Customer Reviews

Anne of The Thousand Days [VHS]

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This award winning production is a masterpeice. The cinematography is beautiful, the costumes are lush and magnificent, and the acting is superlative. Richard Burton, in the role of King Henry VIII, is superb, as his velvet voice mesmerizes the viewer. Genevieve Bujold, wonderful in the title role of the notorious Anne Boleyn, plays her part intelligently and with great presence. Irene Papas plays the role of the wronged Queen, Katherine of Aragon, with suitable pathos. Anthony Quayle is wonderful in the role of Cardinal Wolsey, prelate of the church and chancellor of England, who eventually was brought low by Anne Boleyn. John Colicos does a remarkable job with the role of the ambitious Cromwell, who, regretably, would stop at nothing, even torture and murder, to see that his King got what he wanted.

While not historically accurate, it is still a sublime historical drama. It centers around Anne Boleyn's rise to prominence and her ultimate demise at the executioner's sword. While at court one day, she catches the King's eye. She, however, is in love with a courtier whom she is to marry. The King, besotted by her, refuses to grant her permission to marry, and her courtier is forced to marry another. The King pursues Anne, while still married to the aging Katherine. Anne refuses to give in and become his lover, knowing that once she does, she will be yesterday's news. Holding Cardinal Wolsey responsible for the loss of all her hopes and dreams, she plays him like a fiddle, eventually bringing about his downfall. With Cromwell on the ascendancy, however, little does Anne know her troubles are just beginning.

Angry at the turn her life has taken, Anne becomes a doyenne of intrigue and, as with Wolsey, also plays the King like a fiddle, setting into motion the events that would bring about the great Reformation, which would transform England from a Catholic country into a Protestant one. While she finally succeeds in marrying the King, she fails to produce the son that Henry VIII so desires, though the fault is Henry's and not hers, as we now know that it is the male who determines the sex of a child. The terms of Anne's reign would cost her dearly and her legacy would be a bloody one. What had started out with high hopes would end tragically for her and set a precedent that would make all future wives fearful of coming to the same end. Ironically, Henry would never know that his child with Anne would become the greatest monarch that England has ever known, Elizabeth I.

This Is a film that all lovers of period pieces and historical dramas will enjoy. It is simply a great movie.

The woman that would become the mother of the greatest English monarch, Elizabeth I, is explored throughout this film. She was also the second queen of Henry VIII and the catalyst of the English Reformation. Inasmuch as Bujold gave a riveting performance as the stubborn, ambitious, and doomed Anne Boleyn, there were many historical inaccuracies. For historical purists like myself, this movie may be disappointing, but if you don't care, I highly recommend it. It is also visual candy for those that delight in costume drama.

This movie can be broken down into three sections, which in one poignant scene, Anne describes as the "thousand days".

The first section: Anne beguiles the most powerful man in England, Henry VIII, who has an almost torrid lust for her and must have her at all costs, including his immortal soul. I'll grant that historical accuracy. He breaks from the Catholic Church so he can divorce his first wife, Katharine of Aragon, to marry Anne. He strips those of power and office that cannot provide the consequences he so desires (the divorce). He also executes several opposers to the divorce, including the highly respected and beloved Sir Thomas More.

Second section: He beds Anne, marries her, and she becomes pregnant.

Third section: Anne delivers an unwanted female child who, in a sad irony, would become the future Queen Elizabeth I. Henry quickly tires of Anne, and after she delivers a stillborn son, her fate is sealed.

Bujold and Burton give superb acting performances and I was particularly moved at a sequence where the doomed and jailed Anne confronts her husband. In this sequence, she exclaims to him that "her" Elizabeth will be a "great queen" regardless of his aspirations for a son. The execution and the last sequence are quite moving. It is remarkable that not more movies were made about this fascinating woman, who though died in disgrace, left a great legacy behind. The legacy of Queen Elizabeth I.

With the recent death of John Colicos, who portrayed Thomas Cromwell in the film, I had to add my voice to others who praise this movie. "Anne of the Thousand Days" makes for one tour de force of outstanding performances. Stars Richard Burton and Genevieve Bujold exhibit the craft of acting at its most flawless as Henry VII and his ill-fated seond wife Anne Boleyn. The initial sexual attraction and subsequent verbal "duels" between the two characters are mesmerizing and delivered with force and passion. Both deservedly were given Oscar nominations.

But, it is Colicos who walks off with the acting chops as the manipulative Cromwell. Every time he is on screen, one can see a truly despicable historical presence. Whether the interpretation is accurate or not does not take away from Colicos's performance. It is the stuff that should have garnered an Academy Awards nomination.

Unfortunately, in this case, it did not! Why Anthony Quayle received one for his work is beyond me!

That complaint aside, I wholeheartedly recommend this splendid film.

History buffs, lovers of Tudor England, and historical dramas in general could not help but be impressed by this magnificent production that is rich in detail, characterisation, historical research and perfect contemporary backdrops. I know it has always been an absolute favourite of mine among all the fine historical films produced in the late 1960's and early 1970's.

"Anne Of The Thousand Days" despite a few strayings from the historical truths, at times is a painstakingly researched production that tries to always be as accurate as possible in its retelling of the tragic rise and fall of the fascinating Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII. Tudor England was a time of great beauty, savagery, religious upheaval and pagentry and this is all captured beautifully in this film. Indeed "Anne Of The Thousand Days" is a visual and indeed intellectual feast for the eyes and the brain. Towering above the whole massive production here is Genevieve Bujold in the role of a life time as Anne Boleyn. Never has she been so perfectly cast as here. During the course of the film she develops from the simple girl just arrived back in England from her time at the stylish French court, who catches the eye of the England's august and rather frightening monarch, to that of being England's Queen who must live by her own wits alone if she is to survive in such unsure times. It is a stunning performance filled with equal amounts of fire, passion, sorrow, wit and spirit. The character of Anne is well researched here and Bujold rightly won an Academy Award Nomination for her performance here. Richard Burton had his last real stand out role as Henry VIII in this production. Many famous actors have portrayed Henry on stage and screen and Keith Michell's superb portrayal of the king was still ahead in the future when this film was made. Burton is wonderfully believable as Henry and fits the part like a glove with equal parts, majestic presence, selfishness, cruelty and great passion, just how this most famous of monarch's is envisioned. Burton also received an Academy Award Nomination for his colourful and beautifully balanced performance and his Henry has rightly joined the few who are deservedly remembered for their portrayals, Charles Laughton and Keith Michell in particular.

"Anne Of The Thousand Days' is rich in wonderful performances from Michael Hordern and Katherine Blake as Thomas and Elizabeth Boleyn, Anne's parents to Anthony Quayle in a superb performance of world weary splendour as the infamous Cardinal Wolsey. William Squire as Thomas More and Joseph O'Conor as Archbishop Fisher, two men bound up in all the tragic tumult of Henry's Reformation and who were sacrificed for Anne's sake also excel. Irene Papas portrays Henry's first wife Catherine of Aragon and while her very dark appearance perhaps fails to match the Red/Gold hair and pale complexion of the real Catherine, she is very impressive in her brief scenes as Henry's cast off wife who fought him all the way by refusing to grant him the divorce he eagerly sought thus bringing on the English Reformation. In a small but standout role Valerie Gearon plays Mary Boleyn, Anne's older sister and former mistress of Henry. While their relationship was historical fact in the film she is portrayed carrying Henry's child. That fictional development aside her's is a wonderful performance filled with the anger and uselessness felt by many women in the man's world of Tudor England.

The film is full of wonderful moments. Two standouts are Anne's triumphal procession through London where she is greeted by the jeers and insults of an outraged population who thought of her as a whore and her final speech to Henry in the Tower (fictional but carried of with finesse) prior to her execution where she gives nothing away to him and declares that "her blood will be well spent" and predicts that "her daughter (Elizabeth) will become a greater Queen than England has ever known. Stirring stuff and Genevieve Bujold makes the most of such a juicy part. The period flavour is caught beautifully and for all its brutality the Tudor period was sumptous in costumes, interior decoration, garden design etc. These are all faithfully reproduced in "Anne Of The Thousand Days" to maximum effect and the film is a gorgeous feast for the eyes.

For any student of Tudor history this film is a must see. I love it for its sterling attempt within the confines of popular entertainment to tell the story as it was. Production values are top notch and one feels the spirit of that young Boleyn girl who unwillingly found herself thrust into the historical spotlight, and who became a woman in the process, in each frame of Bujold's performance.

Anne Boleyn, her predecessor, and the 4 who came after her as Henry VIIIs wives (three Catherines, two Annes, and a Jane) make for terrific drama, history, literature. Getting a dose of this Tudor lineage via a good movie makes the medicine go down easily. Anne B. was the first of his wives to die by beheading, and the role as played by Genevieve Bujold is well done in this rendition. That Boleyn was a woman before her times in terms of intelligence and wit makes her ultimate downfall all the more poignant. Her sin? She gave birth to a daughter (who would become Elizabeth I) instead of a son. Richard Burton, cast as the mercurial, mad, and ruthless Henry VIII, is masterful. Costuming and setting are spectacular.
Terrific theater!

When I walked into the theatre to see
'Thousand days' my attitude was, 'Ho Hum..another costume drama.'
But I was awe struck as the scenes unfolded.
Bujold stood toe to toe with Burton and gave as good as she got. What an injustice it was that she did not receive an oscar as best actress. Her performance was, at times, heart rendering and other times thrilling.
She was without flaw and totally believable. Burton was at his firey best..explosive....demanding and getting full attention.
One of the best movies of all times and as fresh today as the day it was released in 1969.
How sad that it has not been released on DVD format.

I first saw Anne of the Thousand days at the cinema as a child. Despite having seen the movie countless times since on a well worn video, it amazes me how this engaging drama with superlative performances, especially Genevieve Bujold as Anne, still captivates and keeps the viewer hooked, even though you may be familiar with its well trodden history. Bujold was a perfect find for the part of the doomed Queen, both in looks and by the fact she is a French-Canadian actress, befittingly appropriate for a Tudor Queen raised in France. Her performance is arresting, with suberb delivery of dialogue that never once feels antiquated or stilted. The film is also thankfully devoid of ludicrous historical inaccuracies, the kind that pepper most historical- action films of today. You only have to watch the abysmal Lady Jane (1985) starring Helen Bonham Carter -as yet another doomed Queen- to see how some producers have turned historical reality into Mills & Boon fiction.
Having written articles on the Boleyn family, I am well aware that Anne was far from naive and not without ambition herself. The script is intelligent enough to suggest that her character was far more complex than simply appearing as a saintly figure, and was if anything just as ruthless in her designs to become Queen, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds. Bujold's fiery performance, depicting a woman both innocent and calculating, gives the film an edge and authenticity that many subsequent historical feature films and TV movies lack. And yes, it was incredible that Bujold was robbed of an Oscar.

Charles Jarrott's movie has a superb cast and is beautifully photographed. It shows an extremely complex period of English history. Like the original play, the screenplay by John Hale and Bridget Boland, from an adaptation by Richard Sokolove, is the story of Henry's courtship of Anne (while he is still married to Katherine of Aragon), his break with Rome when he decides to divorce Katherine to marry Anne, and his final break with Anne when she cannot provide him with a male heir. Richard Burton as Henry and Genevieve Bujold as Anne have a battle of sexes and are a delight to watch. Miss Bujold, the French-Canadian actress, is a constantly delightful surprise as the young girl who first comes to respect Henry for the power she can wield, and then, just about the time he is growing tired of her, to love him. I say she's a surprise only because she has such a perfectly conventional beauty that her intelligence seems an unexpected dividend.

It is sad that neither of them got an oscar despite sterling performances. The screenplay was also wonderful, though a lot of people may not approve of it. Everytime Henry meets Cardinal Wolsey, "How are you, my Vicar of Hell?" When Henry goes letching after Anne, old Wolsey is likely to wink and observe: "Where the dove is, the hawk cannot be far behind." Anthony Quayle does a good job as the cardinal.

Henry, "Anne, why do you taunt me so much."
Anne, "Percy is married, your Grace. "
Henry, "I had nothing to do with it."
Anne, "So, Wolsey is King of England is it?"
This enrages him so much that he drags her aside and says, "I am the King of England."

Bujold had a few successes like Coma after this movie but this was one of her big successes. It is sad that very few people remember her and the oscar went to Maggie Smith. Though I enjoy her acting too, I do not remember that movie as I do this one. It is sad when an actor like Nicholas Cage gets an Oscar and one like Richard Burton gets disregarded so many times. People like Katherine Hepburn got 4 oscars, I frankly do not think that she deserved more than two of them, while people like Peter O'Toole got overlooked seven times. I wrote to Universal and asked them if they had plans to come out with a DVD of this, unfortunately they have nothing in the near future. They asked to keep checking their website. I guess us hopeful ones must keep waiting until they release this on widescreen DVD.

A Sensible statement is worth repeating:

Another viewer stated:

PLEASE, September 2, 2003
Reviewer: A viewer from Dayton, Ohio United States
This is gonna be short and sweet. Loved the movie, it is one of my all time favorites. But would one of the studios please, please put THIS MOVIE ON DVD! I think it is about time. My tape is deteriorating fast and I won't buy it again unless it comes out on DVD. Thank you.

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It's now, May 8, 2004, and I still look for this movie on DVD.

Now, I will add my two cents, and say; please, please, please! Put this movie on DVD! Genevieve Bujold was absolutely robbed of an Oscar for Best Actress in this film. When Ms. Bujold is delivering that final speech, you want to stand up and cheer for her as an outstanding actress. Those of us who love period epics have this one in our library, now we want it the way it ought to be seen, i.e., in widescreen, in all it's spectacular glory with all those wonderful words, costumes, lush settings, and incredible acting by an incredible cast. So what do you say? GIVE IT TO US ON DVD ALREADY! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE. There, now I've begged enough. I feel much better now that I got that off my chest.

I couldn't reccomend a movie more! I saw "Anne of the Thousand Day's for the first time on Bravo and I fell in love. I had to have it! The scenery is beautiful, the acting is excellent and the costumes make me want to jump into the movie and put one of those dresses on. Genevieve Bujold does a great job of being the fiery Anne Boleyn. (One of my favorite women in history.) I think the speech she gives to Henry VIII while she is in the tower (you can see this in the quotes and trivia section) is the part that made me love it the most. You can feel what Anne Boleyn might have felt when she knew she was going to her death. Although the story isn't totally historically accurate (I've probably read every book on the subject and there are a few details that are off) it gives you a good idea of what the the lives of the victims (wives) of Henry VIII were like. If you are interested in the Tudors you will absolutely love "Anne of the Thousand Days"!