2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect, September 16, 2009
This review is from: Anne of the Thousand Days ( Anne of a Thousand Days ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2.4 Import - United Kingdom ] (DVD)
As a serious Tudor historian, I'm normally scornful of all historical dramas, pedantic about their inaccuracy. But this beautiful creation manages to be true to the drama and passion of the characters involved, while also clearly portraying the greater ideological and cultural conflicts at stake. Sure, not every detail is accurate, but it's a wonderful, gut-wrenchingly tragic movie. A classic. Everyone should watch it.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a fascinating movie, January 19, 2009
This review is from: Anne of the Thousand Days ( Anne of a Thousand Days ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2.4 Import - United Kingdom ] (DVD)
It's a wonderful movie and close to true history in comparison to "the other boleyn girl", "elisabeth" and "elisabeth: the golden age".
The film was partly shoot on original location's such as: Hever Castle in Kent.
The English language is easy to follow because it's pretty spoken.
The actors are great and convincing in their roles.
All in all a movie that should be seen thanks alone to Richard Burton ans Henry VIII and Genevieve Bujold as Anne Boleyn.
I can highly recommend this movie. Really a "must".
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"And of those thousand, one when we were both in love.", May 15, 2009
This review is from: Anne of the Thousand Days ( Anne of a Thousand Days ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2.4 Import - United Kingdom ] (DVD)
When King Henry VII (Richard Burton) spies the luscious Anne Boleyn (Genevieve Bujold) at court, he wants her. He wants to make her his Queen, and he wants to discard his current wife, Katherine of Aragon (Irene Pappas), who has failed to produce a male heir. So sets into motion the main plot of "Anne of the Thousand Days," which encompasses some of the most fascinating of British history.
"Anne of the Thousand Days" has a reputation for being a bit "fluffy" when compared to some of the other costume dramas of the mid to late late 60s, such as "A Man for All Season," "Becket," and "The Lion in Winter." Indeed, the film simply cannot stand up to those classics and has been criticized for some inaccuracies. Instead, "Anne" plays better as high-class soap opera; based on these merits, the film is surprisingly good. Richard Burton is adequate as Henry, although he plays the King as more cultured than have most other actors. He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor - one of 10 nominations for the film (it won only for Costume Design); it was Burton's sixth unsuccessful Oscar nomination. I do admire that he, for the most part, avoided hamminess.
Whereas Burton is merely good, Bujold excels. Her performance is so fully rounded; she manages to make Anne seem young, naive, and flirty in the beginning, and then she gradually brings forth the anger and despair of her later life. That she does so without ever overplaying scenes is the power of her performance. She was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress, losing to Maggie Smith for "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie." Bujold apparently was a somewhat difficult person with which to work, and she never managed to return to these heights again, despite some occasionally interesting roles such as "Coma" (1978) and "Choose Me" (1984).
The script was based on the hit Broadway play from 1948. Apparently, the themes of the play (e.g., the Queen's alleged incest) were too controversial at the time to be portrayed cinematically. The script has some solid dialogue, especially Anne's soliloquy in the Tower of London and a scene when Anne shrewdly sets up the downfall of Cardinal Wolsey (Academy Award nominated Anthony Quayle). The movie also shows the dramatic court intrigues that make this part of history so fascinating. Characters quickly fall into and out of the King's favor and experience the requisite rewards and punishments accordingly. The danger and precariousness of their positions are apparent. The result is sometimes a bit melodramatic but entertaining. If entertainment is all you're seeking in a costume drama, then "Anne of the Thousand Days" will probably fit that bill quite nicely.
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