The Lion in Winter (1968)

1183 A.D.: King Henry II's three sons all want to inherit the throne, but he won't commit to a choice. They and his wife variously plot to force him.

Director:

Anthony Harvey

Writers:

James Goldman (screenplay), James Goldman (play)

Stars:

Peter O'Toole, Katharine Hepburn, Anthony Hopkins

Won 3 Oscars. Another 12 wins & 18 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter O'Toole	...	Henry II
Katharine Hepburn	...	Eleanor of Aquitaine
Anthony Hopkins	...	Richard
John Castle	...	Geoffrey
Nigel Terry	...	John
Timothy Dalton	...	Philip II
Jane Merrow	...	Alais
Nigel Stock	...	William Marshal
Kenneth Ives	...	Queen Eleanor's Guard
O.Z. Whitehead	...	Bishop of Durham
Fran Stafford	...	Lady in Waiting
Ella More	...	Lady in Waiting
Kenneth Griffith	...	Strolling Player
Henry Woolf	...	Strolling Player
Karol Hagar	...	Strolling Player

Storyline

It's Christmas 1183, and King Henry II (Peter O'Toole) is planning to announce his successor to the throne. The jockeying for the crown, though, is complex. Henry has three sons and wants his boy Prince John (Nigel Terry) to take over. Henry's wife, Queen Eleanor (Katharine Hepburn), has other ideas. She believes their son Prince Richard (Sir Anthony Hopkins) should be King. As the family and various schemers gather for the holiday, each tries to make the indecisive King choose his or her option.

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Plot Keywords:

king henry ii | extramarital affair | british royal family | royalty | husband wife relationship | 

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Taglines:

"The Lion in Winter" is about love and hate between a man and a woman and their sons. It's also about politics, vengeance, greed and ambition. It other words it's about life.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 October 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Lion in Winter

Filming Locations:

Abbaye de Montmajour, Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône, France

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,339, 16 December 2016

Gross USA:

$22,276,975

Company Credits

Production Co:

Haworth Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

134 min 137 min (70 mm)

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Mono (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor) (uncredited)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Katharine Hepburn would occasionally berate Peter O'Toole and Sir Anthony Hopkins for turning up drunk or hungover on the set.

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Goofs

When Eleanor lights a torch and steps down the stairs followed by a guard, the torch shadow projects on the guard and, after, on the wall on the left. It is supposed to be the only light came from the torch.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Henry II: Come for me!

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Alternate Versions

The roadshow release included an overture and entr'acte, and had an intermission, but the general release version did not.

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Connections

Featured in Precious Images (1986)

User Reviews

Possibly the best dialogue ever written for a film... ever.

I love this film. I love this film. I am not sure that I can say that phrase enough when describing this movie. Lion in Winter is quite simply one of the strangest and most beautiful movies that I have ever seen. It is some wierd amalgam of a 'home for the hollidays' type family drama, and Machiavellian political intrigue.

The essential plot is that it is 1183 and Henry II must declare his successor to the Plantagenet throne. He invites his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine (played by Katherine Hepburn), who is in exile, and his sons to along with king of France, to Christmas dinner. Over the course of the evening truths are told and arguments are had, the film rolls over all of the conventions of the many genres that it plays with and turns them into something new and beautiful.

The film could have been written by Machiavelli himself, and often smacks of the Mandragola. The film demonstrates family disfunction within a very interesting, medieval paradigm. While the film is about issues such as family, loyalty and love, ultimately is most gratifying as a vehicle for O'Toole and Hepburn to chew the scenery and dig into a few truly juicy roles.

It is fantastic film that any lover of dialogue driven drama-comedy should rent and watch over and over again.