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King Henry II of England comes to terms with his affection for his close friend and confidant Thomas à Becket, who finds his true honor by observing God's divine will rather than the king's.

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Won 1 Oscar. Another 13 wins & 23 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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...
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King Louis of France / King Louis VII of France
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the Cardinal / Cardinal Zambelli
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the Pope / Pope Alexander III
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Brother John
Martita Hunt ...
Pamela Brown ...
...
Baron
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Gwendolen (as Sian Phillips)
Inigo Jackson ...
Robert de Beaumont
Felix Aylmer ...
Niall MacGinnis ...
Baron
Christopher Rhodes ...
Baron
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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. Written by alfiehitchie

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

A taste for wine and women made them friends. A sudden clash made them man and martyr...which led to murder! See more »


Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some sexual content and violence | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

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Language:

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Release Date:

11 March 1964 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Бекет  »

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(Westrex Recording System)| (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

(Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

This film met with the approbation of Jean Anouilh who - up till that point - hadn't been very impressed with adaptations of his work. See more »

Goofs

The film seems to assume that Henry and Thomas speak English. The French girl Marie is clearly depicted as speaking a different language. In fact, the native language of both Becket and Henry was French, and Henry spoke no English at all. See more »

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) See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

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User Reviews

 
Top Notch Historical Drama
29 July 2004 | by (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) – See all my reviews

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!


21 of 31 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

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This or 'A Man for All Seasons' jdlugosinski
Becket. martyr or fool paladin0110
They don't make 'em like this any more david__T
Another great Christian movie. moovyfellow
Becket was a Norman??????? bobcan653
Becket on DVD alan-stageberg
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