Line #60 Film/MaryQueenOfScots1971


1	%%
2	%%
3	%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.Rob
4	%%
5	%%
6	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/25dc0035_d4ff_4218_8ebd_5c7dadb36895.jpeg]]
7
8	->''"If your head had matched your heart, I would be the one awaiting death."''
9	-->-- '''Queen Elizabeth'''
10
11	''Mary, Queen of Scots'' is a 1971 British biographical film directed by Charles Jarrott, about the strife between the two reigning queens on the British Isles in the late 16th century: [[UsefulNotes/MaryOfScotland Mary, Queen of Scots]] (Creator/VanessaRedgrave) and [[UsefulNotes/ElizabethI Elizabeth]], Queen of England (Creator/GlendaJackson).
12
13	The movie won several awards and Jackson would reprise the role of Elizabeth in ''Series/ElizabethR''. One of the last films produced by Hollywood veteran Hal Wallis. Also in the cast are Creator/PatrickMcGoohan as James Stewart (1st Earl of Moray), Creator/TimothyDalton as Henry Stuart (Lord Darnley), Nigel Davenport as James Hepburn (4th Earl of Bothwell), Creator/TrevorHoward as Sir William Cecil, Daniel Massey as Robert Dudley (Earl of Leicester), and Creator/IanHolm as David Riccio.
14
15	See also the [[Film/MaryQueenOfScots2018 2018 film of the same name]].
16
17	----
18	!!This film provides examples of:
19
20	* AloofBigBrother: The Earl of Moray, Mary's brother. He has ambitions to rule Scotland by supplanting his sister and opposes her marriage to Darnley because Darnley is Catholic and the Earl is a Protestant.
21	* AristocratsAreEvil: Or at least treacherous. The film is about the duel of wits between various aristocrats and royals, all of whom employ the most backstabbing tactics to get rid of those in their way.
22	* ArrangedMarriage: Mary and Francis I. Averted with her two subsequent husbands, since she married these for love.
23	* ArtisticLicenseHistory:
24	** The film presents two meetings between the queens. Mary and Elizabeth never met in real life.
25	** Mary is depicted as enjoying a late-morning cup of hot chocolate in bed (and even requesting it when she is a prisoner) when this was not a popular drink in the British Isles until well into the 18th century.
26	* BabiesMakeEverythingBetter: Strongly averted. After James is born, the marriage between his parents detoriates even further.
27	* BlackWidow: Mary is a rare heroic version. She stages the assassination of her husband, Lord Darnley but he was already planning her assassination, she just happened to be a lot smarter than him and in fact a generally better person.
28	* BuryYourGays: Darnley and Riccio are bisexual men who have sex and both die gruesomely, albeit in a manner that is historically accurate.
29	* TheCaligula: Darnley obtains power because of his marriage to a reigning queen and abuses his power by continuing to behave as the hedonistic, abusive, drunken lunatic he's always been. He's basically UsefulNotes/{{Caligula}} devoid of all wit, charisma and intelligence that the mad emperor at least possessed.
30	** Elizabeth as well, albeit to a lesser extent. She's still a ControlFreak with a HairtriggerTemper and this is TruthInTelevision by all accounts.
31	* FaceDeathWithDignity: Mary refuses to beg for mercy to Elizabeth in public.
32	* DepravedBisexual: It's explicitely stated that before wooing and marrying Mary, Darnley had Italian courtier David Riccio as a lover, and Darnley is a spoiled asshole.
33	* DomesticAbuser: Darnley who abuses and humiliates Mary publicly, even going so far as to try and rape her before fortunately he gets knocked out.
34	* ForegoneConclusion: If you know your history, you know it doesn't end well for Mary.
35	* TheGloriousWarOfSisterlyRivalry: Even though Mary and Elizabeth are cousins.
36	* HistoricalDomainCharacter: All of the characters.
37	* {{Intermission}}: Part One ends with Darnley joining the conspirators.
38	* KneelBeforeZod: Darnley forces Riccio to bow and kiss his hand after learning that Mary plans to propose to him. Elizabeth also vows to release Mary, so long as she acknowledges Elizabeth as queen. Elizabeth has no luck in this regard.
39	* LastChanceToQuit: Elizabeth gives Mary one last chance to beg for mercy in public, but Mary refuses.
40	* PimpedOutDress: Being a movie about the reigning monarchs of the British Isles in the late 16th century, the female characters wear very splendid dresses.
41	* PrettyInMink: Mink coats are worn by some characters.
42	* LoveRuinsTheRealm: Mary's marriage to Bothwell is so unpopular that it hastens her downfall.
43	* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: In the first secret meeting between the two queens both of them give the other one of these. Mary also gives Darnley a brief but powerful one:
44	-->'''Mary''': You ''disgust'' me.
45	* RoyalBlood: Mary and Elizabeth's mutual claim to power.
46	* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething:
47	** Elizabeth is very hand-on with the affairs of the realm, as befitting of the time.
48	** Mary does things too, but her actions tend to worsen the situation in Scotland.
49	* SecondLove: Between Mary and her Scottish second husband.
50	* SecretRelationship: Mary and Bothwell's relationship is secret, at first.
51	* SissyVillain / ScreamsLikeALittleGirl: Darnley at times.
52	-->'''Darnley''': I am the KING! I will be oBEYED!
53	* SmugSnake: Mary is a good version of this. Darnley is a straightforward example, in case you hadn't already guessed!
54	* UnwantedSpouse: Darnley becomes this.
55	* XanatosGambit: Elizabeth sending both Dudley and Darnley to Scotland. Either choice Mary chooses as a husband will help Elizabeth in the long term. "Win or lose the wager, I cannot lose the game."
56	** If Mary accepts her offer and marries Dudley, then Elizabeth [[TheNeedsOfTheMany will be heartbroken to lose her true love,]] but one of her closest supporters will be married to her greatest rival, and their alliance will be safe.
57	** If Mary scorns her offer and chooses to marry Darnley, the handsome, eligible Catholic lord in Dudley's entourage, she'll be saddling herself with a vicious, stupid husband who will [[TheMillstone drag her down in the long run.]]

Context Film / MaryQueenOfScots1971