Review of A Man for All Seasons (1966) by Everett J — 06 Mar 2008

[i]A Man For All Seasons.

[/i]dir. Fred Zinneman.

This film examines the life and death of one of England's most loyal subjects, Sir Thomas More (Paul Scofield) during the reign of King Henry VIII. More is presented as a thoroughly scrupulous and morally upright individual who cannot be persuaded to act against his conscience. He is twice subject to edicts which he doesn't believe in and by not signing one or swearing an oath to the other, he signs his death warrant and ultimately loses his head in a lovely pastoral scene with chirping birds announcing the forthcoming execution.

More became Chancellor and subsequently refused to sign a letter addressed to the Pope designed to get him to annul the King's Marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Then he refused to take an oath of Supremacy saying that the King was the Supreme Head of the English Church. For the latter he resigned his post and ultimately lost his head being charged with High Treason. Scofield is remarkable as More; there is a tenderness about him and a legitimate gentility that comes off in every frame. Orson Welles plays Cardinal Wolsey as a somewhat devious religious figure who attempts to persuade More to change his position on the marriage situation. Welles is delightfully inured with a diabolical energy and a strong presence that is both relaxed and immediate. The scene between him and Scofield is rife with tremendous tension. King Henry the VIII (Robert Shaw) is younger and more virile that in other productions prior to this. He's robust, intense, and decidedly forthright in his treatment of More. He's a belligerent King, tired of the difficulties in getting his marriage annulled and consumed with the energies of the court.

As More's daughter Meg, Susannah York is charming and headstrong. Meg is a scholar and York plays her with obvious intelligence and a knack for seeing through situations to their core properties. Richard Rich (a young John Hurt) is a man desperately in search of a title. More won't give him one so he looks to Henry's Chief Minister Thomas Cromwell (Leo McKern) for support. It is Rich's perjured testimony that ultimately convicts More and the tarnished friendship between these two characters makes up much of the emotional bulk of the film. Hurt is exceedingly focused as Rich. He is a bundle of nervous energy and longs plaintively to find a place to realize his considerable ambitions. As William Roper (the Younger), Corin Redgrave seeks to win the hand of More's daughter Meg but is rebuked by More because he considers William to be a heretic for embracing the Protestant faith. Later William about-faces and proclaims his devotion to the church. More is a staunch Catholic which forbids him to accept the King's proclamation and severance with the Catholic church.

Overall, this is a gorgeous film that captures the myriad energies extant in the court of Henry the VIII. The performances are all quite good and it's certain that this film deserved much of the praise that has been afforded it including the Academy Award for best Picture. Scofield (who also won the best actor Oscar) is quite good in expressing the many moods of his character as he attempts to maneuver his way through various traps designed to upset his progress. It is a film about faith and staying true to one's principles regardless of popular opinion. More is presented as a dutiful man with solid beliefs and a staunch refusal to back down to the formidable pressures attacking him from all sides.