My last post sounds more complex than it is. Theory always does, and theory comes for me in hindsight often as I look back at my films and wonder ‘what was going in my mind when I made those decisions’. ?
\nThe central focus in Elizabeth was Power. The PLOT conflict was between Elizabeth and her Catholic detractors, in their struggle for Power. The PSYCHOLOGICAL conflict was between Elizabeth’s desire be in love and therefore retain innocence, as against the need to have power to survive, and therefore to be ruthless. The MYTHIC conflict was about whether it was possible to be Divine and Human at the same time. Focusing on interpretations of Virginity as a fact, or as a political\/mythic statement. Virginity was explored not only as a political need, but as a Mythic idea of Elizabeth’s desire to be (perhaps) a representation of the Virgin Mary.
\nThe Design of the film is complex as it covers lighting, costumes, colors, camera choreography and the architectural design of the film.
\nThe Architectural design of the film was telling another story, almost contradictory to Elizabeth’s rise to Power. By constantly showing Elizabeth as a tiny individual in relationship to the immense stone architecture, it contradicted her rise to Power, often through the very high angle shots of the stone arches in the places that I shot in. The attempt was to introduce the idea that their is greater Power operating beyond the human conflict going on in the plot. I called it Destiny but it could go by many other names. All the antagonists and the protagonists were ultimately equal in Death and subject to their Destiny.
\nThe Costume design showed Elizabeth’s gradual denial of her sexuality through the elaborateness of her costumes – which became more and more ostentatious even as they covered more and more of her skin and body, while all the time she was struggling to stay the young princess in love.
\nThe Make up design too. For example in the last shot of the film where Elizabeth had her face painted in white, was about the loss of individuality through merging into the mythic icon that Elizabeth had become\/ turned herself into. But at the same time emerged as one of the most powerful individuals in History. What was she at the end then ? A Myth, an Individual ? an Icon ? Or all at the same time ?. And was this of her own volition, or was she, like everyone else, just a product of the forces of Destiny ?
\nConstant contradiction and search for possibilities in every aspect.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
My last post sounds more complex than it is. Theory always does, and theory comes for me in hindsight often as I look back at my films and wonder ‘what was going in my mind when I made those decisions’. ? The central focus in Elizabeth was Power. The PLOT conflict was between Elizabeth and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-581","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-elizabeth"],"yoast_head":"\n