Mary, Queen of Scots (1971)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Charles Jarrott

Writer:

John Hale (original screenplay)

Release Date:

29 March 1972 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama | History

Tagline:

They Used Every Passion In Their Incredible Duel!

Plot:

Mary Stuart, who was named Queen of Scotland when she was only six days old, is the last Roman Catholic ruler of Scotland...

Plot Keywords:

Queen | Scotland | England | Torture | Marriage Of Convenience

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Vanessa Redgrave	...	Mary, Queen of Scots
Glenda Jackson	...	Queen Elizabeth
Patrick McGoohan	...	James Stuart
Timothy Dalton	...	Henry - Lord Darnley
Nigel Davenport	...	Lord Bothwell
Trevor Howard	...	William Cecil
Daniel Massey	...	Robert Dudley
Ian Holm	...	David Riccio
Andrew Keir	...	Ruthven
Tom Fleming	...	Father Ballard
Katherine Kath	...	Catherine De Medici
Beth Harris	...	Mary Seton
Frances White	...	Mary Fleming
Bruce Purchase	...	Morton
Brian Coburn	...	Huntly

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some violence.

Runtime:

128 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Mono (35 mm prints)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:GP (original rating) | USA:PG-13 (re-rating) (1998)

Filming Locations:

Alnwick Castle, Alnwick, Northumberland, England, UK

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Vanessa Redgrave had to learn the title song "Vivre et Mourir" phonetically because she could not speak French.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: In the film, Queen Elizabeth I of England travels to the north of England to meet Queen Mary of Scotland. In recorded history, this meeting never took place - the two queens never met in their lifetimes. However, it is stated in the film that the meeting is secret, and never mentioned even to Elizabeth's closest advisors. This explains how such a meeting could take place, but not be recorded historically.

Quotes:

Mary, Queen of Scots: [Mary is blindfolded, she kneels and stretches out her arms] Into your hands, O lord, I place my spirit.
[the axe goes high up and comes down, there is a slicing sound. The shot changes to Elizabeth, distressed]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Prince of Space (#9.16)" (1997)

Wonderfully atmospheric music and locations, excellent pacing, and especially wonderful performances by Redgrave, McGoohan, and the compellingly handsome Nigel Davenport.

A visually lush, beautifully-acted treatment of the compelling story of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots--refreshingly, not slanted in favor of Mary's English opponents. Along with massive doses of romance, the film provides an interesting depiction of the long-distance tension between Mary and her Cousin, Elizabeth I of England, and the forces at work in the courts of continental Europe and of England and Scotland that made Mary's life hazardous from the moment she set foot on Scottish soil. This is above all a vivid portrait of the interrelationships of fascinating personalities--none more so than those of the Queen, played with riveting and unselfconscious elegance by Vanessa Redgrave, and her great love Lord Bothwell--in which role the gifted and compellingly attractive Nigel Davenport is perfectly cast.