A Man for All Seasons (1966)
Genre: Biography / Drama
Duration: 120 minuten
Country:
United Kingdom
Directed by: Fred Zinnemann
Stars: Paul Scofield, Orson Welles and Robert Shaw
IMDb score:
7,7 (40.751)
Releasedate: 13 December 1966
A Man for All Seasons plot
"...a motion picture for all times!"
The story of Thomas More, who stood up for his principles and morals and resisted King Henry VIII and his corrupt and dictatorial regime.
Actors and actresses
Thomas More
Alice More
Thomas Cromwell
King Henry VIII
Cardinal Wolsey
Margaret More
The Duke of Norfolk
Richard Rich
William Roper (the Younger)
Matthew
Reviews & comments
Spetie
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- 38871 messages
- 8532 votes
I had some trouble getting into the film, but after that it was definitely a pleasant film to follow. Thomas More's vision is quite unique and not what I would strive for. However, Paul Scofield plays the role so convincingly that as the film progressed I began to admire his positions more and more. Despite all the opposition he sticks to his points and you can clearly see that he is a man with perseverance. I can always appreciate that.
The film is sometimes slightly theatrical, something I sometimes dislike, but here it never becomes annoying. In addition to good acting by the lead actor, the supporting roles are also fine. Orson Welles plays very strongly, although his role is a bit on the small side. Furthermore, the film contains a lot of strong dialogues and especially that is also the point that ensures that the film, despite some lesser moments, remains captivating for the entire duration.
A very solid film, with a strong script and a very convincing lead actor.
3.5*
Translated from Dutch · View original
Moviestar1979
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- 1758 messages
- 1020 votes
Personally, I have never really delved into history. As such, I knew little about the relationship between Thomas More and King Henry VIII. This film was a great excuse to change that!
This is perhaps the best and most famous version ever made. Actor Charlton Heston did his utmost to be considered for the role of Thomas More. Although the producers found him unsuitable, Heston was given the lead role in the 1988 TV movie. Richard Burton turned down the offer for the role of Thomas More. Frank Finlay, Bill Travers, Richard Harris, David Warner and several other actors/actresses also passed on the film. The producers also had actors Laurence Olivier and Alec Guinness in mind, but director Fred Zinnemann insisted that these roles be played by Paul Scofield and Orson Welles. According to Welles, he had Zinnemann removed from the set and directed his own scenes. The rest of the cast is also strong. This was John Hurt's first major film. The actor was reportedly paid £3,000 for his role. To stay within budget, some actors were paid less. Vanessa Redgrave even refused to be paid for her cameo.
The film was shot in 12 weeks. To create a snow-white landscape, loads of foam plastic were delivered. This turned out to be unnecessary, because it suddenly started snowing. The film won 6 Oscars. For John Wayne, this classic even became one of his great favorites. In addition, the film was good enough for 27 other awards and 8 nominations. I will undoubtedly go and see the other versions.
Provisional 3.5 *
Translated from Dutch · View original
Roger Thornhill
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- 6231 messages
- 2564 votes
One of the last major Oscar-winning films I had yet to see. And did it disappoint me? I had actually expected a much tougher (and longer) film, and the smooth dialogues, the colorful characters and the witty one-liners of the main character pleasantly surprised me. Still, I couldn't let myself be completely carried away by the film, because the theatricality of both the staging and the overly sharp dialogues (and therefore More's one-liners) were sometimes heavy for me, and the last scene seems rushed. Ironically enough, this film stole the most important Oscars from under the nose of that other famous stage adaptation from 1966, Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf, but somehow the theatricality of that never bothered me.
But apart from that, this is still a fascinating film with a strong role by Paul Scofield and also fine performances by the enormous collection of great actors and actresses in the supporting roles, led by Leo McKern (as a distant ancestor of Oliver Cromwell).
Incidentally, you can't say that More escaped the fate he so generously meted out to others. From the IMDb trivia page: "While he was Chancellor of England, More had several persons with whom he disagreed on religion declared heretics, and burned at the stake." Which does shed a slightly different light on the man, but five centuries ago people were a little less squeamish (certainly where others were concerned), so we'll forgive him (as well as the fact that I still find it more pleasant to die by the executioner's axe in one second than to burn alive for many minutes).
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