Movies, Eh?
I know I promised to end my relationship with movie theaters, but strictly as an experiment, you see, I went to the theater last night to compare the movie-going experience in the U.S. with that in Canada. Result: it's only 75% as irritating in Canada as it is in the States, with some of that attributable to the fact that cell phone signals are blocked in the theater (yay!!!). I saw Stardust, by the way, which was adorable, and I wouldn't mind seeing it again.
Before the movie there was a preview for the sequel to Elizabeth, called Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Judging from the trailer E2 looks like it was created with the sole purpose of having Cate Blanchett in fabulous costumes, having Cate Blanchett give a powerful performance, and having everyone involved get an Oscar (especially Cate Blanchett). Am I being cynical?
Before the movie there was a preview for the sequel to Elizabeth, called Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Judging from the trailer E2 looks like it was created with the sole purpose of having Cate Blanchett in fabulous costumes, having Cate Blanchett give a powerful performance, and having everyone involved get an Oscar (especially Cate Blanchett). Am I being cynical?
8 Comments:
I imagine another reason is to further dump on Catholics and the Catholic heritage, but hey, what do I know?
Yeah, I don't think Catholics are going to be happy with this film -- there was even a quick Inquisition-torture scene in the preview (I'll skip the obligatory Monty Python references).
Heh, judging from what I know of the historical Inquisitions, Spanish or otherwise, I often wonder if the Pythons' might not be the most historically-accurate portrayal in popular media...
True, Yank. Apparently in most cases that went before the Inquisition it sufficed for the offender to simply say he was sorry. ("Get the comfy chair!")
Are you sure it was the Inquisition? Elizabeth, after all, executed a whole bunch of Catholics for treason. Under the 1559 Act of Supremacy, not accepting Liz as head of the English Church was considered treason. That's one reason why treason is the only crime defined in our Constitution.
Many of Elizabeth's victims were tortured before trial and execution. Some, like St. Edmund Campion, were offered the opportunity to recant and join Elizabeth's church. Others were tortured for the names of Catholic associates. If the film were to have any historical accuracy, it would need to include Elizabeth's persecution of English Catholics.
I suppose that the Catholics wouldn't be any more pleased if the movie included the Smithfield fires, where 300 men and women were burned at the stake during the last three years of Mary's reign. (It was as much politically-triggered as religious in nature, but still...)
Meanwhile, I thought Stardust was delightful, recommending that my kids in Maui and Minnesota catch it, too. (How long 'til it hits DVD?)
That's interesting, Steve. My Catholic parochial school never taught the Protestant propaganda, so I'd never heard of the Smithfield fires. According to one Wikipedia article, only fifty people were burned at Smithfield during Mary's reign. Of course, it was a short reign.
Given the choice of being burned for heresy or hanged, drawn, and quartered for treason, I'd probably bug out, as many English Protestants did.
Gringo,
It's possible. It was a quick torture scene that was juxtaposed with some lines about the Inquisition, so I just assumed.
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