On M List of Movie Reviews
(For optimum viewing, adjust the zoom level of your browser to 125%.)
Mary, Queen of Scots (1971)
Rate:
6
Viewed:
5/18
5/18:
Not having much of a plot, Mary, Queen of Scots is average when compared to the likes of
Anne of the Thousand Days and
The Private Life of Henry VIII.
The acting is okay and justifiably British, and I like Timothy Dalton's performance the best as the blond-haired
King consort. It's funny to see how ordinary royalty is portrayed in the film, and I suppose it's true.
Unfortunately, the two female leads fail to make an impression on me.
Meanwhile, it's hard to excuse the average dialogue which is neither authentic nor captivating. So much
ground to cover, there's not enough time to explore all, hence the weak plot. Historically, the two queens,
Elizabeth and Mary, had never met in real life.
As usual for such films, Mary, Queen of Scots has some nice cinematography, and there's no doubt of how
fantastic the costumes look. Yet I want more than them for the much-needed balance. There's no passion and nearly
no point to the goings-on of court intrigue. Anyway, 1971 was the beginning of the fifteen-year relationship
between Vanessa Redgrave and Timothy Dalton. They appeared together eight years later in one more film called
Agatha.
All in all, Mary, Queen of Scots is a passable British costume drama that was
patently made on the heels of Anne of the Thousand Days' success.