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A Man for All Seasons

A Man for All Seasons

List Price: $19.94
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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Perhaps the greatest performance in any film ever!
Review: One of the best films of all time with one of the greatest performances of all time. A costume epic about a person (Sir Thomas More) who is both larger than life and at the same time a real person with whom you can identify. What is best about the film is the portrayal of More as a very reluctant martyr - a man of principle but not above trying to weasel his way out of his moral dilemma. Paul Scofield in the title role gives an understated but magnificent performance. The supporting roles by Wendy Hiller, etc., are uniformly excellent as is Fred Zinnemann's meticulous direction, but the film achieves greatness because of Scofield's performance. He is truly an actor for all seasons in a role for all seasons.

The remake starring Charlton Heston as More is fine in its own right, but why would anyone watch it when the original is a masterpiece?

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A man who truely is a Man, for all and every season!
Review: Why, Richard, it profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world ... But for Wales!"

It is in works like this that we understand the true meaning of "humanities"-the essence of being human!

This film is a psychodrama of ethics and integrity. Sadly, nowadays, we change our ethics quicker than we change the channel, but that is not right. Ethics are only meaningful if they make us do the uncomfortable, if they make us go against our inner natures. Valley Forge was no picnic, and I think Jesus Christ would have rather been on a picnic instead of a cross-"Let this cup pass, nevertheless . . ."

This film is about Sir Thomas Moore, the chancellor of England and the ethical dilemma he gets in when Henry VIII wants to divorce his wife, so he can have a male heir to the throne. Moore sticks to his guns and is eventually beheaded, partly due to the betrayl of Ruichard Rich, an old associate of his who was bought off by a public office in Wales.

Nowadays, the premise of this film is absolutely laughable, but that says more about "nowadays" than it does the film.

Oddly enough, the premise and the sympathetic portrayal of Moore makes this one of the last pro-Catholic films ever made.

Oh, for a Thomas Moore to stick to his guns and his standards! C-SPAN is just a perpetual gallery of sell-out after sell-out defending his mistakes and attacking the truth. We see how crooked things are nowadays as they are held up to the straight edge of Thomas Moor. Mind, you Moore is not a Bible-thumper, or an in your face "values nazi," and he would certainly not bomb an abortion clinic. But his was an example of angelic quite dignity and majesty.

There are excellent performances all around, and Oscar has duly honored this film. The filming locations are perfect, and the costumes magnificent. The only complaint I would have is that it is weak in the cinematography. Since I come from the Fritz Lang and Greg Toland School, this comment says more about me than it does the film.

The DVD has a superb copy, but the sound is normal. The DVD itself is a bit spare on the goodies, but we got it primarily to see the film. There is also an excellent cameo by Orson "Pinky and the Brain" Welles, as Cardinal Woolsey.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: a review for a man for all seasons
Review: I thought this movies deserved a 3. I feel that it was alittle non interesting and I don't think I was the only one. I mean the movie did have some interesting points, but not alot. This might of been good for an older crowd but for a young crowd of teenagers, it didn't really catch our eyes.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: A Man For All Seasons
Review: What can I say about "A Man For All Seasons?" This movie was good, but I wasn't very interested in it. I felt that the whole plot was boring. The actors who portrayed the characters did a wonderful job. However, the movie was relevant to what I just learned in Morality, which was conscience. The movie shows how courageous Thomas More was to refuse the oath of the King, and not go against his conscience. If I had to choose a favorite character it would be Thomas More. He was an honest, moral man who stayed with what he believed was right. He depicts a good example of how people should act. I would only recommend this movie to people who would like to go back to this era in time.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Good.
Review: Good interpritation of history. This movie and A Lion in Winter are 2 of my favorite movies set in the past. By the end of the movie you feel great sympathy with Sir Thomas and even though you know the end of the story you start to hope we will make it out alive.

The sceanery is great as well

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Christian Martyr.
Review: This movie is an extremely deep film, which shows the 7 Virtues. Thomas More was an extremely moral man, and the film shows how courageous More was to refuse the oath of the King, and not go against his concience. The actors performance in this film was believable and made it visible for me to see what a moral man, and a loyal servent to God More was, and how he really lived. The staging of the film was very well done and the actors really played their parts well. After seeing this movie, I have more of an understanding on what a strong person Thomas More was, and how much faith he had in God

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Back in the Day
Review: Back in the day movies were...well, different. A Man For All Seasons is full of thespian genius. The play by Robert Bolt is beautifully adapted in this marvelous film. Paul Scofield's performance is unmatched. His portrayal of Thomas More is not overly sentimental, although clearly sympathetic with the difficulty holding to one's principles in the face of power. King Henry is very human...not an outrageous despot stuck in the fickleness of his fame.
For anyone interested in one of the best pieces of acting, writing and directing in cinematic history, this is a must have for your collection. If you are looking for quick plot progression and plenty of action, this would not be your best choice.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Best picture, Actor.....
Review: The Academy Awards rightfully gave this film the Oscar
for Best Picture and Actor. The film is perfect, especially
the visual symbolism which adds to the perfect screenplay..
.... i.e the jumping/falling in the mud off the shore of Chelsea.
Paul Scofield is one of the greatest actors ever captured on film; Orson Welles and Leo McKern aren't too bad either. This
is a definite plus to any DVD collection.
If one enjoys this film check-out the Prisoner Series which
also features Leo McKern and a story similar to that of Thomas More.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A well-crafted film...
Review: I first saw "A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS" in 1966 when it first came out. I was a senior in high school, and since this was the pre-hippie era, everyone was gung-ho about Sir Thomas More's duty, integrity, etc. There's no question that Fred Zinnemann crafted a masterpiece on the tiny budget allowed him by Columbia, since all the studios were losing money on talky, period pieces.The acting is incomparable, a perfect ensemble centering around the unflinchingly confident performance of Scofield (he'd done the role hundreds of times on stage). The costumes won an Oscar, and were certainly beautiful, though they were so bulky it looked really difficult for the characters to get close to each other. It won an Oscar for Cinematography, too, though the film really is somewhat of a filmed play (I thought the filming of "Hawaii" and "The Sand Pebbles",also nominated, was more breath-taking). Though these are minor problems, they are soon forgotten when one pays attention to the incredible screenplay of Robert Bolt.Loaded with passion and strong character development, it's also a valid history lesson. Don't watch this if there are any distractions (kids, company, etc.) since its maximum appreciation requires concentration. I'm also wondering why the DVD is substantially higher-priced than most others, since there are absolutely NO extras of any kind. This film is notable also for Vanessa Redgrave's unbilled film debut as Anne Boleyn, on screen for only a few minutes, but an absolutely riveting film moment. Everyone should see ths film, but I'd hesitate to recommend you buy it if only due to the unreasonable price.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Movie for All Seasons.
Review: A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS is a motion picture based on the later years of Sir Thomas More (author of UTOPIA among many other things). The film opens with a messenger delivering a summons to Sir Thomas from the Chancellor and Archbishop of England. The Archbishop was played by Orson Welles and though I strongly admire the work of Mr. Welles, he looks like a giant ocean liner in this picture. Anyway, the film quickly moves from one event to the next. The Archbishop dies and More replaces him as the King's Advisor, an argument errupts between King Henry and More over Henry's maritial affairs, and eventually everyone turns against More, ending with his execution.I thoroughly enjoyed the film. The costumes are magnificent and the scenery breathtaking. What is most enjoyable is More's wit. The film is more (pardon the pun) for the intellectual and not for morons. A great movie.


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