Review of A Man for All Seasons (1966) by Jason D — 28 May 2012

Knowing what I know about Thomas More's life, I thought this film would be much more exciting. He wrote Utopia, he dealt with Henry VIII, he dealt with the church, he had an interesting personal life to say the least.

But basically this movie consists of a few philosophical discussions amid a bland character study that is basically nothing but period pieces and hip-for-the-time direction wrapped in a largely pointless and very inactive plot.

Good acting though. Guess that's what you get when you make a movie about Thomas More that is somehow rated G. Trust me, if I wrote a Thomas More movie (which I may well do), it would definitely be an R.

Some may be put off by the film's ethical message of obeying the law and canon even if you think it is unjust (something, interestingly, that Luther the Protestant opined late in his career to the delight of satirists).

But I guess some people would call him saintly for doggedly following church law over the tyranny of the king. Then there is the whole thing where they ignore how he burned six people at the stake for printing the Bible in English, which would put a whole 'nother arc of intrigue into this thing.

I thought critics hated talky historical dramas that are all about the underlying message, especially if they gloss over the unpleasing details. But they love this one for some reason. Maybe it is the times.

Or a difference between critics (who are ungodly banal these days) and the Academy. Luckily I am fine for boring, talky historical dramas, so I give it 3.5 stars despite describing it negatively.