Paul Scofield is Sir Thomas More, "A Man for All Seasons," in a 1966 film directed by Fred Zinnemann and also starring Robert Shaw, Orson Welles, John Hurt, Leo McKern, Wendy Hiller, and Susanna York. Vanessa Redgrave, who was to play York's role, did a play instead and agreed to do the non-speaking role of Anne Boleyn, provided she not be given billing in the ads for the movie.
The story concerns Henry VIII's divorce from Catherine, is brother's widow, and his desire to marry Anne Boleyn so that she can give him an heir. Great pressure is put on More, a well-respected lawyer, to support the King, but More will not. He instead chooses to be silent on the matter, even when the King pronounces himself the head of the Church of England. If More speaks out, he will be charged with treason; by keeping silent, the King has no case against him. Nevertheless, a number of people work on More from all angles to get him to sign an oath to the King, but he will not. Finally, the King's cohorts realize that perjury is the only avenue left open to them in order to secure a charge of treason against More and have him executed.
Really, there's not much to be said about this profound film about a man who, to the death, had a commitment to his beliefs and never faltered. Paul Scofield is not as famous to vast audiences as Sir Laurence Olivier, Richard Burton, Sir Anthony Hopkins, and a whole host of excellent British actors who have made contributions to film. Scofield has made 30 movies, each chosen by him carefully. If he cared about money, he could gone slumming as a few of his counterparts did; with his magnificent voice and imposing presence, he could have done a Grey Poupon or a Polaroid commercial. But as a true artist and not an actor looking for production money, money to support a theater, or, like Burton, unable to recover from an impoverished childhood, his film work is not geared toward superstardom or prolific work. In every role he plays, from the obsessed Nazi in "The Train," to van Doren Sr. in "Quiz Show," he is magnificent.
But Sir Thomas More is his greatest role. It was turned down by Richard Burton, who would have been excellent but perhaps given us a more showy performance. Scofield's Sir Thomas More is a man humble before God, his true leader. He believes that no man is above the law, and that no man is above God. He is an unusual person in this world - he stands up for what he believes in no matter the cost. We seem to love these characters in films and books - More, Atticus Finch, Terry Malloy, and yet in the world outside of film, there are fewer and fewer exhibitions of such character.
The rest of the cast is uniformly great, including Orson Welles as Cardinal Wolsey; Leo McKern, so beloved as Rumpole of the Bailey, is here the horrid Thomas Cromwell, who will stop at nothing to make More bend his way; John Hurt as the slimy Richard Rich; Wendy Hiller as More's suffering wife; and Susannah York as his beloved daughter Margaret.
It's sometimes forgotten that Henry VIII was once a young, athletic, and very attractive man - I was reminded of it just last summer when I saw an absolute hunk play the young Henry. The arrogant, flirtatious, handsome man playing Henry in "A Man for All Seasons" looked familiar, but I couldn't place him. Having only seen the Robert Shaw of "The Sting" and "Jaws," it was hard to believe that he had ever looked or sounded the way he did in this film. He gives a marvelous, fiery performance.
The cinematography and scenery in this film is stunning, and there are many outside scenes - the sunlight in Thomas More's eyes as the King comes into view, the hustle and bustle of the town, the darkness of More's cell juxtaposed with the bright outdoors - all important parts of the story.
The last half hour is hard to take for the viewer, but it is some of the most beautiful work ever in film. More's final moments are magnificent and to be treasured.
A must-see for the story of a great man, and for one of the top performances of all time.
The story concerns Henry VIII's divorce from Catherine, is brother's widow, and his desire to marry Anne Boleyn so that she can give him an heir. Great pressure is put on More, a well-respected lawyer, to support the King, but More will not. He instead chooses to be silent on the matter, even when the King pronounces himself the head of the Church of England. If More speaks out, he will be charged with treason; by keeping silent, the King has no case against him. Nevertheless, a number of people work on More from all angles to get him to sign an oath to the King, but he will not. Finally, the King's cohorts realize that perjury is the only avenue left open to them in order to secure a charge of treason against More and have him executed.
Really, there's not much to be said about this profound film about a man who, to the death, had a commitment to his beliefs and never faltered. Paul Scofield is not as famous to vast audiences as Sir Laurence Olivier, Richard Burton, Sir Anthony Hopkins, and a whole host of excellent British actors who have made contributions to film. Scofield has made 30 movies, each chosen by him carefully. If he cared about money, he could gone slumming as a few of his counterparts did; with his magnificent voice and imposing presence, he could have done a Grey Poupon or a Polaroid commercial. But as a true artist and not an actor looking for production money, money to support a theater, or, like Burton, unable to recover from an impoverished childhood, his film work is not geared toward superstardom or prolific work. In every role he plays, from the obsessed Nazi in "The Train," to van Doren Sr. in "Quiz Show," he is magnificent.
But Sir Thomas More is his greatest role. It was turned down by Richard Burton, who would have been excellent but perhaps given us a more showy performance. Scofield's Sir Thomas More is a man humble before God, his true leader. He believes that no man is above the law, and that no man is above God. He is an unusual person in this world - he stands up for what he believes in no matter the cost. We seem to love these characters in films and books - More, Atticus Finch, Terry Malloy, and yet in the world outside of film, there are fewer and fewer exhibitions of such character.
The rest of the cast is uniformly great, including Orson Welles as Cardinal Wolsey; Leo McKern, so beloved as Rumpole of the Bailey, is here the horrid Thomas Cromwell, who will stop at nothing to make More bend his way; John Hurt as the slimy Richard Rich; Wendy Hiller as More's suffering wife; and Susannah York as his beloved daughter Margaret.
It's sometimes forgotten that Henry VIII was once a young, athletic, and very attractive man - I was reminded of it just last summer when I saw an absolute hunk play the young Henry. The arrogant, flirtatious, handsome man playing Henry in "A Man for All Seasons" looked familiar, but I couldn't place him. Having only seen the Robert Shaw of "The Sting" and "Jaws," it was hard to believe that he had ever looked or sounded the way he did in this film. He gives a marvelous, fiery performance.
The cinematography and scenery in this film is stunning, and there are many outside scenes - the sunlight in Thomas More's eyes as the King comes into view, the hustle and bustle of the town, the darkness of More's cell juxtaposed with the bright outdoors - all important parts of the story.
The last half hour is hard to take for the viewer, but it is some of the most beautiful work ever in film. More's final moments are magnificent and to be treasured.
A must-see for the story of a great man, and for one of the top performances of all time.