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178 of 186 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
But For Wales?, March 18, 2004
One of the finest films of all time, directed by Fred ( High Noon, From Here to Eternity ) Zinnemann. Among the ensemble of players are Wendy Hiller, Orson Welles, Susanna York, Robert Shaw, Leo Mc Kern and--in one of his earliest roles--a young John Hurt. Truly a cast for all seasons! It's an acting lesson, headed by the great Paul Scofield who not only captures the essence of Sir Thomas Moore, but who does so with superb economy of motion; he hardly makes a gesture thoughout the entire film--- Duse would have loved it. How does he do it? Well, as I said, it's an acting lesson. Suffice it to say he rightly deserved winning the Oscar. Robert Bolt's brilliant play is a study of contrasts with a mystery at the heart of the theme: Was Moore a Saint who is now in Heaven with The Blessed, or was he a fool who could have died in his bed at a ripe old age after a lifetime of domestic felicity and the highest honors his country could bestow upon him? If there is no God, or if you believe that the conflict between The Anglican and Catholic Churches to be of no paramount importance, is your integrity still worth losing your head on the chopping block? Hmm. . . Magnificent in every respect.
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122 of 126 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
While the real More was more complex - this is a GREAT movie, July 23, 2003
I have loved this movie since I saw it in its original release too many years ago. Certainly, Sir Thomas More was a magnificent person who died a martyr and has been canonized a saint. However, don't confuse the play and movie with the flesh and blood man. He was much more complex in real life than the purely noble performance of Paul Scofield. You can read the biography of Thomas More by Peter Ackroyd to get at some of his complexities. But this is a wonderful movie and I recommend it with great enthusiasm. It is a powerful movie and can have some useful at least temporary curative effect on the soul suffering under the ironical detachment and cynicism of our time. Scofield is wonderful and the definitive performance of this role. Orson Welles is quite special as the corpulent and corrupt Cardinal Wolsey. John Hurt is superb as the traitor Richard Rich. Shaw is fine as Henry VIII as is the rest of the cast. And who can forget the line where More asks to see chain of office that Richard Rich was given to perjure himself and betray More. After examining it and being told that Sir Richard was made the Attorney General of Wales More says, "Richard, it profits a man nothing to trade his soul for the whole world, but for Wales ..." Wonderful stuff. The disk offers the wide screen theatrical release and a full screen version for those who like to see less of the picture in order to avoid the upper and lower "bars". There is also the original trailer. There are no other features on the disk beyond scene selection. This disk belongs in every collection and should be reviewed regularly as an healthful tonic to help remedy the bilious nihilism of our age.
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132 of 139 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thomas More -- one of the greatest men in history!, April 21, 2005
I ordered this DVD after reading James Monti's "The King's Good Servant but God's First" (an excellent biography of Thomas More) and becoming an utter fan of the scholar and saint (I've even got a framed copy of Holbein's famous portrait of More). Not knowing what to expect, I was floored, and still am, by the genius of this film (which very closely follows Robert Bolt's outstanding play, "A Man for All Seasons" -- also available on Amazon).
I've seen the DVD over 200 times and can probably follow it word for word.
Other than Paul Scoffield's absolutely BRILLIANT performance, the other performance which shines through is that of a young, handsome John Hurt playing Richard Rich. [You might recognize Hurt as the magical wands-shopkeeper in the Harry Potter film series.]
Some of the greatest lines/scenes in this incredibly intelligent, clever film:
Richard Rich: "I'm not depressed. I'm lamenting. I've lost my innocence!" (nervously joking)
Cromwell: (snaps) "Some time ago. You only just noticed?"
As an another reviewer pointed out, More's greatest line in the film: "Why Richard, it profits a man nothing to lose his soul for the whole world... but for Wales??"
The movie is even better than the play itself, as the film refines certain elements (i.e., omits Chapuys's character, streamlines the relationship with Rich). However, the film only made VERY minor changes to the play -- since the play is quite brilliant and in no need of change -- so fans of the play will be surprised and pleased at how little the lines were changed.
I can't recommend this movie enough. Other than "The Passion of the Christ", it's my favorite film.
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