MovieChat Forums > Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007) Discussion > British propaganda

British propaganda

posted 15 years ago by enriquegoni
160 replies | jump to latest

It is obvious that the film is anti-Spanish and a piece of British propaganda. They not only fail to depict the calmed and strong character of Phillip II, but also fail to depict his most basic physical appearance, he was blond and with blue eyes. Of course, this was not the kind of image that they wanted to give to the evil king of Spain, as he would be too similar to the "heroic" and "tolerant" English people, so they "changed" him to have a black beard with dark eyes and dark hair. It is also a piece of British propaganda. Elizabeth I killed thousands of catholic priests, so she was obviously as intolerant as anyone of the time. Of course, this is not showed in the film. It was not the kind of image they wanted to give to the "heroic" and "tolerant" English queen. Do not take this film seriously, any resemblance to any real character is pure coincidence.

[–] tzogas 13 years ago

To enriquegoni:

Ha ha ha, yes...
Especially "funny" is Elizabeth's famous speech at Tilbury - strutting around on her horse, toy sword in hand - while the Spanish were in full retreat and her remaining veteran soldiers were dumped off at (various?) ports, stricken with plague and left to die in the gutters. FACT.

Not only would actually caring for them have been expensive for Elizabeth and her treasurer, but dead seamen have a wonderful habit of not demanding back wages.

[–] kaskait 13 years ago

Well, the director himself is Indian, and I think he understands imperialism.

At that point in time Europe was roiling with religious fundamentalism. Losing England to Protestantism was a huge blow to the Catholic empire. Spain was embroiled in the Inquisition. Their ruler thought he had a holy mission to stamp out heresy. So he put his whole country into extreme debt (via war) in order to attack England.

At the heart, the Armada was a crusade like venture and it would have been a horrific slaughter if they had managed to get ashore.

Would we have had the enlightenment if this had come to pass? Do you think the Inquisition was as tolerant as the Protestants at the time in regards to scholarship?

In turn, Catholics did not have it easy in Elizabeth's England. But I don't believe they were hunted with the same ferocity that Queen Mary hunted Protestants. The priests that were killed during this time were more than likely religious revolutionaries advocating the destruction of Elizabeth.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] FortySecondStreetFreak 13 years ago

British propaganda...........

GOOD!!!

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] 13 years ago

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[–] mawdor 12 years ago

Just to mention, belatedly, that the Spanish king was played by Jordi Mollà: dark-haired, yes, but he has blue eyes, not dark, as you said.

[–] LocoHero 12 years ago

If you won, you could write the history. England won, Spain lost, get over it.

And all that "Spanish" gold was stolen from the Americas so it was never Spain's to begin with. Spain stole it off those too weak to defend themselves, so don't cry like baby girls when a more powerful nation(England)took it off you.

And what did Spain do with all their gold? They wasted it - no investment in their colonies, just pure greed and plunder. No wonder Spain went to the dogs while Britain built the biggest empire ever seen.

Look at Spain today - bankrupt! History repeats itself.

Jog on