Anne of the Thousand Days & Mary Queen of Scots

Two Great Classics!

After reading Philippa Gregory's "The Other Queen" I wanted to see a movie about Mary Queen Of Scots. This did not fail! Glenda Jackson was a fabulous Elizabeth! She blows everyone else who played Elizabeth out of the water. Vanessa Redgrave was perfect as Mary. Historically accurate! Anne of Thousand Days was wonderful. The only thing I can find to complain about was Richard Burton. He was a little old to play King Henry at that point in his life. The King was still dashing during Anne's years, but his acting was amazing! Overall...great acting, great visuals!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

TRUE TO HISTORY

True to history as much as we know about the time.As a student of British history as I observe it was good with a modern day slant to it.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Best version of Anne Boleyn

Genevieve Bujold's version of Anne Boleyn is the greatest ever--far better than either Natalie Dormer (The Tudors) or Natalie Portman (The Other Boleyn Girl). Her version of Anne is more sympathetic than Dormer's, but still has the charm, grace, intelligence, and strength of character that landed a king and brought down the Catholic church in England. The music and costumes in this film are fabulous as well, and I like Richard Burton's version of Henry VIII. He and Robert Shaw (in A Man for All Seasons) are the best of the many actors who've played Henry VIII. Mary, Queen of Scots is not as good a movie, mainly because the script isn't as good. However, there's good acting from Vanessa Redgrave as Mary and Glenda Jackson as Elizabeth I. Timothy Dalton shows up as Mary's obnoxious drunk of a husband, Lord Darnley.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Queens remembered

These are two excellent DVDs and a fantastic offering. I think that the subject matter is extremely difficult for anyone to have adequately covered within the time slots allowed and would have preferred that each had devoted at least three hours to their respective subject. First, this represents a broad overview of a real, historical event and it would have been ridiculous to have added something that never occurred. This alone restricted the script to the presentation, with some assumption that the viewer was at least remotely familiar with the facts. One might want to read recnt scholarly biographies done on both women that clearly indicates that neither was the demon that the extremist, protestant movement, at that time, wanted to portray. Second, both were used as pawns in an insane chess game to produce an heir. The Calvinist leaders were plottring how to get rid of her and appoint a male regent even before the heir was produced. She had no intrinsic value as a woman and, as soon as the heir was born, she was in effect, on her way out. Her husband, the king, was dying of the Great Pox (Syphilis), was bisexual, and reportedly loving everyone). Would you send your daughter to again sleep with such a vile creature. Bothwell might not have been a Saint but all the evidence clearly indicates that he was the only one who might have helped her salvage that mess and was the one who had helped her most in putting down the first uprising. So she has a choice, between a warrior who had proven himself in the interest of Scotland and (her current husband), a dud, not dude, but Dud. Psychologically and physically abused it is not difficult to figure out why she chose the path she took. Elizabeth failed to come to her aid and the record clearly indicates that this was due more to the machinations of Cecil and later, Walsingham. She was killed for a reason and that was to make sure that she would never again be in a position to return the Catolic faith to Scotland. Read Ann's story and hope that you are never in a trial like the one she went though. Her executioner had to be alerted and sent for even before her arrest and certainly long before she was committed to the tower. If you truly believe that women do have intrinsic value and should also be treated as fairly and justly as any man, then don't let this package pass you by. It clearly shows what men and society are capable of at any given time and reminnds us that every person has value on their own merits. I strongly recommend these DVDs and the reading recommendations appended. Just an aside, the actors were at the top of their profession when they were made and I think the acting and production were superb for the period.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Disappointed by all the hype, and the twin pairing of these two films

I must admit that without all the hype over Anne of the Thousand Days, I might have enjoyed it more. I didn't enjoy the lead performances very much, although I have liked other work from them. Overall, the feeling of both films was a bit too romanticized. AotTD also possibly suffered in my eyes because of the excellent Man for all Seasons, another telling of the basic story. However, I felt like Mary Queen of Scots did not suffer from that so much, nor did it seem to have as much of a stagey or stilted feel, although Jarrott directed them both. I would have preferred to have the option of purchasing the latter alone. <BR/><BR/>Owing to the hype, I was expecting a really deep, heartfelt performance from Bujold, who disappointed me by appearing as more of an imp or a moppet than the ill-fated Queen Anne Boleyn. Anne was said to be charming, intelligent, witty, but also strong-willed; however, while Bujold is charming and attractive enough, she appears at times as simply more bratty than witty or strong-willed. Some of her time on screen *is* really excellent, but so many times I felt like the spell was broken. I believe the script may have been to blame more than the actress, forcing her to use insults against Henry like "you booby," or something of that nature. Understanding that while the film used more of a mock-Tudor dialog than actual period speech, so as to be understood easily by modern audiences, the scriptwriter's language choices are now dated as well--and positively jarring! It's as if we see a letter in a presumably serious movie from Thomas Moore to someone speaking of being "pwned." <BR/><BR/>The imagined scene in the Tower between Anne and Henry was unintentionally funny to me as well--Anne does a wild-eyed, head-shaking anger routine on Henry that was far from convincing. Bujold must take the blame for that one. <BR/><BR/>I sometimes enjoy Burton's acting style, but here I did not. It was so hammy I was looking for my eggs and a slice of toast. <BR/><BR/>A few of the lesser characters' performances in Mary, Queen of Scots, were a bit overdone, but Glenda Jackson and Vanessa Redgrave were amazing. I also enjoyed the portrayal of both of Mary's later husbands, Darnley and Bothwell by Timothy Dalton and Nigel Davenport, respectively.<BR/><BR/><BR/>Worthwhile anyway together at this price, they are certainly considered classics: a must for lovers of older films or extreme history buffs. But be warned that those who enjoy modern method acting, or anyone who's already seen too many stagey productions, may wonder what the fuss was all about.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A reviewer

Both of these movies are amazing. 'Anne of the Thousand Days' breaks my heart everytime I see it. It's that beautiful. Genevieve Bujold is brilliant as Anne. Everyone seems to forget that Anne spent her youth at the French court and had a 'marked French accent.' Genevieve captures Anne's sensuality and passion with a fire in her eyes. Vanessa Redgrave deserves many accolades also as Mary Queen of Scots. I couldn't imagine having to step into the shoes of a woman passed through history as a fraud and a murderess and do it with such feeling and honesty. It would take a woman sure of herself, but still very vulnerable, which is what Vanessa is. Either of these movies is a film to sink your teeth into. But both together is a meal to satisfy.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

HERE COME THE QUEENS!!

BOTH DVD'S VERY INFORMATIVE AND ENJOYABLE.

Excellent Historical Treatises in Movie format.

I highly recommend these movies. They are historically realistic and believable.

Would not Play

Neither of these CD's would play! What a disappointment.

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