MARY OF SCOTLAND
US, 1936, 123 minutes, Black and white.
Katharine Hepburn, Fredric March, Donald Crisp, Florence Eldridge, Douglas Walton, John Carradine, Robert Barrat. Monte Blue, Moroni Olsen, Frieda Inescort, Alan Mowbray.
Directed by John Ford.
Mary of Scotland is one of the earliest sound costume epics. Directed by John Ford, a veteran of silent films and noted for his many westerns, it cane after his Oscar winning film, The Informer. Ford used Maxwell Anderson's famous play as the basis for his film, it is theatrical and opulent in its presentation of the Scottish court as well as that of Elizabeth. Katharine Hepburn gives quite a glowing performance as Mary, Queen of Scots. She had won an Oscar for Morning Glory in 1933. She was to win an Oscar for a historical performance in The Lion In Winter in 1968.
Fredric March is carefree as Bothwell. A cast of regular Fordian actors and actresses brings to theatrical life this period of history. Florence Eldridge, Fredric March's wife, is excellently vigorous in her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth ? in the style of Bette Davis who was to make Elizabeth prominent in her film with Errol Flynnof1939, The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex. There is a Max Steiner score and excellent use of sets and costumes. Another film version of Mary, Queen of Scots and her clash with Elizabeth was made by Charles Jarrott, Mary, Queen of Scots in which Vanessa Redgrave played the title role and won an Oscar nomination and Glenda Jackson repeated her TV performance as Queen Elizabeth.
1. An interesting and enjoyable historical spectacular? The historical spectaculars of the silent era and their influence on the films of the '30s? The importance of pageantry, theatrical presentation and acting?
2. The production values of this film ? sets, decor, costumes, the emphasis on pageantry?
3. The film as a Katharine Hepburn vehicle? Its place in her career? Her talent and presence in bringing Mary, Queen of Scots to life? Fredric March and his prominence at the time and his interpretation of Bothwell?
4. Maxwell Anderson as a playwright, the quality of his dialogue? John Ford and his tradition with westerns and action films? His interpretation of history and character drama? His film version of plays e.g. Sean O'Casey's Juno and the Paycock at this time, Eugene O'Neill's The Long Voyage Hone of 1940?
5. How accurate the representation of history, the presentation and interpretation of characters, situations? A feel for the history of Scotland, of England? How important is accuracy of detail?
6. The framework with Elizabeth as Queen of England, her fear for her power, the type of rule over England, the harshness of her character, her fears, the Virgin Queen, her relationship with her ministers, the fear of plots? Her intervention in Mary's rule? Her trying to influence Scottish nobles? The final confrontation with Mary? Her surviving while Mary died? The background of English, Scottish and French politics? The Reformation and Mary's Catholicism? Elizabeth and the Church of England? Questions of legitimacy and illegitimacy? How accurate a portrait of Queen Elizabeth?
7. The contrast with Mary, her arrival back in Scotland, the welcome, the nobles and their critique of her, her being used to the ways of France, her Catholicism and wanting to practise it freely, the confrontation with John Knox and what he stood for? The questions of her previous marriages, her marrying a noble? Beloved by the people? The importance of David Rizzio and his presence, advice? His access to the Queen? His songs? Darnley and his jealousy and the violence of Rizzio's death? The way that it was used by the nobles? The irony of Rizzio's advice for Mary to marry Darnley? The irony of Darnley's death? Mary as a victim of plots, her love for Bothwell and the way that it was used? Her finally having to escape, the imprisonment and the confrontation with Elizabeth, her trial and death? Her seeming failure compared with Elizabeth's success?
8. Bothwell as hero, a dashing nobleman, his character, skill in war, the confrontation with John Knox? The infatuation with Mary? His having to wait for her, his reaction to her marriage, his banishment? His return and the nobles' fear of his power? His love for Mary? His being compromised and the victim of the plot especially with the killing of Darnley? His being saved by Mary? The irony of his imprisonment and madness?
9. The presentation of the various Scottish nobles? their political power, their ideas, the welcome to Mary and the criticisms, the various plots, the Earl of Moray and his link with Elizabeth? Elizabeth and her ministers and their ambassadorial work in Scotland? Their reports on Mary and her beauty in the medal and Elizabeth's jealousy? The nobles and their stooping to Rizzio's murder and Darnley's?
10. Darnley as fop, his being used, his personal ambitions, participation in Rizzio's death, his own death?
11. Did the film explain Mary's ultimate failure and collapse? The judgment on her and her foolishness? Elizabeth and her callousness in imprisoning her? The contrivance of the sequence between the two and its dramatic conflict? The trial and Mary's standing firm? The end, the execution, the dignity of the ending? Katharine Hepburn and her strength?
12. A portrait of European history and politics, power, fear, religion, freedom? The private and public life of a monarch? Mary, Queen of Scots as a tragic figure?
