Wow! Such a good movie.

Wonderful Movie

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

I love period films, I love late legendary John Barry's music and I like Glenda Jackson, Vanessa Redgrave and Patrick McGoohan a lot. Mary, Queen of Scots was a truly wonderful film, true some of the history is suspect but I was past caring because everything else was done so brilliantly. First and foremost, the film does look gorgeous, the costumes are elegant with many touches of authenticity, the cinematography is crisp and the scenery is lush. The script is literate, thoughtful and poignant, the direction efficient and the story well paced and compelling. The acting is a marvel, Vanessa Redgrave is a very convincing and regal Mary, and Patrick McGoohan an excellent James, but Glenda Jackson who embodies Elizabeth is a revelation. The real heart of the film comes from John Barry's score, which for me is not only his best but also one of his most beautiful and moving. All in all, wonderful. 10/10 Bethany Cox

I watched this after viewing Howard's End a few time, which is a movie I like despite a problematic, mechanical supporting performance from Redgrave. She stands out for the wrong reasons. Every scene of competence is matched by one of diva-esque deliberation, incongruity or bewilderment.Jumping to this movie, it's shocking to see how inexperienced she is here too. While she manages to record each scene without falling on her face, the character just adds up to a cipher. Redgrave is quite adrift. She portrays Mary in a perpetually clueless state. So Mary seems like like a wide-eyed dingbat; to the point that viewers can't root for her at all.Timothy Dalton as a risible little snot of a king, is the sole entertainment value, but that that's only as a pure camp, effeminate, preening Snidely Whiplash of no import. He is not a sufficient foil for the piece. By the time he's breaking out of a prison in a nightgown (with what appear to be herpes blisters on his face) it's become a rather eye-rolling endeavor.

It's been quite some time since I saw this movie, so have forgotten many of the details, but quite enjoyed this portrait of the clash between Mary Queen of Scots and her rival Tudor cousin, Elizabeth I. I confess to a lack of knowledge as to its historical accuracy, which may perhaps be just as well, as I read that the supposed meeting between the two queens never took place in real life. The producers presumably felt audiences would expect such an in person meeting. Frankly, however, while such films might be permitted a wee bit of dramatic license, they should definitely stick with fundamental historical truths. The movie chronicles the struggles of Mary Stewart, who returns from France, where she had been wife to the sickly (now deceased) king Francois II, to Scotland, where her Protestant half brother, Jamie, is acting as Regent. In order to secure the Scottish throne for herself and her son (later James VI of Scotland and James I of England), she must battle the Scottish Lords, her brother Jamie, who causes rebellions against his sister, and even her second husband, Lord Darnley, who makes a bid for the throne himself. The most devastating enemy proves to be her royal English cousin, Elizabeth I, who sees Mary as a threat, especially when Mary produces (with Darnley) a son while she (Elizabeth) remains unmarried and childless.The main asset of the movie lies in its two female leads, who portray the warm, emotional Catholic Mary and the cool, calculating Protestant Elizabeth. Vanessa Redgrave made, at least for me, a convincing enough Mary. Especially, however, I recall Glenda Jackson as an absolutely brilliant Queen Elizabeth. She IS Elizabeth, and I believe to a certain extent, it's really her movie. To this day, whenever I picture Elizabeth I, it's Glenda Jackson, who of course went on to play the Virgin Queen in the TV series, Elizabeth R. Others in the star studded cast include Patrick McGoohan as James Stewart (Mary's brother), Timothy Dalton as Lord Darnley (Mary's weak, conniving second husband), and Nigel Davenport as Bothwell (Mary's true love and third husband). Two of Elizabeth's ministers are portrayed by Trevor Howard as Sir William Cecil, and Daniel Massey as the queen's devoted Dudley.Beautiful Oscar nominated Tudor period costumes and scenes. I would like to see again the tale of this tragic figure, a woman who should have been content with her Scottish crown and not covetous of the English one as well. Pity modern cinema seems disinclined to delve into these British historical dramas. Personally, I would like to see more movies such as this one and the 1986 Lady Jane with Helena Bonham Carter. There's certainly no lack of historical figures that would make interesting subjects.

The nomination of this movie as the British Royal Film Performance may seem ironic given it's royally internecine themes of murder and attempted coups. The myth of the tragic Mary Stuart is further tangled by imagined meetings between herself and her unwilling nemesis, Elizabeth I.Somewhat episodic, it reminded me of another Vanessa Redgrave vehicle, also involving Patrick McGoohan: "Three Sovereigns for Sarah". As that film also did, this movie attempts to tell a thirty year long story, this time starting with Mary's beginnings as a widowed teenager and not ending until her execution twenty-seven years later. This ambition dooms the film to gradually become un-involving, as the tense speeds on through the years faster than my emotional ability to keep pace.It is certainly a worthy movie with some highlights. The grisly (Shakespearian) murder of Mary's Italian 'fancy', played by Ian Holm, is still shocking, even in today's gore-ridden movie climate. The later murder of Timothy Dalton is less startling, though more drawn out. I was impressed by Dalton's performance. He did well in his portrayal of the erratic personality of the Lord Darnley. Patrick McGoohan impresses as Mary's dour brother, ever the realist (conducting peace-keeping transactions with Glenda Jackson's English Court) but equally willing to help his irresponsible half-sister stay alive.Mr. McGoohan is always a highlight for this reviewer. He was very restrained but still effective as the pragmatic Regent. If only the foolish Mary had listened to him, her life could have been very different (and longer).