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      Mary, Queen of Scots

      PG-13 Released Feb 2, 1972 2 hr. 8 min. History Drama List
      67% 9 Reviews Tomatometer 55% 500+ Ratings Audience Score Mary, Queen of Scots (Vanessa Redgrave), teenage wife to the king of France, returns to Scotland after her husband's death. Elizabeth Tudor (Glenda Jackson), believing her cousin Mary and her Roman Catholic beliefs to be a political threat, creates romantic dilemmas to distract her. Mary's subsequent marriage to Lord Darnley (Timothy Dalton), her relationship with courtier David Riccio (Ian Holm), and a third marriage to Lord Bothwell (Nigel Davenport) lead to her abdication and exile. Read More Read Less

      Audience Reviews

      View All (71) audience reviews
      Alec B Slightly better than "Anne of the Thousand Days" previous costume drama, but mostly because of Redgrave and Jackson who, of course, give fantastic performances. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/10/24 Full Review Lady M There's so much scenery chewing by the cast in this film you're going to require an antacid. I can only assume the director wanted these historically fine actors to act these scenes out as if they were performing a high school shakepearean production. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Audience Member Confusing at times and rushing thru some scenes. If you like royalty drama, this one wasn't terrible but there's better ones out there. Some parts were interesting like the queens interacting, but other parts were ridic. The script was hard to follow and some historical inaccuracies. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review Audience Member Slightly better than Jarrott's previous costume drama, but mostly because of Redgrave and Jackson who, of course, give fantastic performances. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review steve d Tries far too hard to rework history to make Mary a hero. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member If you want a primer on political intrigue and the history of catholic/protestant power politics, ta this is the movie for you. A wonderful script and direction compliments fine acting across the board. The scenery, sets and costumes are beautifully authentic. The interactions between Queen Elizabeth and Dudley are a bit cartoonish, and the nature of women retain their misogynistic foundations, but still an entertaining movie. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Mary, Queen of Scots

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      Critics Reviews

      View All (9) Critics Reviews
      Alexander Walker London Evening Standard Under Charles Jarrott’s direction, it’s essentially a tableau serie, but it whizzes by like a murkier Peyton Place. May 31, 2022 Full Review John Russell Taylor Times (UK) It is not all that bad, in the sense that it is never less than quite respectable, reasonably literate, but it is certainly a long, dull plod. May 26, 2022 Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Historical dramas can be fun if you approach them in the right spirit. Rated: 3/4 Oct 23, 2004 Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com …a proper Hollywood historical epic in the traditional style… Rated: 4/5 Jul 15, 2022 Full Review Madeleine Harmsworth Sunday Mirror (UK) Wonderful shots of our green and pleasant land. Plenty of drama. Two top actresses working hard to do justice to their momentous roles. And yet somehow it's a bore -- an antiseptic view of history. May 31, 2022 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy A royal flush of a different sort can be found in this gripping period piece in which two queens try to sweep each other out of power. Rated: 3.5/4 Jun 21, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Mary, Queen of Scots (Vanessa Redgrave), teenage wife to the king of France, returns to Scotland after her husband's death. Elizabeth Tudor (Glenda Jackson), believing her cousin Mary and her Roman Catholic beliefs to be a political threat, creates romantic dilemmas to distract her. Mary's subsequent marriage to Lord Darnley (Timothy Dalton), her relationship with courtier David Riccio (Ian Holm), and a third marriage to Lord Bothwell (Nigel Davenport) lead to her abdication and exile.
      Director
      Charles Jarrott
      Screenwriter
      John Hale
      Distributor
      Universal Pictures
      Production Co
      Universal Pictures, Hal Wallis Productions
      Rating
      PG-13
      Genre
      History, Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Feb 2, 1972, Original
      Release Date (DVD)
      Sep 18, 2007