The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

If you were lucky enough to have a history teacher who used story form in their teaching, then you probably remember how much easier that made things. The teacher might have focused on a particular part and skimmed through others, but they probably made sure the history remained intact. Mary Queen of Scots is a dramatic telling of history that may be a bit more drama than accurate account.

Mary Queen of Scots follows the power struggle between widowed Mary Queen of Scots (Saoirse Ronan) and Elizabeth Queen of England (Margot Robbie), as both are pressured to retain their sovereignty in a masculine world while being manipulated in a struggle to usurp power from both of them.

The plot twists and turns with several opportunities for treachery, hunger for power, and affairs all mixed in the historical drama. Historians have commented that the feature is more focused on the dramatic aspect than actual accurate history. But for non-history fanatics, the drama is quite enjoyable.

However, if you are looking for a warring action picture, this is not really where you will find it; except for a single killing scene, most of the action is a cold war kind of power struggle rather than a full-on war. This may not be too thrilling for many audiences, especially since the genre has a less than majority fan base and the film runs for almost two hours.

The film focuses on how men struggle with being ruled by women, and the lengths they would go to to overrule these women even if it means backstabbing, treason, or even murder. This theme is still relevant today and reflects on issues like the glass ceiling and patriarchal views on women in power.

The feature’s costumes and makeup are especially impressive and very fitting to the period, which is essential in period pieces in order to place take the audience away from current time and immerse them into history.

For the acting, Saoirse Ronan delivered a powerful performance with effortless but memorable and evocative facial expressions, candid body language, and raw line enunciation. Even though Ronan’s role has been done time and time again, the actress managed to set herself apart from previous performers by giving her character more dimension than most. Margot Robbie was also quite phenomenal as she was able to convey several aspects of her character; a loving woman, a proud queen, a wounded soul, and a strong ruler. Robbie does what she does best which is completely transforming into her character and becoming unrecognisable.

Mary Queen of Scots is not a film for those who do not enjoy historical or periodical dramas, nor for anyone who does not relish in power struggle drama because, for two hours straight, that is all it offers.