Watched Elizabeth I - produced by HBO - and starring the superlative actress Helen Mirren.
Mirren does a great job in creating the Virgin Queen- the last princess of the Tudor dynasty.
What I really liked was how she gave such great feeling and emotion to the character- in particular the moment where she learnt of the execution of her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots.
What I didn't like- well depending on the historical accuracy of it- was her hysterics over her boy toy, the Earl of Essex... which bordered upon ludicrousness.
But it has such great lines and use of language (not marred by hollywoody crass hack job like in Amistad):
Some of the great quotes in Queen Elizabeth I were:
Queen Elizabeth I: A man can be a good Catholic and a good Englishman.
Robert Dudley : Not at the same time, Ma'am.
Queen Elizabeth I: Bacon, people who compliment me on my breasts, even in Latin, run the risk of being thought impertinent. (Queen Elizabeth I was fluent in many languages- Latin included)
Queen Elizabeth I: Powers that set me on high. Pluck me down if I am in conceit.
QEI to Dudley, Earl of Leicester: If friendship is stronger than love. Outlasts Love. Let us be friends.
Spanish Ambassador (outraged): We shall hang your heretic Queen and have another Queen of England!!!!!
Dudley: Yourself perhaps?
Queen Elizabeth I: [to Leicester] The only thing that will kiss in this affair are lawyers pens and lawyers papers.
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