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Actors: Jean Simmons, Stewart Granger, Deborah Kerr, Charles Laughton
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about Young Bess |
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Young Bess focuses on the formative years of young Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth I). Sent into exile in Hatfield upon the death of her mother Anne Boleyn, Bess is constantly subject to her autocratic father's (Henry VIII) whims, being summoned to the court to meet an ever-changing series of "step-mothers", only to be sent away again when the King's marriages fail. By the time she is in her late teens, she is understandably fed up. Enter the dashing naval hero, Admiral Thomas Seymour, who has come to fetch Bess to court to meet her latest step-mother, Catherine Parr. He is handsome, proud, noble, and Elizabeth is smitten.
Catherine Parr proves to be different than the rest of King Henry's wives, and Elizabeth is welcomed with open arms. Elizabeth forges a deep bond with Catherine and with her younger brother, Prince Edward. And she falls deeper and deeper in love with Lord Seymour. Upon the death of King Henry, Elizabeth discovers that Lord Seymour and Catherine are in love, and have been for many years. Though wounded, and still in love with Seymour, she helps procure royal permission for the two to marry.
Whether the film is accurate in it's portrayal of a love triangle between Elizabeth, Lord Seymour, and Catherine Parr is debatable. It has certainly been theorized over the years that Elizabeth and Seymour had an affair during his marriage to Catherine Parr. While is is known that Elizabeth had a tendre for Seymour, and he had feelings for her, whether they had an affair or not is still conjecture.
The beautiful sets and gorgeous Tudor costumes are a real treat to see.
--Cairis, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of Young Bess |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- middle ages
Job/Profession/Poverty Story?
Yes
Job:
- prince/king/queen/knight
Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Profession/status:
- Prince/Nobleman/King
Age:
- 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Hair color?
- red
Hair type
- (woman) long straight
Body type
- (woman) average
Events of movie makes character more...
- tougher
Ethnicity/Nationality
- British
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor?
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Hair color
- brunette (Brown)
Hair style
- (man) short/standard straight
Body type
- (man) muscular
How much in movie?
- 80%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- British
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- Prince/Nobleman/King
Eccentric:
Yes
- eccentric
- obsessed
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 60%
Hair color
- brunette (Brown)
Hair type
- (man) short/standard straight
Body type
- (man) fat
Ethnicity/Nationality
- British
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
City?
Yes
City:
- London
Misc setting
- castle
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Movie makes you feel...
- encouraged
Any profanity?
- None
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Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 Cairis
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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