A Man for All Seasons (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
1966's 'A Man for All Seasons' (directed by Fred Zinnemann & adapted by Robert Bolt adapted from his hit play) stars Paul Scofield as principled & courageous Sir Thomas More, endorsing the divine right of the Pope to overthrow the powers of his King. When More is named to replace the deceased Cardinal Wolsey (Orson Welles) as Lord Chancellor of England, he is more interested in being steadfastly loyal to his Church than he is of being loyal to the king, whom he had faithfully served. King Henry VIII (Robert Shaw, excellent), yearning for an heir to the throne, wishes to discard his barren wife Catherine of Aragon for younger Anne Boleyn (Vanessa Redgrave). But the intractable More refuses to grant heretical Henry VIII the divorce.
Henry, therewith, makes himself the spiritual AND political sovereign of England, & all the bishops of England quickly fall into line with the act of Parliament in making King Henry the head of the Church in England. Sir Thomas More resigns from his station & remains quiet, but his silence is deafening and, offends King Henry's supporters; especially the zealous Thomas Cromwell (Leo McKern). They demand that Thomas More take an oath recognizing King Henry as head of both church & state. But when More stands firm in his religious stance and refuses ... Thomas Cromwell and his fervently deceitful aide, Richard Rich (John Hurt), bring false accusations to More; charging him with high treason. Sobering drama & tragedy ensues.
I don't believe that 1966 was the finest year for cinema, but there are some exceptional exceptions to that and, while I wouldn't put 'AMFAS' in the top slot, I do think it is a very well-made film with excellent performances and ... I can see why it won Best Picture at the Academy Awards, along with a smattering of other accolades. My main issue with the film is that it is a bit dry. Sure, it is smooth, polished, elegant, but it needed a narrative punch. The movie dramatizes events in the fashion of a Masterpiece Theater episode. I love Masterpiece Theater, but even I thought that this film was lacking ... something. In the end, the stakes ARE high, with More facing a no-win choice: lose his integrity or his life. A film that gave me more, winning 5 Oscars of its own, was Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. That film would have gotten my vote for Best Picture, but AMFAS's win is still a respected one.
The performances are unassailable. Paul Scofield - who played the role on stage in London & Broadway run - won the Best Actor Academy Award for his brilliant, carefully-contained performance of sly wit & dignity in sticking to his beliefs. And his rare righteous outbursts as More are all the more powerful because he is so typically restrained. Robert Shaw is great as the lusty, blustery Henry VIII. Orson Welles hams it up well as Cardinal Woolsey. Nominated for Supporting Actress, Wendy Hiller excels as More's wife, Alice; her standout scene occurs when she visits Thomas in jail. Also stellar are John Hurt, Nigel Davenport, Susannah York (as More's daughter), Corin Redgrave, Colin Blakely & Vanessa Redgrave's cameo as Anne Boleyn.
This production is very handsome. The color cinematography is crisp; well shot by Oscar-nominated Ted Moore. The 16th century sets by John Box & costumes by Elizabeth Haffenden & Joan Bridge are period era authentic. And I like Georges Delerue's music score. You know, 'A Man for All Seasons' is just a very solid movie with steady direction that lacks some panache. Any drama in the plot emerges through the dialogue & character interplay; not action. I just wish it were a touch more engaging throughout. The film works best as a history lesson & morality tale -- admirably showing how one man stood up for his beliefs at ALL costs. Very good film, - and one that my grandpa loved - with superb performances that bolstered the proceedings.
Henry, therewith, makes himself the spiritual AND political sovereign of England, & all the bishops of England quickly fall into line with the act of Parliament in making King Henry the head of the Church in England. Sir Thomas More resigns from his station & remains quiet, but his silence is deafening and, offends King Henry's supporters; especially the zealous Thomas Cromwell (Leo McKern). They demand that Thomas More take an oath recognizing King Henry as head of both church & state. But when More stands firm in his religious stance and refuses ... Thomas Cromwell and his fervently deceitful aide, Richard Rich (John Hurt), bring false accusations to More; charging him with high treason. Sobering drama & tragedy ensues.
I don't believe that 1966 was the finest year for cinema, but there are some exceptional exceptions to that and, while I wouldn't put 'AMFAS' in the top slot, I do think it is a very well-made film with excellent performances and ... I can see why it won Best Picture at the Academy Awards, along with a smattering of other accolades. My main issue with the film is that it is a bit dry. Sure, it is smooth, polished, elegant, but it needed a narrative punch. The movie dramatizes events in the fashion of a Masterpiece Theater episode. I love Masterpiece Theater, but even I thought that this film was lacking ... something. In the end, the stakes ARE high, with More facing a no-win choice: lose his integrity or his life. A film that gave me more, winning 5 Oscars of its own, was Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. That film would have gotten my vote for Best Picture, but AMFAS's win is still a respected one.
The performances are unassailable. Paul Scofield - who played the role on stage in London & Broadway run - won the Best Actor Academy Award for his brilliant, carefully-contained performance of sly wit & dignity in sticking to his beliefs. And his rare righteous outbursts as More are all the more powerful because he is so typically restrained. Robert Shaw is great as the lusty, blustery Henry VIII. Orson Welles hams it up well as Cardinal Woolsey. Nominated for Supporting Actress, Wendy Hiller excels as More's wife, Alice; her standout scene occurs when she visits Thomas in jail. Also stellar are John Hurt, Nigel Davenport, Susannah York (as More's daughter), Corin Redgrave, Colin Blakely & Vanessa Redgrave's cameo as Anne Boleyn.
This production is very handsome. The color cinematography is crisp; well shot by Oscar-nominated Ted Moore. The 16th century sets by John Box & costumes by Elizabeth Haffenden & Joan Bridge are period era authentic. And I like Georges Delerue's music score. You know, 'A Man for All Seasons' is just a very solid movie with steady direction that lacks some panache. Any drama in the plot emerges through the dialogue & character interplay; not action. I just wish it were a touch more engaging throughout. The film works best as a history lesson & morality tale -- admirably showing how one man stood up for his beliefs at ALL costs. Very good film, - and one that my grandpa loved - with superb performances that bolstered the proceedings.