You Know You’re a History Geek When…
May 7, 2010 by Cherie
Filed under TV, Movies, Books
… you refuse to finish watching a movie because it is so historically inaccurate. That’s what happened recently when I started watching Elizabeth I
I rented the movie, which comes on two disks because it was an HBO miniseries, and could barely finish the first and decided to skip the second. In the movie, Elizabeth and Mary, Queen of Scots meet up for a “secret meeting” (oooh, the intrigue!) except one of the most fascinating things about their rivalry was that they never met in real life. The movie had the times all messed up on when Elizabeth and the Duke of Anjou were talking marriage, on when Robert Dudley dies, on when he marries Lettice Knollys (and the fact that she’s the queen’s much-hated look alike cousin is never even discussed.)
I’m all for taking liberties in movies, but this was too much. I mean, I enjoy the Showtime Tudors series (which really makes some leaps) but I wasn’t in the mood for it this time I guess. I think one thing that bothered me was that this had so many British actors in it. When you usually watch a BBC film it’s much more closely related to the facts. I guess they’re a bit more careful with their history than we are.
I agree completely! The Cate Blanchett “Elizabeth” film is equally inaccurate. Bishop Gardner was dead by the time that Elizabeth took the throne from Queen Mary, and yet he has a constant presence in the film! WHAT??? There are numerous other glaring errors in that film, though I can’t remember any others off the top of my head, but when I chain myself to a chair as I force myself to re-watch it, I will make sure that I make a list!
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