Puritans againstthe main Church of England) and the constantthreat of war and possibly invasion from Spain.The series does point out flaws she had suchas her tightfistedness in not wanting to paythe demobilized sailors who had successfullyconfronted the Spanish Armada and her favoringof the spoiled and arrogantEarl of Essex (step-son of Dudley)who ended up turning on her.One slight criticism I have of the programis in the episode "The Enterprise of England",King Philip II of Spain and his commanderthe Duke of Medina-Sidonia are made out tobe comical fools, and I am sure that neitherof them was that since Spain was the number 1superpower of the world at that time. One othercriticism I can make of Time Magazine's choiceis that I feel there was a certain amount of"political correctness" in their choice ofa woman as the best ruler of the last milleniumis that it (and this series) ignores the factthat it was her policies of support to Drakeset the stage for the start of the Trans-AtlanticSlave Trade bringing ultimately millions ofAfrican slaves to America. This would certainlysully her reputation, so it is overlooked.However, these are minor criticisms. The seriesis a joy to the senses with the beautiful, authenticcostumes and the Elizabethan music and dancing. Comment | Permalink

I think I've got them all now: Cate Blanchett, Helen Mirren, Bette Davis and all those whose names escape me right now. My shelf with english dvd is virtually overflowing from movies/series/dokumentaries about Elizabeth I. I cannot get enough of the great Queen and I think I will never tire of her. And yet: This series is among the very best I've ever seen. It Tool me five minutes to completely forget that I was looking at Glenda Jackson, and not at the great Elizabeth herself. However, I felt even more enthusiastic about Robert Hardy's Earl of Leicester. Great acting from all the cast, down to the minor parts.Of course the series is old and it shows. The visual quality is most definitely not HD. To put it mildly. The whole style of the production has a feeling of antiquity to it. It looks, sounds and feels more like a series of different Shakespeare performances than a TV series. And yet (or perhaps just because of it?) whilst watching it, you feel like you are there, a part of the Tudor Court. A hundred times or more I must have seen it being all played out before me. And yet, when Performance as brilliantly as in this series, it is as fresh and as fascinating to see as it was when I saw it for the very first time.

Well worth the buy and an intriguing insight into queen Elizabeth 1 life.

Each episode is an hour and a half long! that's feature length and , to be honest, the material could be cut by a quarter of an hour at least without losing anything and maybe gaining some much needed momentum.Glenda Jackson's Elizabeth is centre-stage, veering from the flirtatious and "I can rule this kingdom better than any of you men" to hysterical screaming and shouting when somebody disagrees with her-oh that we could all behave in such a manner?!Robert Hardy as a passionate lover (Essex) doesn't do it for me but Cecil, Walsingham and Sussex come over sympathetically.Practically the entire series is filmed indoors with Tudor wood paneling in every scene-the effect is quite claustrophobic-much like being told to stay at home during a pandemic.Despite these quibbles I have been enjoying Elizabeth R as historical drama/fiction.

Happy beyond belief to be enjoying on DVD once again this award-winning and truly splendid 1971 BBC TV costume drama, starring the simply superb Glenda Jackson in the greatest role of her life, leading a stunning cast in the narrative of the great Gloriana's life and reign. It opens with the young princess at risk in the reigns of her siblings Edward VI and Mary I, follows her long reign from 1558 and ends with her 1603 death - aged, miserable, and alone at the centre of her whispering court, following the execution of her last favourite, the Earl of Essex. Stirring stuff, marvellously written, cast, directed, acted and produced. As far as I can tell, the script is meticulously accurate historically, which is a major achievement given the difficulty of dramatising such a large canvas of time, place and events and bringing alive so many different characters. If history can live on screen, this is it.Quibblers will note the occasional wobble of scenery and one or two other economies characteristic of a 1971 TV series, but it's so brilliantly acted, written, costumed and produced, one cannot complain. If only they made 'em like that today. Brilliant.

This is quite a good dramatisation of the life of Queen Elizabeth I. Overall the acting was excellent Glenda Jackson’s portrayal of the Queen is outstanding, there is a marvellous supporting cast, although I was not keen on Robert Hardy as Leicester. My three Star rating is mostly for the sets which were quite poor IMO.

Prachtige reeks , perfecte zending

I remember watching this waaay back in the 70's shortly after The Six Wives of Henry VIII. I just loved the super quick dialogue, you really had to pay attention to what was being said and ok, so it's dated but still the best Elizabeth I to date. I've seen so many Elizabeths the First and next to The Virgin Queen, Elizabeth R is still the finest that I know of. The costumes were historically the most accurate and Glenda Jackson just carried the series away. Of course there were some historical stretching but not compared to others I've seen. It was the dialogue that really places this series above and beyond all others. Fast, intelligent, fearsome, troubling (Elizabeth's talking about the worms eating away at the body of Mary, Queen of Scots). The Best!

TRÈS BIEN

Glenda Jackson does an amazing job and is very convincing as Elizabeth R. For its time, it was well done. Stays pretty true to the history. I enjoyed seeing it again after all these years.

長尺の歴史伝記物にありがちの、入り込むのに少々の忍耐力を要しますが、グレンダ・ジャクソンの自由自在な演技、エリザベスの年齢、地位が上がるごとにグロテスクに変貌するメイク、最後に近く、カツラを取った女王の容貌をよく描いたもんだと思う。立ったままなかなか死なない描写も他に類を見ない演出、演技で、グレンダ・ジャクソンファンとしては満喫しました。他の役者も実に楽しげに演技していて、長い長い物語を飽きさせません。グレンダ・ジャクソン主演作のDVD化を熱望します。