Golden Age Diary

The Golden Age Diary will be an open thread, in which I will post a diary as comments rather than posts. Viewers are welcome to post comments, and I look forward to haing your feedback.


I met Cate Blanchette today, and after a very long time, we chatted in a relaxed informal atmosphere. She is such an instinctual and probing actress, that it reminded me of why I like to make movies. Till I started to explore the script with her, the lines were just typed words on paper that I fretted about. Suddenly as we discussed the meaning behind the words, the sentences and our attitude to them, the words jumped out at me and became life.
I have a concern though. All my actors are working so much that i am not going to get much rehearsal time. Especially Clive Owen who joins us 4 weeks into the shoot. I have never worked with him before and though he is a terrific actor, he and I need to get to know each other more. For the creation of a film depends much on the trust that is created between the actor and the director. Where the lines between the actor and the director blur.
Raleigh is complicated role. On the surface he is an adventurer. Audacious, charming and fearless. But underneath that, underneath the lines and the fearlessness who is he really ? What is his subtext ? I need to sit down and work that out with Clive.
Shekhar

54 thoughts on “Golden Age Diary

  1. Hi Shekhar,
    I haven’t seen the Golden Age as it hasn’t been released in India. However, I was able to see Cate on Tonight Show with Jay Leno. From the clip that Jay featured on the show, I gather that this is going to be one special film for Cate. She is one of the most gifted actresses I have seen during last twenty years.
    I am a bit concerned about the reviews your film has received across continents. Cate has received all the accolades and everything else has been impaled by the bile-laced-words from critics, who somehow and for some reason cannot digest the resplendent grandeur of the film.
    Do you believe that your attempt to re-create history may have take away the juice from the story?

  2. I haven’t seen Elizabeth “The Golden Year” but will get it soon. I am very fond of the history background of Elizabeth I. I find your method, views and challenges in continuing the saga of Elizabeth I. Your eye for acquiring the best talents and usage of the camera leaves me wanting to see more of your movies. If Cate Blanchard won’t consider the 3rd movie of Elizabeth. How about re-doing of King Henry VIII and his beginnings on how he became so hard and difficult in fighting with the Catholic Church.. please continue your challenging ways of making these wonderful epic movies.
    Thank you for opening a world of history to those that love it!! Angela

  3. sir..
    is this film released in India.i cant see this film,except only trailers.then why did u approach Ar rahman for doing music for this film.

  4. hi! my name is scott and i really liked your elizabeth movies. i bought the soundtrack but 2 parts from the golden age i liked wernt on there. so im not sure if youre the person i should be asking but do you know where i can get the music from the first fotheringhay castle scene when it shows annette getting the letter from the washer woman and stuff, and when elizabeth is shot at/mary stuart’s arrest
    thank you for any help you can get me!

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