Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush return to their roles that they played in the Academy-award nominated 'Elizabeth'.
'Elizabeth: The Golden Age' tells the thrilling tale of an era - the story of one woman's crusade to control love, crush enemies and secure her position as a beloved icon of the western world.
The Story
The film opens in 1585; Roman Catholic Spain is the most powerful country in Europe, with King Philip II on the throne. Seeing Protestant England as a threat, and in retaliation for England's constant piracy of Spanish ships, Philip intends to make war on his long-time enemy in order to take over the land that is now England and add it to what is already Spain, making his daughter Isabella Queen of England.
Meanwhile, in England, Elizabeth (Cate Blanchett) is still being pressured to marry by her advisor, Francis Walsingham (Geoffrey Rush). She is aging in years (she was actually born in 1533) and, with no child, the throne will pass to her next of kin, her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots (Samantha Morton). The Queen is presented with many portraits of crowned heads of Europe and princes; these include Ivan the Terrible, Erik of Sweden, an Archduke of Austria and a French prince. As always, Elizabeth refuses to take someone's hand in marriage, particularly that of the young Austrian archduke who has become infatuated with the Queen.
Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen) is presented at Elizabeth's court, having returned from the New World, and offers her some of the New World's riches: potatoes, tobacco, and two Indians. Raleigh also offers her gold from Spanish ships that he ironically claims were unable to continue their journey, but the Spanish ambassadors who are present protest that Raleigh is a pirate and should not be welcomed. Elizabeth commands that the Indians should be treated well, but refuses to accept the gold.
Elizabeth quickly finds Raleigh attractive. She becomes enamoured of his tales of high-seas adventure and asks Elizabeth Throckmorton (Abbie Cornish), her most favoured lady-in-waiting, to observe him. Bess also finds Raleigh an attractive man and secretly begins an affair with the explorer. Elizabeth meanwhile seeks guidance and advice from John Dee who predicts that two empires will go to war. However, he cannot predict which will triumph over the other, leaving Elizabeth to ponder her fate.
