Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Cinema Plus | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

“A Man for all Seasons” tells the story of another clash between state and the church, another Henry and another Thomas. It is the time of King Henry VIII and he cannot get his counsellor, Sir Thomas More, to agree to his divorce of his queen Katharine and marriage to Anne Boleyn. Henry was desperate for a son and though all the lords and clergy agreed to the divorce and remarriage, Henry sought Sir Thomas’ seal of approval, which Sir Thomas was unwilling to give as it would mean going against the church.

The movie based on Robert Bolt’s play of the same name, follows Sir Thomas More as he steadfastly refuses to say “yes” to his king. But canny lawyer that he is, he maintains a silence that smartly frustrates any attempts by the king’s advocate, Thomas Cromwell, to bring charges against him.

The movie is rather talky with long stretches where characters discuss finer points of law. But the dialogue is razor-sharp and brings to mind all those courtroom dramas of yore before jump cuts and zooms and fade outs changed the grammar of cinema forever.

The film does away with the Common Man of the play, who worked as a kind of chorus to the events of the play.

The cast is uniformly superb. Paul Scofield reprises his stage role as Sir Thomas More. His More is not a dull, stodgy, holier-than-thou individual. For apart from his steadfastness to do right by his conscience, More has wit and wisdom and affection for his wife Alice (Wendy Hiller) and daughter Margaret (Susannah York).Then there is Robert Shaw as a tempestuous Henry VIII who would like to be regarded as one of the men but is also a king and does not let anyone forget that. The scene where he comes on a “surprise” (feverish preparations for the royal guest are going on apace) visit to More’s house aptly shows this.

Then there is the excellent Orson Welles as the malevolent Cardinal Wolsey and Leo McKern as the mean-spirited, petty Thomas Cromwell. John Hurt plays Richard Rich, the young, ambitious man, who betrays More and Corin Redgrave as William Roper Margaret’s hot-headed suitor. Vanessa Redgrave, has a non-speaking part as Anne Boleyn.

The film moves out of the constricting environs of the play to show England’s green and pleasant lands. There is also the tower, the courtroom and the costumes are suitably gorgeous. However, the star is the dialogue and the sets, costumes and locations are never allowed to overwhelm the conflict that is at the crux of the action.

While the movie deals with real events, one can enjoy the movie without any knowledge of history as it addresses universal dilemmas of corruption, the heady intoxication of power and the perils inherent in doing what is right.

The movie won six academy awards including best picture, cinematography, screenplay, costume design, director and actor for Scofield. All are perfect well deserved. There is a marked lack of extras in the DVD – apart from the theatrical trailer. The film, released in 1966, is for all seasons, showing no signs of anachronism.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail