Mary, Queen of Scots

Despite its numerous nominations and the film’s UK premiere at the annual Royal Film Performance 1972, initial critics were rather harsh about MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS – citing historical inaccuracies and considerable liberties taken by the team behind this biographical drama in order to achieve more dramatic effects. Whichever way you may look at it, there’s little doubt that intrigue and machinations a-go-go, not to mention two feuding Queens (portrayed by Vanessa Redgrave and Glenda Jackson), hold the plot in a tense grip.

At the beginning of the film, Mary, Queen of Scots (Vanessa Redgrave) is informed that her husband Francis II of France has died - this does not bode well for anyone. At the time she was only in her sixteenth year and a year older than her husband. We are writing 1560 and Mary Stuart decides to return to Scotland where she has been Queen for the majority of her life, having succeeded to the throne at only six days of age. Queen Elizabeth I of England (Glenda Jackson) is far from happy when she receives this news. Queen Elizabeth is a Protestant just like her father Henry VIII, whereas Queen Mary, some nine years younger, is a Catholic. Fortunately, Elizabeth has a trusted advisor in wise Sir William Cecil (Trevor Howard) - not that the wilful Elizabeth appears to need much advice… was she really that self-assured and scheming? If only the young Mary had such person, alas, all she has is her estranged and protestant half-brother James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray (a sombre Patrick McGoohan). There’s no love lost between him and Mary.

Queen Elizabeth soon comes up with a clever solution: she will send two suitors to Scotland. One is her own lover Dudley (Daniel Massey) who has very little say in the matter, the other is the petulant yet headstrong Darnley (Timothy Dalton) who, by the way, was Mary's cousin and judging by his actions not always the sharpest tool in the box. Well, at least not in this film version. Either way, the machinations of the scheming Queen cannot fail. If Mary chooses Dudley, then Elizabeth is vouchsafed as Dudley is 'her man'. If she chooses Darnley then she will be virtually digging her own grave. Unfortunately, Mary chooses Darnley (the younger, prettier man) – a choice looked upon as an affront by Dudley whose ego is hurt. The insensitive clod even tells ‘his Queen’ Elizabeth how beautiful he finds Mary - eliciting a clout from the Protestant monarch. Things are set to get even worse for young Mary. Darnley, a feckless fool, starts screaming that he wants to be King and behaves in the most appalling manner, alienating all around him. He is also rumoured to be royal retainer Rizzio's (Ian Holm) homosexual lover (there is no historical proof of this). Soon Rizzio - seen as a rational man - sides with Mary and by doing so incurs Darnley's wrath. If all of this isn't bad enough, Mary’s half brother James had never given his blessing to a marriage between Mary and Darnley to begin with on religious grounds.

A high-powered Scottish group of rebels persuade Darnley to join their group and kill Rizzio in front of Mary who is then imprisoned. Mary's only hope is to persuade Darnley that they will later kill him and an escape route for them is made. The by now syphilitic Darnley, however, is madder than ever and Mary, who finally has found a trusted friend in James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell (Nigel Davenport) and is fortunate that he takes a hand…meaning the irksome Darnley is dispensed with once and for all - rather brutally too! Bothwell then takes Mary to his own castle where they become lovers although by now she is up the duff (either by Darnley or Rizzio). That of course does not signify any happy ending either thanks to her half-brother’s constant interference. Meanwhile, Mary’s half brother besieges the castle and both Bothwell and Mary are sent into exile – he to Denmark (following an unsuccessful attempt to escape) and Mary in a remote castle in England as prisoner of Elizabeth. After years of incarceration (albeit in luxurious surroundings) Mary’s final downfall arrives when Sir William Cecil, with the aid of his associate and Queen Elizabeth’s spymaster Francis Walsingham (Richard Warner), manage to prove Mary’s involvement in the so-called Babington Plot. Despite awaiting her bloody execution, Mary could but rejoice in the knowledge that her son would one day inherit Elizabeth's throne.

The film is splendidly shot by Christopher Challis and director Charles Jarrott maintains the tension throughout. The team (director Jarrott, writer John Hale and producer Hal Wallis) that gave us this large slice of historical intrigue were also responsible for 'Anne of the Thousand Days' some two years previously. Hale's script takes a good few liberties with the exact truth but it might be argued that this was needed for dramatic license. John Barry supplies the score and Margaret Furse the exquisite costumes. It is lavish affair all round and great use is made of castles like Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland and the Chateau de Chenonceau in France. Both Glenda Jackson and Vanessa Redgrave display their distinctive talents to the full as the female leads and receive excellent support from a top supporting cast – foremost by Patrick McGoohan as the man who everyone hates and Timothy Dalton as the man who everyone hates even more.

Splendidly restored in HD and available on Blu-ray, the Bonus Material includes audio commentary by film historian Sergio Mims; isolated John Barry score; original overture and musical intermission; ‘Riding High’ (actress Frances White recalls some of her most memorable experiences on location; ‘The Guardian Lecture’ – Glenda Jackson interviewed at NFT 1982; ‘Now and Then’ – Vanessa Redgrave interviewed 1968; original promo trailer; newly created audio description track; reversible sleeve art by artist David Downton; illustrated booklet (first pressing only).