| Paul Scofield | Thomas More |
| Wendy Hiller | Alice More |
| Leo McKern | Thomas Cromwell |
| Robert Shaw | Henry VIII |
| Orson Welles | Cardinal Wolsey |
| Susannah York | Margaret More |
| Vanessa Redgrave | Anne Boleyn |
| Nigel Davenport | Duke of Norfolk |
| John Hurt | Richard Rich |
| Corin Redgrave | William Roper |
| Colin Blakely | Matthew |
| Yootha Joyce | Averil Machin |
| Martin Boddey | Governor of Tower |
| Philip Brack | Captain of Guard |
| Jack Gwyllim | Chief Justice |
| Paul Hardwick | Courtier |
| Eira Heath | Matthew's wife |
| Thomas Heathcote | Boatman |
| Michael Latimer | Norfolk's Aide |
| Cyril Luckham | Archbishop Cranmer |
| Eric Mason | Executioner |
| John Nettleton | Jailer |
| Anthony Nicholls | King's Representative |
| Molly Urquhart | Maid |
| Matt Zimmerman | Messenger |
| Fred Zinnemann | Director, Producer |
| Eric Allwright | Makeup |
| Robert Bolt | Screenwriter |
| John Box | Production Designer |
| Joan Bridge | Costumes/Costume Designer |
| Georges Delerue | Score Composer, Musical Direction/Supervision |
| George Frost | Makeup |
| Elizabeth Haffenden | Costumes/Costume Designer |
| Ralph Kemplen | Editor |
| Josie MacAvin | Set Decoration/Design |
| Terence Marsh | Production Designer |
| Ted Moore | Cinematographer |
| Constance Willis | Screenwriter |
Anonymous
Posted October 1, 2010
Simply one of the most magnificent movies of all time. Skillfully produced and performed, splendidly cast and with a wonderful score, this movie belongs in any collection. My focus is the cast. In my opinion, Paul Scofield is one of the finest actors of the 20th century, and his masterful, understated but powerful portrayal of Thomas More is as stirring as it is heartbreaking. Wonder Boy Orson Welles is incredible as Wolsey, presenting the son of a butcher with cunning and gusto. And, to offer a further opinion, with the exception of Charles Laughton, few actors have presented Henry VIII as well as Robert Shaw - he is stunning and can be considered a measure against which those seeking to perform as the troubled king should be judged. John Hurt's Richard Rich is so well executed that when he abandon's More, you can almost feel a twinge of sympathy for him and his plight of being ambitious while working for a man of uncompromising morality. Leo McKern is a pure natural as the jackal that was Thomas Cromwell. You'll be hard pressed to find a more painful moment than when he orders More's books to be removed. The scenery, production design, costuming, the music - every aspect of this film does justice to the setting and to the characters. It is a tremendously emotional piece, filled with some of cinema's greatest moments. Watch, and enjoy.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 1, 2010
This movie is so moving that one forgets how long it is. I enjoy this movie many times. I made my European History class watch this and the students were silent until the end and they usually talk during movies.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 1, 2010
I recommend this movie as one of the top ten of all time. The ideas are universal and should be studied by all beginning in middle school. The photography alone is worth the time as well as outstanding performances by the entire cast. Thomas More is a hero for all.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 1, 2010
'A Man For All Seasons' is the viscerally engaging, taut case study for Sir Thomas More, an English nobleman of influence who is at first courted, then condemned by Henry VIII (Robert Shaw) after he opposes the king¿s divorce that would allow Henry to marry for a 6th time. This is a powerful closet drama, full of finely wrought performances. Orson Welles is really something in his cameo as Cardinal Wolsey. Wendy Hiller plays Sir Thomas¿ dutiful, though forthright wife. Leo McKern is brilliant as the self-satisfying jackal of destruction, Thomas Cromwell. But the centerpiece of the film remains Paul Scofield's meticulous handling of Thomas More - a truly inspiring tour de force that is brilliant, spellbinding and ever worthy of the Best Actor Statuette. Columbia Tri-star has given us a DVD to equal its subject matter. Colors are rich, bold and vibrant. Flesh tones are quite naturally rendered. Overall the image is quite solid. Age related artifacts are kept to a bare minimum. Although colors are well balanced and black levels appear solid, there is some minor edge enhancement, shimmering and aliasing present throughout the DVD. The audio is mono but well presented - only sporadically sounding strident. There are no extras.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted October 1, 2010
I Also Recommend:
While the script has now been proven to be less then historically accurate (alas, Sir Thomas More was a bit more calculating than he is made to appear in this story), it more than makes up for it with outstanding performances by Paul Schofield, Orson Wells, Dame Wendy Hiller, Leo McKern (of " PBS' Rumpole of the Bailey"), Robert Shaw (of "The Sting" and "From Russia with Love"), Susannah York, and John Hurt (of "I, Claudius"). This is the creme de la creme of American and British actors of the mid 1960s. The costuming is lush and compliments the artistic photography (which almost makes you feel like you can take a deep breath and breathe in 15th century England.)
Henry the Eighth, having inherited the throne from a weakling older brother needs a male heir to the throne. He married his brother's widow, Catherine of Aragon--as it turns out his first wife. After 24 years of marriage, he's frustrated to have no living male heir (only Mary, the future Queen of Scots has survived) and has convinced himself that the problem is with Catherine's age (rather than his early acquired and now burgeoning syphilis). Seeking to put aside Catherine, he tries to bargain (unsuccessfully) with the Pope to have the marriage annulled.
As all avenues of resolution are blocked by the Pope, King Henry, (aided and urged on by Cromwell, and later Cranmer) decides to divorce Queen Catherine so that he may marry his attractive mistress, Anne Boleyn and hopefully produce male heirs to secure the Tudor succession.
Enter Sir Thomas More, who served as King Henry's Roman Catholic Chancellor. He was a brilliant and unusually canny man, well educated, trained in the law and of noble birth. (In real life, he was not known as particularly "religious," but was acknowledged as a wise and just man.) More, who up until Henry's decision to divorce Catherine, was a close confidant of the King.
Had King Henry been content with simply setting Queen Catherine aside, he may not have created a formidable foe in Sir Thomas. The other issue at stake (besides the divorce) was the untouchable wealth of the Catholic Church in Henry's extensive kingdom. The wealth of the Church was comparable to, if not exceeding, that of Henry's realm. For a cash-strapped king, divorce, a young beautiful mistress who can supply untold male heirs, money, and vast land holdings must have seemed irresistible. He went ahead and divorced Queen Catherine and became became the resolute, outspoken opponent of Sir Thomas. The stage is now set for a brilliant confrontation between God and state.
Enjoy!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Paul Scofield is amazing! The entire cast is amazing! The musical score is perfect, as is the script. This is the genre at its absolute best!<BR/>This should be in everyone's library.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 1, 2010
If you ever have the chance to see this on stage, take it - it is richer, and yet simpler, with the addition of an everyman character who poles boats, runs messages, etc.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Great story telling. Great everything. Well, maybe not everything. I LOVE this movie, but the one thing that does bug me about it is that it makes Thomas Moore(Scofield) look as if he was Perfect. He did stand for his blieves and was a very focused, attentive man. But, he was not perfect.
Watch this movie first, then watch The Other Boleyn Girl:two great movies, very connected and contemporary times. Beautiful.
Cecilcatholic
Posted October 1, 2010
I have heard so much about this movie and now I own it! Fantastic movie and wholesome spiritual movie. Makes you think and motivates you to become a better person/more dedicated Christian among the "wolves".
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Posted December 1, 2008
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Posted August 18, 2010
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Posted September 18, 2010
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Posted June 7, 2009
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Posted October 28, 2008
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Posted November 3, 2008
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Posted January 9, 2010
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Overview