Rent Mary Queen of Scots (2013)

Mary Queen of Scots - Mary Queen of Scots review by CP Customer

I do love historical films, but this was awful - was not expecting sub-titles and the story was not told in a way that anyone could understand. I'm sorry I wasted time watching it.

Certainly better than the 2018 disaster movie - Mary Queen of Scots review by SB

This film about Mary Queen of Scots takes an unusual approach to historical drama, concentrating much more on the inner Mary than on externals. In consequence some familiarity with her reign is useful.

Camille Rutherford, the bilingual actress who plays Mary, does well even though she can appear impassive. The supporting cast, all unknown to me, are good - especially the actor who plays Rizzio. The urge film directors have to stage a fictitious meeting with Elizabeth I is resisted, and having Elizabeth appear only as a rather bossy puppet is effective.

Clearly not filmed in Scotland, the locations are nonetheless apt, usually far from sunny, and costuming is mostly sombre. There is a good attempt to show Mary's very close relationship with her 'four Marys', her ladies in waiting, better than in other films. The relationship with Bothwell is too romantic but that is not particularly significant. The film omits all of the long years of exile in England save for an execution scene.

Large parts of the film are in French, with English subtitles. Some have objected, but why? French was effectively Mary's first language. And it is good to have a European rather than an Anglosphere perspective on Mary.