'Mary Queen of Scots,' directed by Josie Rourke and written by Beau Willimon, views a classic story through a 21st-century lens. Power struggles are inherently interesting fodder for the screen. Few know this better than Beau Willimon. The House of Cards creator built his screenwriting career penning the intricate machinations of Machiavellian types. Now, he tackles one of history's most infamous feuds: between Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland, and her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I, of England. In an exceedingly rare occurrence in the history of the Western world, the queens ruled the twin kingdoms independently—that is, without a king. Respectively, they were subject to sexism and double standards from their subjects and their bevy of male counselors. Worse still, they had to navigate the pressures of the monarchy while embroiled in centuries-old political enmity between Scotland and England as well as religious violence between Catholics and Protestants. Mary complicated matters further by challenging Elizabeth's succession to the English throne. Read More...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Wednesday, 12 December, 2018