A Man for All Seasons (1966)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Fred Zinnemann

Writers:

Robert Bolt (play)
Robert Bolt (screenplay)

Release Date:

1967 (Japan)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

...a motion picture for all times!

Plot:

The story of Thomas More, who stood up to King Henry VIII when the King rejected the Roman Catholic Church to obtain a divorce and remarriage.

Plot Keywords:

Thomas More | Divorce | Chancellor | Catholic | King Henry VIII

Awards:

Won 6 Oscars. Another 27 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Paul Scofield	...	Sir Thomas More
Wendy Hiller	...	Alice More
Leo McKern	...	Thomas Cromwell
Robert Shaw	...	King Henry VIII
Orson Welles	...	Cardinal Wolsey
Susannah York	...	Margaret More
Nigel Davenport	...	The Duke of Norfolk
John Hurt	...	Richard Rich
Corin Redgrave	...	William Roper (the Younger)
Colin Blakely	...	Matthew
Cyril Luckham	...	Archbishop Cranmer
Jack Gwillim	...	Chief Justice
Thomas Heathcote	...	Boatman
Yootha Joyce	...	Averil Machin
Anthony Nicholls	...	King's Representative

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | Latin | Spanish | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Iceland:L | West Germany:12 (nf) | Brazil:Livre | Argentina:13 | Australia:G | Finland:K-12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | UK:U | USA:Approved (original rating) | USA:G (re-rating) (1971)

Filming Locations:

Beaulieu River, Hampshire, England, UK

Company:

Highland Films

Trivia:

Vanessa Redgrave refused to be paid for her cameo role as Anne Boleyn.

Goofs:

Continuity: When King Henry visits Thomas More's house and steps off the boat, he steps into mud and makes light of it. When his retinue follow, it is seen their feet and leggings are already muddy from a previous take.

Quotes:

Richard Rich: I would be faithful.
Sir Thomas More: Richard, you couldn't answer for yourself even so far as tonight.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Facts of Life: Men for All Seasons (#7.5)" (1985)

Definitely worth watching every single season

If on occasions I babbled about some actor's performance being the best I've ever seen it was just because I hadn't seen "A Man For All Seasons". Well, up until today. And I definitely won't be that quickly amazed and impressed by a performance again. May I just say that Paul Scofield embodies great acting to it's very core. Comprehending his masterful and skillful acting is evident even to the greatest fool or layman and I (not being a big expert myself) could not believe how a man can attain such knowledge of perfection. His every word is spoken with the greatest skill, intonation and accent as well as his facial expressions and movements. His performance is so strong it's scary when I think about it. As if he knew(and he most definitely did!) EXACTLY how to perform his acting task. This movie is an explosion of outstanding acting and actors, showing their skills to the fullest and to the amazed viewers. It may well be the greatest movie ever made, but the reason for this lies also in the jaw dropping and mind opening script that deserves more credit than it could have ever gotten. If you thought "On The Waterfront", "Bridge On The River Kwai", "Glennary Glen Ross" or even "The Usual Suspects" or "Pulp Fiction" had some great dialogs then this inspiring and simply amazing script will definitely change your mind. There are so many memorable lines, monologues and great battling dialogs I can't even give an approximate number. Every moment is meaningful and the movie is full of smart and important thoughts. I won't go into the story, because as a previous commenter said, there are just too many points of view and meanings to it, but I will say this; Sir Thomas More was too moral and too strong to give in to the Church, and because of his reasons he was respected. But because he was, for some, this stubborn, he paid the price which in the real world when you play with the big boys, is a given. A movie every future actor, actress, director and screen writer should and must see and a movie that makes most of the later Oscar winners for best picture look like a joke. And a final though, Leonard Maltin was absolutely right; if Paul Scofield acted only in this movie he'd still be remembered as a marvel worth every praise and respect. 9/10