#246 – A Man For All Seasons (1966)
As I was watching these men shout at each other I could think of nothing but theater. This movie felt like a play on the screen. I later found out it was written as a play. The theatrics are a little too fake, too intentional, too much like acting and not enough reacting. Like I said, lots of shouting at each other for the sake of it. Without a doubt though, there are moments of brilliance.
The movie is based around the controversy of King Henry VIII and his unrelenting quest to divorce his wife who could bare him no child. His way out was to sever ties to Rome and the church who forbid divorce. Before him stood none but the morally revered Sir Thomas More. His publically regarded opinion was sought after by Henry VIII who would stop at nothing to get it. Unfortunately for the king More was consciously obliged to stand his ground in fear of never meeting God in the afterlife.
It’s all very dramatic you see and when this movie was released in 1966 I’m guessing it would have been controversial. It was certainly received well having won no less than 6 Oscars including the trio of picture, lead and director. With that in mind I gave it a 6/10. It’s not my cup of tea and I would have preferred to see the play instead.