A Man for All Seasons

Rating:
Summary: The Sound Of Silence
Review: "This country is full from coast to coast with Man's laws, not God's, if you cut them down and the devil turns on you, how would you survive the winds that blow then? I would give the Devil the benefit of the doubt for my own safety's sake." Sir Thomas More in A Man For All Seasons

There is trouble in the court of King Henry VIII. From the Dukes all the way down to the henchmen, there is an unease in the air. For the King has decided to defy the Pope(whom he has symbolically demoted by reffering to him as the Bishop of Rome). His wishes for a divorce from his barren wife to marry another have been rejected, and for that he has decided to cut out Rome and appoint himself the Head of The Church of England. He expects to be opposed by the Bishops, but they are bought off with the grand sum of 100,000 Pounds. But like a thorn in his side, there is Thomas More, the newly appointed Lord Chancellor of The Realm, a man of impeccable reputation, who refuses to support him, yet refrains from condemning him.

It is puzzles me how every review of Man For All Seasons paints More(Paul Scofield) as a the man who protests against the crown. The reviews make him sound like a self rightious, short sighted man who knows nothing of the world. Thomas More is sly in his virtue, he understands that speaking out would be treason. He does not protest England's corruption, but the Crown's attempt to corrupt him. He would have been quietly satisfied had they let him resign his post and live out his days reading and writing. It his curse that his King respects him, and while the King's advisors plot to make More bow in fear that England's European neighbors would question the power of the monarchy, the King reasons are merely suggested, and they are Freudian in nature.

As King Henry VIII, Robert Shaw appears in only two scenes in the entire film(approximatly 7 minutes in a 120 minute film). Yet his electric performance garnered him an Oscar nomination, capably transforming from rage to exuberance to mockery to gentleness and back again in a space of seconds. He leaves such a strong impression that his bizzare moodiness is present even when he's off screen. A complex man, Henry VIII composed music, wrote theological works and displayed an apparent lust for life. His obsession with More's approval is what Frued called the "Madonna-whore complex" in reference to men losing their respect for women they have already had. In an obviously non-sexual way, King Henry would have probably lost his respect for Thomas had he bowed down to him and broken his silence. The King seeks the approval of a man he admires, yet had he gotten that approval, he would no longer admire him. Fred Zinnemann(who has recieved 9 Oscar nominations from 22 feature films) directs with his usual unfussy camera work. While this technique has dated his thriller The Day of The Jackal, its helps this film immeasurably. It allows us to stand back and savor the incredible sets, the glistening costumes and most of all Robert Bolt's incredibly literate dialogue. The first time I watched Man For All Seasons was yesterday and I watched it again that very day just to unravel the beautiful dialogue. And the standard of acting is so high that this language never feels recited.

At the center of A Man For All Seasons is Paul Scofield's richly textured and deeply felt performance as More. Through out the film he will remain eloquent. But behind his mask of humility builds a rage. That is why when he breaks down, it is so incredibly moving. He does not require the country to live by God's law, as long as they let him do so. He is a man of the world who understands how hazy morality can be. He never compromises his King, even in the blackest of moments. But when the King chooses to compromise him, he forsakes this world for another. A Man For All Seasons is a great film.

Rating:
Summary: Let us enjoy!
Review: This film won the Best Picture Academy Award for 1966; just watch it and you'll see why. Although it will be helpful to have some knowledge of the history of sixteenth-century England to fully appreciate this flick, it can still be enjoyed by those who are rather unfamiliar with this period in time. Paul Schofield and Robert Shaw give excellent performances as St. Thomas More and King Henry VIII, respectively. Only those with no taste would say they didn't like this picture.

Rating:
Summary: A sharp portrayal of a Man of integrity
Review: It is no coincidence that magnificent screenplay writer of "Lawrence of Arabia" also wrote the screenplay to "A Man For All Seasons". Robert Bolt has given us two masterpieces, which have not been surpassed. The movie of the life of St. Thomas More is both realistic and moving. The key theme in the movie for me is the fact that More is not a stereotypical martyr. He unsuccessfuly attempts to avoid dying for his faith. He states "This is not the stuff that martyrs are made of". He believes that he is not strong enough to die for the faith. He eventually does receive that strength, but not before winning his wife and her blessing over.

The movie, even without its rich intellectual dialogue, can serve as a reminder of what the average person can achieve if they maintain their integrity.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best Catholic films on celluloid
Review: Superb acting by Robert Shaw and Paul Scofield make this a tremendous story of an ordinary family man called to do something extraordinary.

Scofield is brilliant as St. Thomas More - showing us his human weakness as well as his strength and faith.

Those who would have us cave into the cultural leanings of the day should be reminded that had More done so in his day we would not celebrate him as a Saint today.

This is a moving and inspirational historical film.

Rating:
Summary: What does it profit a man to gain the whole world_ Wales?
Review: Besides the wonderful language which forcibly reminds me of the paucity of most modern day speech, the glorious costumes & settings....one of the greatest joys is the music...Georges Delarue's adds another layer to the rich tapestry of this film. The story is based on reality and gives us an example of conviction and moral steadfastness.

The moral dilemma of giving public assent while inwardly the personal conscience disagrees would have been an easy way for others but not the path for More. More says he didn't seek martyrdom. Robert Shaw cuts a fine figure as Henry VIII, a man surrounded by fickle courtiers who laugh on cue at all his jokes, who seemingly have no strongly held convictions. Any way the wind blows, fair weather friends they hold limited appeal for the king, who in his heart of hearts (conscience) knows that what he is doing is wrong.

After all the Pope had given him the title of Defender of the Faith (The Roman Catholic Faith) for his robust denial of Martin Luther's 95 Theses..a complex man who wrote poetry and composed music (Greensleeves?) lesser known loves alongside his women, his hunting etc; such a man yearned for the friendship of man who gave good counsel and who lived by & believed in a strong moral code which could withstand the gusts of current fashions.

The tragedy is not only More's and that of his family but ultimately the King's. He cannot pardon his old true friend;if he did his standing amongst his people would be diminished so More's fate is sealed.

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant: A Film for All Seasons
Review: This film has become a legendary telling of the life of Sir...canonized Saint...Thomas More who was hailed by Sir Winston Churchill as "these isles greatest Englishman." Paul Scofield's More is an heroic intellectual who ultimately loves God and the sometimes terrible demands of Truth more than the glamour of the world and his own life of renown in it. His characterization of More's wisdom, wit and humanity has become "mythical" in its own right. Robert Bolt's play is brought to the screen with a magnificent cast. Leo McKern is fascinating as the ruthlessly pragmatic Cromwell...More's arch enemy...who eventually suffers More's fate as ironic victim of fiercely amoral allegiance to historical "Necessity." Robert Shaw is compelling and tragic (at this moment in Henry VIII's soon-to-be bloody reign) as the young King who embodies...literally as "Sire"...circumstances that will convert a "Defender of the Faith" into its persecutor. John Hurt as the treacherous opportunist Richard Rich is also a "man" for all seasons whose conscienceless lies and ultimate betrayals embody duplicity in "Will-to-Power" and ethical bankruptcy hardly reserved to the 16th Century or the machinations of Reformation politicians. Recall: Sir Richard Rich became Prime Minister. In my estimate, the most affecting moment of the film is when More's family comes to visit him for the final time. His execution is certain. His daughter's pleas to submit...and reserve truth to God in his heart...have been rebuked by the logic of TRUTH, ultimately LOVE of God that he holds crucial to his manhood and salvation. Lady Alice...played like a Lioness in Winter by Wendy Hiller...threatens her beloved Thomas with unforgiving hatred for the OBSTINACY that has ruined their position in the aristocracy and condemned him to death for treason. More is unable to stifle sobs of despair, pleading to his wife not to abandon him at this moment of maximum trial and shame. She does not... And this dazzlingly human instant, wonderfully encaptured by Scofield and Hiller...is "The Man for All Season's" source and moment of triumph. Yes, Scofield's rebuke of the corrupted Parliament is scathing and "heroically" magnificent. But the man who stated: "I die the King's good servant, but God's first;" may indeed have gotten his final grace of fortification from a lady whose faith and love demanded uncomprehending trust and devotion. The film, as Saint Thomas himself might allow, was not even...ultimately about Truth or conscience. "Only God is LOVE through and through," states More/Scofield as a kind of axiom he must believe to endure the soul ordeal "Necessity" has crossed him with. In the film,the axiom is "proved." Not by argument, but by his good wife's unconditonal love. This is Lady Alice's trial...and because she too is heroic and endures in soul-tested love...She is The Woman; He becomes The Man... both, like the film, brilliant, gracious and GOOD: For All Seasons....

Rating:
Summary: Thomas is a role model for all of us
Review: I have watched this movie on VHS at least six times, and I always come away from it in awe of Thomas. It is a unique presentation which I need to see annually. A Man for all Seasons is the best film I have ever seen.

Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece
Review: This is, without a doubt, my favorite film of all time, and I never tire of seeing it. The acting is just on a completely different level than anything out there today, and the message is pure and fulfilling and beautiful. Scofield's performance is miraculous, and makes you feel a profound need to connect with your own capacity for behavior marked by integrity. Scofield is magnificent, as is the rest of the cast. I recommend this to anyone desperate for a thoughtful and unabashedly "religious" film. It is too fine for words.

Rating:
Summary: Giant actors in small roles
Review: It's a great film and all that but the minor roles really make it for me--Orson Welles as Cardinal Wolsey, John Hurt as Richard Rich, Leo McKern as Cromwell, and most of all Robert Shaw as Henry VIII. Shaw really has taken the measure of the role, and his abrupt transitions from overblown arrogance to his sheepish whining efforts to get Thomas to sanction his divorce, to explosive rage make him the best Henry VIII I've ever seen, better than Charles Laughton (THE PRIVATE LIFE OF HENRY VIII), better than Richard Burton (ANNE OF A THOUSAND DAYS).

Rating:
Summary: A beautiful movie about an amazing man
Review: Sir Thomas More is someone more people should know about; and this movie is stunningly well done, despite the few historical fiddlings Robert Bolt made in order to zero in on the basic gist of why More is so important to Western history. Whatever side of the Catholic vs. Protestant warring you feel like championing, the real power of Thomas More was his unvarying moral strength, pitted against Henry VIII and the shattering of the Christian world as he knew it. He was trapped in a time of unbelievable change and he stayed true to himself and his beliefs, no matter the cost. He stood virtually alone. The deservedly award-winning movie does a wonderful job of highlighting the man's wit, close family bonds, shrewd lawyer-knowledge, and sheer courage. It's a beautiful movie.