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 Sir Thomas More enters the room to first answer charges before Secretary Cromwell, a chandelier with electric lights is visible in the background.

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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 Schlock! The Secret History of American Movies (2001)

User Reviews

A top 10 film

Beautifully written and scripted by Robert Bolt, beautifully acted by Paul Scofield and others, beautifully costumed to match the age and filmed in beautiful surroundings. This movie deserves all the accolades it received in the year it was made. But beyond that, it will last as one of filmdom's finest for the ethical and moral issues it raises.

We are raised as children to understand there are three things for which we should be prepared to sacrifice our lives: Family, Nation and Religious Belief. What we are NOT told is: When weighed against each other, which takes precedence? This movie examines precisely that issue.

King Henry VIII pleads with Thomas More to grant the annulment of his marriage because his wife is barren. If it is not granted, and there is no heir, Henry fears civil war upon his death with tens or hundreds of thousands of deaths. An appeal to patriotism.

When More refuses he is sentenced to death, but given a final opportunity to sign the annulment and be granted a remission. His wife (Catholic priests could marry at that time) visits him in prison and pleads that he sign, fearing that her life and the life of her daughter will also become forfeit upon More's death. An appeal to save the life of his family.

More's decision was to give his life for his religious convictions. One comes out of the movie with much to digest as to which of the 3 choices each of us would make in similar circumstances.