Becket (1964)

An English king comes to terms with his affection for his close friend and confidant, who finds his true honor by observing God's divine will rather than the king's.

Director:

Peter Glenville

Writers:

Jean Anouilh (play), Lucienne Hill (play),

Stars:

Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole, John Gielgud

Won 1 Oscar. Another 14 wins & 22 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Burton	...	Becket / Thomas Becket
Peter O'Toole	...	his King / King Henry II
John Gielgud	...	King Louis of France / King Louis VII of France
Gino Cervi	...	the Cardinal / Cardinal Zambelli
Paolo Stoppa	...	the Pope / Pope Alexander III
Donald Wolfit	...	Bishop Folliot
David Weston	...	Brother John
Martita Hunt	...	Empress Matilda
Pamela Brown	...	Queen Eleanor [of Aquitaine]
Percy Herbert	...	Baron
Siân Phillips	...	Gwendolen (as Sian Phillips)
Inigo Jackson	...	Robert de Beaumont
Felix Aylmer	...	Archbishop of Canterbury
Niall MacGinnis	...	Baron
Christopher Rhodes	...	Baron

Storyline

As the story opens, King Henry II, who ruled England from 1154 to 1189 has entered Canterbury Cathedral to do penance at the tomb of his former friend, Thomas Becket. Bare to the waist, the king kneels to receive a flogging from Saxon monks. He begins to reminisce, recalling at first the carefree, promiscuous adventures with Becket, then his favorite drinking and wenching companion. A violently emotional drama that probes the changing relationship between two young men - between two close friends bound together by similar pride of flesh and spirit who become deadly enemies as they pursue their separate destinies . . . that of king . . . and saint.

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Plot Keywords:

king henry ii | thomas becket | archbishop | england | drinking | 

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Taglines:

An age of rampant lusts, abandon, runaway passions. An age brought bristling to life by two of the most exciting stars of our time!

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some sexual content and violence

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English Latin Welsh

Release Date:

11 March 1964 (USA)

Also Known As:

Becket e il suo re

Filming Locations:

Alnwick Castle, Alnwick, Northumberland, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Paramount Film Service, Keep Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

148 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System) Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor) (as Technicolor®)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Becket's tomb became a popular destination for pilgrimages for centuries, but it was looted and destroyed in the early 16th century in the Dissolution of the Monasteries during Henry VIII's reign, as part of the Church of England's break from Rome. A shrine was later created at the site.

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Goofs

In the excommunication scene, which took place in 1164, the monks are chanting the Dies Irae, a hymn said to have been composed by Thomas of Celano, who lived from 1200-1260. The hymn is also heard in the opening scene as Henry walks through the cathedral, which would have been in 1173.

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Quotes

[first lines]
King Henry II: Well, Thomas Becket. Are you satisfied? Here I am, stripped, kneeling at your tomb, while those treacherous Saxon monks of yours are getting ready to thrash me. Me - with my delicate skin. I bet you'd never have done the same for me. But - I suppose I have to do this penance and make my peace with you. Hmm. What a strange end to our story. How cold it was when we last met - on the shores of France. Funny, it's nearly always been cold - except at the beginning, when we were friends....

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Connections

Featured in Precious Images (1986)

User Reviews

Top Notch Historical Drama

BECKET (4 outta 5 stars)

Classic historical drama with excellent performances from the two leads... Peter O'Toole as King Henry II and Richard Burton as his best friend turned nemesis, Thomas Becket. From the start Henry II is not the most benevolent of kings... he steals young girls from their families for his own carnal pleasures... and even tricks Becket into sending the woman he loves to the King's bed. King Henry gets the idea that it might end his problems with the church if he names his best friend Archbishop... but he underestimates Becket's faith (as does Becket himself). Eventually Becket has to choose between his duty to the King and his duty to God... an unenviable choice that bodes ill no matter which choice he makes. Obvious homoerotic undertones to the relationship between the two strong-willed individuals... hard to imagine that this sort of material was palatable to audiences in the early 60s. Great script, great actors, great sets and costumes... a must see!