Elizabeth (1998)

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What I already find interesting about this film is its poster. When talking about or making a film about Elizabeth I, it's traditional to go with the 'White Faced' virgin Queen instead of the style they've chosen to use on this one. In this poster, 'Elizabeth' has her hair down and none of the traditional Elizabethan makeup on.

Throughout the film, Elizabeth is shown to have her hair down and long. Sometimes styled in braids. There is hardly any make up on her face. It really shows her natural beauty. You still see the high hair lines, but I think that was down to her having a naturally high forehead as it is shown in many portraits for this to be the case.

There are two clips from the film I wish to address because I found them to be the most important to this blog. The first one is where she has her hair cut short.


'The way women dressed was also strictly controlled. Women who were not married could wear their hair loose. Married women had to hide their hair away under a veil and a hood. Queens might wear their hair loose on state occasions but this was only tolerated because they had to wear a crown. Anne Boleyn’s hair was so long that she could sit on it – but despite her forceful nature, even she did what was expected of her and wore her hair in a hood after her marriage to Henry VIII.' 
  • (Anon., 2015)

    • Even to this day, it's an emotional experience for a woman who has long hair to have it cut short. We see women crying their eyes out on America's Next Top Model when their makeover consists of them going from waist long hair up to a pixie cut. Elizabeth's ladies seem to be showing more of an emotional response than Elizabeth does. To me this says a lot about her character. By this point she's been through a lot and she knows that she needs to have complete power and respect. To get this she becomes the 'Virgin Queen' I like the part when they are mixing up the ceruse and being painting her hands with it. 





    This is the second part of the film I wish to mention. I love how she walks into the room completely reborn. Her hair is up and styled with symbols of her virgin status, and she's been painted with ceruse. Her new porcelain skin is unmistakable and to make her look slightly more lifelike she is given rosy cheeks which she naturally had anyway.  You can tell that she is wearing a wig because the colour is bold and vivid. It's a complete transformation. She states that she is 'Married to England' and this is reflected in the rebirth of her. She is conforming with how a married woman would dress.

     'As in previous times, a woman’s dress covered nearly everything. Sleeves came down to the wrists and even in summer dresses reached the floor. Corsets were common but a plunging neckline would be considered acceptable. For queens, ceremonial dress could be even of a challenge as their dresses could be beautiful to those looking at them but they were both bulky and weighed a great deal as they were usually encrusted with jewels. Worn on a hot evening at a state occasion, such dresses must have been uncomfortable to wear.' (Anon. N.D)





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