Mary Queen of Scots (2018 film)
Mary Queen of Scots | |
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Directed by | Josie Rourke |
Screenplay by | Beau Willimon |
Based on | Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart by John Guy |
Produced by | |
Starring | |
Cinematography | John Mathieson |
Edited by | Chris Dickens |
Music by | Max Richter |
Production companies | |
Distributed by |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 125 minutes[1] |
Countries |
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Language | English |
Budget | $25 million[2] |
Box office | $46.7 million[3] |
Mary Queen of Scots is a 2018
also star in supporting roles.Mary Queen of Scots had its world premiere on closing night of
Plot
In 1561, after the death of her husband,
Seeking to weaken her cousin's threat, Elizabeth arranges for Mary, whom many English Catholics regard as England's rightful queen, to be married to an Englishman. Elizabeth chooses Lord Robert Dudley, her childhood friend whom she secretly loves; although he and Mary are unwilling, news of Elizabeth's case of smallpox convinces Mary to accept, provided she is named heiress apparent. Reluctant to let go of Dudley, Elizabeth sends Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley to Scotland with the pretence of living under their religious freedom. Despite sensing the ulterior motive, Mary grows fond of Darnley and accepts his proposal.
Mary's marriage causes a constitutional crisis within both realms: Elizabeth is advised to oppose her cousin's marriage for fear that Darnley, an English noble, will elevate Mary's claim to her throne; Mary's council is suspicious of Darnley, fearing an English takeover. Both kingdoms demand his return to England but Mary refuses, leading Moray to mount a rebellion against her. Mary marries Darnley, only to discover him in bed with her private secretary, David Rizzio. Mary defeats the rebel forces but spares Rizzio and Moray, and demands that Darnley give her a child. When their son, James, is conceived and born, Mary declares that she brings "an heir to Scotland and to England" – offending the English.
Moray colludes with Darnley's father,
Discovering the plot, Mary convinces Darnley to side with and escape with her instead, which turns out to be a ploy for her army to detain him. Mary agrees to pardon the conspirators if she is presented with evidence that Darnley took part. She ultimately forgives Moray, and asks Elizabeth to be James's godmother. Both queens agree James is the heir presumptive, despite the English court's hostility. Mary banishes Darnley but refuses to divorce him, despite the appeals of her council, which approaches her adviser and protector, James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, to have him killed.
After Darnley's murder, Mary is forced to flee, leaving behind her son. Bothwell says that her council has decided she must marry a Scotsman immediately—and that Scotsman should be Bothwell himself. Mary resists, and suspects he was involved in Darnley's murder, but after he threatens and subsequently rapes her, she consents. Knox preaches that Mary is a "harlot" who had her husband killed, leading Moray and her court to demand her abdication. Mary obliges, and flees to England.
Elizabeth arranges a clandestine meeting, where Mary asks for help to take back her throne. Unwilling to go to war on behalf of a Catholic queen, Elizabeth promises a safe exile in England as long as Mary does not aid her enemies. Mary responds that if she was to do so, it would only be because Elizabeth forced her to do so, and threatens that should Elizabeth kill her, she should remember that she would "murder" her sister and queen. Placing Mary under house arrest, Elizabeth receives compelling evidence that Mary conspired with her enemies to have her assassinated, and reluctantly orders Mary's execution. As Mary walks to the scaffold, a remorseful Elizabeth cries for her. Mary's servants then reveal a bright red dress, implying Mary to be a martyr. In her final words, Mary hopes her son will have a peaceful reign.
A post-script notes that upon Elizabeth's death in 1603, James VI became the first monarch to rule both Scotland and England.
Cast
- Saoirse Ronan as Mary, Queen of Scots, Elizabeth's first cousin once-removed and the Queen of Scotland.
- Queen Elizabeth I, Mary's first cousin once-removed and the Queen of England.
- Jack Lowden as Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, Mary's second husband.
- Joe Alwyn as Lord Robert Dudley, Elizabeth's counselor, childhood friend, and lover.
- David Tennant as John Knox, founder of the Church of Scotland.
- Guy Pearce as William Cecil, advisor to Elizabeth
- Gemma Chan as Bess of Hardwick, a friend and confidante of Elizabeth and keeper of Mary.
- Martin Compston as James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, Mary's third husband.
- Ismael Cruz Córdova as David Rizzio, Mary's close friend and confidant.
- Brendan Coyle as Mathew Stewart, Earl of Lennox, father of Lord Darnley.
- Ian Hart as Lord Maitland, Secretary of State of Scotland.
- Adrian Lester as Lord Randolph, Elizabeth's ambassador to Scotland.
- James McArdle as James, Earl of Moray, Regent of Scotland and Mary's illegitimate older half brother.
In addition,
The director, Josie Rourke, followed the principle of
Production
The film was originally planned to be a
On 13 June 2017, Jack Lowden was announced to play Lord Darnley, while Joe Alwyn was announced to play Robert Dudley.[12][13] On 22 June 2017, it was reported that Martin Compston was cast in the film to play James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, the third husband of Stuart.[14] On 23 June 2017, German-Romanian actress Maria-Victoria Dragus had also joined the cast to play Scottish noblewoman and childhood friend of Stuart, Mary Fleming, marking her English-language debut in film, having a minor role previously in Australian teen drama Dance Academy.[15] On 17 August 2017, Brendan Coyle, David Tennant, and Guy Pearce joined the cast,[16][17] followed by Gemma Chan the next day.[18] On 22 August, Ismael Cruz Córdova was cast to play David Rizzio, Mary's close friend and confidant.[19]
Principal photography began on 17 August 2017, in various locations around the United Kingdom, including Scotland.[21]
Release
It had its world premiere at the closing night gala of
Historicity
Historians have heavily criticised the inaccuracies of the story. Mary and Elizabeth's letters to each other are believed to have been their only sources of communication, and they are not known to have met.[26]
There have been suggestions that Mary would not have had a
Estelle Paranque, an expert on Queen Elizabeth I, told The Daily Telegraph: "It shows a friendship at first, but there was not a friendship, Elizabeth tried to be kind to her at first but Mary never saw Elizabeth as an equal. She saw her as a rival from the start."[26]
Soundtrack
Max Richter provided a fairly-modern musical score blending with the 16th century periodic music, as Rourke gave him creative freedom to experiment on the score. The score consisted of instruments with a "female voice" such as the cor anglais—being used for Mary's voice—the viol and harp, while drums, bass and percussion were used for the male characters and their quest in the battlefield. The score, recorded at the
Reception
Box office
Mary Queen of Scots grossed $16.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $29.9 million in other countries, for a total worldwide gross of $46.4 million.[3]
Critical response
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 62% based on 290 reviews, with an average rating of 6.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Mary Queen of Scots delivers uneven period political thrills while offering a solid showcase for the talents of its well-matched leads."[29] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 60 out of 100, based on 47 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[30] Audiences polled by PostTrak gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars, with 38% saying they would definitely recommend it.[31]
Reviewers criticised the film's
Accolades
References
- AFI Fest. Archived from the originalon 5 August 2019. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
- ^ "Mary, Queen of Scots (2018)". The Numbers.
- ^ a b "Mary Queen of Scots (2018)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
- ^ Jones, Fionnuala (20 November 2018). "This is what the critics are saying about Saoirse Ronan's new movie, Mary Queen of Scots". The Daily Edge. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
- ^ "Bafta Film Awards 2019: All the nominees". BBC News. 9 January 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
- ^ Higgins, Charlotte (2 January 2019). "Josie Rourke: 'I was fighting to put a period in a period movie'". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
- ^ a b "'Mary Queen of Scots' Fact Check: Was Queen Elizabeth's Ambassador Actually Black?". TheWrap. 25 December 2018.
- ^ "How Do the Wokest Parts of Mary Queen of Scots Line Up With History?". Vulture. 10 December 2018.
- ^ "Scarlett Johansson set to play Mary Queen of Scots". The Independent. 29 September 2006. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (9 August 2012). "Saoirse Ronan to play 'Mary Queen of Scots' in Working Title feature". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
- ^ a b Kroll, Justin (21 April 2017). "Margot Robbie to Play Queen Elizabeth in 'Mary Queen of Scots'". Variety. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (13 June 2017). "Jack Lowden Joins 'Mary Queen Of Scots' Opposite Saoirse Ronan & Margot Robbie". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
- ^ Ford, Rebecca (13 June 2017). "Joe Alwyn Joins Margot Robbie in 'Mary Queen of Scots'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
- ^ Lodderhose, Diana (22 June 2017). "Martin Compston Joins 'Mary Queen Of Scots' Opposite Saoirse Ronan & Margot Robbie". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
- ^ N'Duka, Amanda (23 June 2017). "Maria Dragus Cast In 'Mary Queen of Scots'; Ned Van Zandt Joins 'The Iron Orchard'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
- ^ N'Duka, Amanda (17 August 2017). "Brendan Coyle Joins 'Mary Queen of Scots'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
- ^ McNary, Dave (17 August 2017). "David Tennant, Guy Pearce Join Saoirse Ronan's 'Mary, Queen of Scots'". Variety. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
- ^ Lodderhose, Diana (18 August 2017). "Gemma Chan Joins 'Mary Queen Of Scots' Opposite Saoirse Ronan & Margot Robbie". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
- ^ N'Duka, Amanda (22 August 2017). "Ismael Cruz Córdova Cast In 'Mary, Queen Of Scots'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
- ^ "First Look at Saoirse Ronan as Mary, Queen of Scots". ComingSoon.net. 17 August 2017. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
- ^ "£180 million Mary Queen of Scots blockbuster to be filmed in Edinburgh". The Herald. 10 May 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (25 September 2018). "Focus Features - Working Title's 'Mary Queen Of Scots' To Close AFI Fest". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (18 April 2018). "Focus Features' 'Mary Queen Of Scots' Scoots To December". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
- ^ "Mary Queen of Scots (2018)". Filmoria.co.uk. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
- ^ "Mary Queen of Scots". Launching Films. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
- ^ a b c "Mary Queen of Scots: How historically accurate is it?". The Independent. 15 January 2019.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (5 December 2018). "Cors Anglais: Composer Max Richter Finds An Instrumental Voice For 'Mary Queen Of Scots'". Deadline. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
- ^ Parisi, Paula (13 December 2018). "Composer Max Richter On Musically Time-Traveling from 'Mary Queen of Scots' to Brad Pitt's Futuristic 'Ad Astra'". Billboard. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
- ^ "Mary Queen of Scots (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ "Mary Queen of Scots reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (29 December 2018). "'Aquaman' Sailing To $51M+ 2nd Weekend; $188M+ Cume Pacing Ahead Of 'Doctor Strange' & 'Guardians Of The Galaxy'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
- ^ Yoshida, Emily (6 December 2018). "Mary Queen of Scots Turns Its Queen Into a Generic Underdog Figure". Vulture. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
- ^ Watson, Shane (14 December 2018). "History porn for the Instagram generation". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
- Scott, A. O. (6 December 2018). "Mary Queen of Scots Review: Sexy, Spirited and Almost Convincing". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
- ^ a b Kilday, Gregg (30 October 2018). "Hollywood Film Awards: 'Black Panther,' 'Incredibles 2' Among Latest Honorees". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
- ^ "Oscars 2019: The nominees in full". BBC News. 22 January 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
- ^ "Bafta Film Awards 2019: All the nominees". BBC News. 9 January 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
- ^ Tapley, Kristopher (10 January 2019). "'Mary Poppins Returns,' 'A Wrinkle in Time,' 'Star Trek: Discovery' Among Costume Designers Guild Nominees". Variety. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
- ^ Nordyke, Kimberly (10 December 2018). "Critics' Choice Awards: 'The Favourite' Leads With 14 Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
- ^ "2018 HMMA Winners". Hollywood Music in Media Awards. 14 November 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
- ^ Tapley, Kristopher (10 January 2019). "'Black Panther,' 'Vice,' 'American Horror Story' Nominated by Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild". Variety. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
- ^ "2018 Nominees". International Press Academy. November 2018. Archived from the original on 29 November 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
- ^ "SAG Award Nominations: Complete List". Variety. 12 December 2018. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
External links
- Mary Queen of Scots at IMDb