I saw this movie in the theater when it came out and haven't seen it since -- until now. I got it from the library on a double pack with Anne of the Thousand Days, which I also saw in the theater and until now hadn't seen it again.I know far more about Mary now than I did at the time, and while the majority of the story focuses, as it should, on Mary, which Redgrave plays incandescently, the script is extremely episodic. Having been to Scotland several times, and visited places where Mary dwelled, I was so hoping to see structures similar, especially the Palace at Holyrood. I saw the Donmar Warehouse production of Mary Stuart in New York, and a year later the opera, both of which are as lovely as this is, but I missed the authenticity here. I doubt I'll see this one again!

Everyone loves the conflict between the cold, controlling, successful Elizabeth of England, and her unlucky but much-loved rival, the warm and passionate Mary Queen of Scots. This lush and well-photographed movie hits all the right notes yet only skims the surface.Vanessa Redgrave makes a lovely Mary and Glenda Jackson a fiery Elizabeth, yet neither actress really taps into the deeper contrast between the two queens. To put it another way, for a woman who threw everything away for love, Redgrave's Mary seems frightfully cool and correct. And for an icy woman who got off mostly on politics and power, Jackson's Elizabeth seems much too hot-tempered and impulsive.Only a handful of minor scenes really catch the contrast. Early in the film, we see flame-haired Elizabeth in a plain black dress, rising early in the morning to scan household expenses with an eagle eye. A bit later, we see her rival Mary meet the day in different fashion, waking up in splendor to a tray served in bed. Even the way Vanessa Redgrave hugs the pillow with both arms is a sly, knowing comment on Mary Queen of Scots and her French love of luxury and comfort.Later in the film, when Mary is Elizabeth's prisoner, it's noticeable that Elizabeth comes to visit her in secret, and literally catches Mary dozing, this time with armed guards standing just outside her chamber. The curt way Elizabeth nods to the two guardsmen makes it clear who is really keeping Mary locked up like a prisoner. Yet when Elizabeth enters her rival's chamber, just in time to see Mary turning over and stretching in sheer comfort, it's really interesting how Mary herself still seems to think of herself as queen. She questions Elizabeth boldly, ("what is the meaning of this, sister?") yet she accepts it when Elizabeth sits down informally on the side of her bed. And when the usual breakfast tray is brought in Mary begins eating and drinking in her usual dainty fashion. Plainly she's already accepting her status as a pampered prisoner of the more assertive queen.These scenes are convincing and fully absorbing, yet the historical scenes just don't catch Mary making mistakes and Elizabeth being prudent and wise. Instead both of them just yell a lot and make speeches, with confused looking men in funny costumes sort of saying, "well, yes, Your Majesty. You're in charge. Of course."

A follow-up to the prestigious historical epic ANNE OF THE THOUSAND DAYS (1969) which reunites several crew members (producer Hal Wallis, director Jarrott, screenwriter John Hale, costume designer Margaret Furse, etc.) and resumes the bloody Tudor saga. The same events had been previously filmed in Hollywood by John Ford as MARY OF Scotland (1936) with Katharine Hepburn (as Mary Stuart), Fredric March (as Bothwell) and his real-life actress wife Florence Eldridge (as Queen Elizabeth I); here these same roles are played by Vanessa Redgrave – who had already appeared (as Elizabeth's mother, Anne Boleyn) in the magnificent A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS (1966), Nigel Davenport (ditto) and Glenda Jackson (who was currently starring as the same English monarch on British TV) and, like its above-mentioned predecessor (albeit to a lesser extent), the film found favor at awards ceremonies of the day with both Redgrave and Jackson being up for Oscar (the former) and Golden Globes (both). Also singled out was composer John Barry for his beautiful score, the somewhat disjointed script and, inevitably, the lavish costumes and sets. Still, where the film impresses most is in the performances of the ensemble cast: apart from those already pointed out, we also have Patrick McGoohan (who just died at 80 as Mary's devious half-brother James), Trevor Howard (as the English Queen's wily chief adviser), Timothy Dalton (as Mary's second and tyrannical husband), Daniel Massey (as Elizabeth's ambitious lover), Ian Holm (as Mary's link to the Vatican) and Andrew Keir (as a Scottish lord). As befits the time in which it was made, I suppose, side by side with the classiness on display, we have to contend with tastelessly 'accurate' portrayals of everybody's bed-hopping and histrionic antics – from a red-headed Dalton's seduction of minstrel man-spy Holm to Redgrave's elopement with newly-married lord Davenport to Jackson's long-term and tempestuous relationship with the equally married Massey. For the record, I have a handful of other films dealing with the Tudors on my "To Watch" list but I decided to get to this sooner rather than later in view of McGoohan's passing.

This film is just one of the many reasons why I avoid the historical costume drama. So much artistic licence is taken that it infuriates me. Surely there was enough intrigue, romance, upheaval, bloodshed, politics, drama etc during that period of history, that there should be no need to invent further dramatic scenes or re-write the relevant personalities in order to grip the viewer.Viewed as such, it is difficult to rate the performances of any of the principal characters since they are so far removed from fact. Both leading actresses may well attempt to portray the characteristics of either queen, but ultimately they collude with the hoodwinking of the audience.I say let history speak for itself, don't re-write it and preferably cast it based on historical facts. If not, what's next? Marie Antoinette (played by J-Lo) meets Napoleon (a moving performance by Anthony Hopkins) on the scaffold of the guillotine and hands out cake to the starving peasants.Spare me please.