Mary of Scotland

A fictionalized biography of Mary Stuart’s return to Scotland, through her imprisonment and death at the hands of her rival, Elizabeth I of England.

Mary of Scotland is an overlong, indulgent mess that succeeds as neither a realistic portrait nor a sweeping drama.

Where to start? The biggest problem is probably the script. It’s a dry, fact-based and exposition-heavy account of Stuart’s life that lacks any sweeping dramatic arc. It could have been a glittering, tragic romance, but it’s preoccupation with the various political angles pushes that sub-plot to the background.

Unfortunately, this insistence on accuracy flies in the face of the film’s polished, costumed, Hollywood production. Despite the script’s insistence, none of it feels real or authentic.

Further not helping matters is the cast. Second-billed Fredric March is the only one who can be bothered to affect a Scottish accent, while the rest are a mix of American and British. Worst of all though, is Katharine Hepburn, who seems oblivious to the fact that the script gives us absolutely no reason to care about her character. She steps all over her co-stars and mugs it up in nearly every scene. What she likely thinks of as charm and charisma instead comes across as pure arrogance.

Given all this, it’s no wonder director John Ford reportedly lost interest in the project midway through filming, as the resulting disaster ranks as one of his worst films.