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Columbia Pictures present A Man for All Seasons. Written by Robert Bolt. 120 minutes. Rated G. Originally released in 1966.
Directed By:
Fred Zinnemann
Cast:
Paul Scofield.. ..Sir Thomas More
Wendy Hiller.. ..Alice More
Leo McKern.. ..Thomas Cromwell
Robert Shaw.. ..King Henry VIII
Orson Welles.. ..Cardinal Wolsey
The Film:
Perhaps this is a clichéd thing to say in a film review, but they really don’t make movies like this anymore and this is not necessarily a bad thing. That this film won six Oscars including Best Actor, Director and Picture says a lot for the film. It also says a lot for the year, it says that this must have really been a slow year.
A Man for All Seasons is the story of Sir Thomas More (Scofield), he was England’s Roman Catholic Chancellor who was forced to take a moral stand when King Henry VIII (Shaw) decided he waned to divorce his wife and marry his mistress. While all other men agreed with the King, More could not in good judgment agree to such thing, even at risk to his own life.
This film works on some levels and fails on others. Fred Zinnemann is a fantastic director. One need only look as far as From Here to Eternity to know this. The Oscar winning cinematography is beautiful and at times even breathtaking, however the action going on the in shots does not always measure up. This is a very slow moving film taking its time to set up the characters, the time period and the situation at hand. This is the biggest thing keeping this from being a truly great film.
Acting was different in the 60’s than it is today, particularly in this film. The acting here is more theatrical, more over the top than the modern film viewer is used to and this will throw them off at times, take them out of the film. This isn’t today the acting is bad, far from it. There are some sensation performances here, including that of a very very rotund Orson Welles, as More’s superior, Cardinal Wolsey.
Fans of history will devour this film, it’s rich sets and costume design are a feast for the eyes. However, a film that one might pop in on a lazy Sunday afternoon to kill a few hours it is not. There is no doubting that this is a great film about a man defending his moral ground but it is not told in a universal was that most would find “entertaining.” This film very much fits into the category of historical drama.
STORY: 8
ACTING: 8
LOOK/FEEL: 9
ORIGINALITY: 8
ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: 6
FINAL SCORE: 8
Orson Welles as Cardinal Wosley
The DVD:
The Video:
The film is presented in anamorphic widescreen 1.66:1. The cinematography in this film is stunning; the colors are sharp and vibrant. The transfer here is top notch preserving all of the rich colors.
The Audio:
The film is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 The sound here is fine. Not a lot was done with sound back in the 60’s, not like it is today. This movie is very word heavy; all the dialog is crisp and clear.
Extras:
The Life Of Saint Thomas More Featurette: Perhaps not the most exciting of special features, but this documentary about the life of Saint Thomas More is very fascinating and fills in any questions one might have after the film is over.
