Mary Queen of Scots (2018)

This has been a film I wanted to see for age. The trailer looked spectacular and the cast looked great. The Tudor and Stuart dynasty are the most talked about subjects in British history, and Mary Queen of Scots and Elisabeth I were two of the strongest female figures of their time. Mary was beheaded on Elizabeth‘s orders in 1587. In this telling of the tragic Queen Mary, she seeks sisterhood with her cousin, Elizabeth I (they’re technically first-cousins-once-removed), but much easier and more respectful to call each other cousins.

We see a more fragile side to Elizabeth than we do in other Elizabethan films. Here she is portrayed as more sullen in her highs and lows as she laments about that she hasn’t got. The film clearly shows Mary and Elizabeth as two sides of the same coin, but they can also been seen as the yin to their yan.

Mary has things that Elizabeth dosen’t have: husbands and an heir. Elizabeth has support from her people and wins wars where Mary struggles. It shows what could have been, and how close they almost where to friends.

I was surprised Mary was speaking in a predominantly Scottish accent, even though she had been living in France. She does speak French in some parts of the movie in a French accent, but in English it’s in a Scottish accent. I think the real Mary would have had a more French flare in her accent, but the Scottish accent does work too for this film, as it is titled Mary Queen of Scots.

Rizzio’s death is by far the most brutal. It just showed how little disregard some of the nobels had to Queen Mary’s authority which lead to the murder of her first husband, and her eventual forced abdication. (A medieval way of saying Mary: You’re fired!)

What I didn’t like about the film was how it skipped important things. Mary gave birth to Lord Bothwell’s still-born twins and he dies in Denmark. I don’t know if there were any deleted scenes showing this, but I think it was a missed opportunity with the film. It would have shown Mary’s grief more. Miscarriage is one of the most tragic things a person can go through. I think it would have added a great touch to one of the best scenes of the film.

I do think the pacing was off, especially towards the end. Elizabet’s monologue shows how sad she feels for making Mary suffer imprisonmen, and accuses Mary of plotting against her. We never actually see this portrayed in the movie, which will make people believe that Mary is innocent and Elizabeth is being brainwashed by her council.

The film took great liberties with history. The cast ismore diverse than history could ever be. The two queens never met in person, but what remains true is that they had been pitched against each other from the very beginning. The scene where Mary and Elizabeth meet is one of the best scenes in the movie. It added a lot of depth to the characters and I think we can take a lot from the complicated relationship between Mary and Elizabeth. It dosen’t matter if you’re married with children or unwed and childless, women are always under scrutiny, especially when men are unsure what to do when it dosen’t align with their pockets.

Even though there were things I was disappointed in, I think it’s a really great film with an amazing cast and costume design. It hit me on a personal level, and it gets bonus points for having David Tennant as Knox.