A Man for All Seasons (1966)

The story of Thomas More, who stood up to King Henry VIII when the King rejected the Roman Catholic Church to obtain a divorce and remarriage.

Director:

Fred Zinnemann

Writers:

Robert Bolt (from the play by), Robert Bolt (screenplay)

Stars:

Paul Scofield, Wendy Hiller, Leo McKern

Won 6 Oscars. Another 28 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Paul Scofield	...	Thomas More
Wendy Hiller	...	Alice More
Leo McKern	...	Cromwell
Robert Shaw	...	Henry VIII
Orson Welles	...	Cardinal Wolsey
Susannah York	...	Margaret
Nigel Davenport	...	Duke of Norfolk
John Hurt	...	Rich
Corin Redgrave	...	Roper
Colin Blakely	...	Matthew
Cyril Luckham	...	Archbishop Cranmer
Jack Gwillim	...	Chief Justice
Thomas Heathcote	...	Boatman
Yootha Joyce	...	Averil Machin
Anthony Nicholls	...	King's Representative

Storyline

The story takes place in 16th century England. But men like Sir Thomas More, who love life yet have the moral fiber to lay down their lives for their principles, are found in every century. Concentrating on the last seven years of English chancellor's life, the struggle between More and his King, Henry VIII, hinges on Henry's determination to break with Rome so he can divorce his current wife and wed again, and good Catholic More's inability to go along with such heresy. More resigns as chancellor, hoping to be able to live out his life as a private citizen. But Henry will settle for nothing less than that the much respected More give public approval to his headstrong course.

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Plot Keywords:

divorce | king henry viii | chancellor | catholic | thomas more | 

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Taglines:

...a motion picture for all times!

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English Latin Spanish French

Release Date:

1967 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Un homme pour l'éternité

Filming Locations:

Beaulieu River, Hampshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Highland Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR (DVD Release) Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Charlton Heston lobbied heavily for the role of Thomas More, but was never seriously considered by the producers as a candidate for the role. Heston would go on to play More in several stage productions of the play and ultimately film a television production of it in 1988.

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Goofs

When Henry leaves More's estate, he twice indicates that it is eight o'clock. The shadows of most characters between his announcement and actual leaving are very short making it appear to be much closer to noon.

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Quotes

[first lines]
[first spoken lines are over 6 minutes into the film]
Man: ...there's the country every second bastard born is fathered by a priest.
Matthew: [clears throat to get More's attention]
Man: Why, in Utopia, that couldn't be.
Man: But why?
Man: Well, there the priests are very holy.
Man: Therefore, very few.
Sir Thomas More: Is it anything interesting, Matthew?
Matthew: Bless you, sir, I don't know.
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in George Stevens: The Filmmakers Who Knew Him (2001)

User Reviews

Brilliant acting

A Man for all Seasons is simply a fantastic film which I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys historical dramas. The film is directed by the late great Fred Zinnemann, who has helmed such diverse classics as From here to Eternity and Day of the Jackal, brings a sense of immediacy to the screen, and thereby transcends some of the screenplays stage like origins.

Paul Scofield plays the title role of Sir Thomas More. His dilemma being that he's forced against his will to acknowledge King Henry VIII divorce. The film's action therefore is confounded to a battle of wits between Sir Thomas Moore and his opponents at the Kings court.

That might not sound like much in terms of excitement in the classical sense, but this is offset by the brilliant acting of the entire cast and especially Paul Scofield, who received an Academy Award for his outstanding work, as Sir Thomas Moore and his main nemesis Thomas Cromwell, played by Leo McKern, exchange arguments and counterarguments in a bid for victory, where only one of them may come out the winner.

The sumptuous productions values must also be noted as they play a crucial part in the film's overall success. Both the cinematography and the music is some the best I've seen in a period-piece such as this one. As I've just said, a truly fantastic achievement by all involved parties. Go and see for yourselves!! You won't be disappointed! I'll guarantee You that!