FRED Zinnemann made some fine films in his time – High Noon (1951) and From Here To Eternity (1953) for a start – but A Man For All Seasons might just be his greatest.
Originally released in luxurious Technicolor in 1966 and now unveiled on Blu-ray as part of Eureka’s excellent Masters Of Cinema series, it is historical drama writ large on the silver screen in all its lavish splendour. On the surface, the film traces the familiar tale of Henry VIII and his infamous domestic issues, but really it’s the story of Sir Thomas More, the chancellor who served the king through troubled times.
As big and multi-layered a tale of court intrigue and political playmaking that it’s possible to imagine, unfolding over two slowly moving hours, it’s peopled with an impressive cast of heavyweight acting talent and blessed with the kind of sumptuous cinematography you could lose yourself for a week in.
It cleaned up at the Academy Awards in 1967, claiming six Oscars (including Best Picture, Director and Actor) – watching it gently unspool its opulent beauty on the small screen today, it’s easy to see why.
Penned for the cinema, from his own stage play, by Robert Bolt (Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago) the film opens with More (Paul Scofield) being called to Hampton Court for a meeting with Cardinal Wolsey (Orson Welles).
It seems King Henry VIII (Robert Shaw) wants to divorce his first wife Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn (Vanessa Redgrave). Trouble is, the Pope has refused his request and now More, a devout Catholic, must attempt to balance his loyalty to the crown and his troublesome conscience. More chooses not to give his approval and stays silent instead, sparking off all kinds of trauma within the corridors of power where the likes of Thomas Cromwell (Leo McKern) and Richard Rich (John Hurt) are gunning for his head.
For history buffs the story is a well worn one and Bolt doesn’t stray too far from the truth in his retelling of it, but the performances lift A Man For All Seasons into a filmic league of its own. Scofield, a stage favourite rarely seen in movies, is sublime, playing up the moral torment and complexity of the chancellor caught in a web of palace intrigue with dignity and grace.
Even the small roles are filled out beautifully, with Orson Welles standing out as Cardinal Wolsey. A minor part in some ways, Welles imbues it with gravitas; his light may have dimmed somewhat by 1966 but he wasn’t above giving the kind of actorly performance that almost steals the show.
Made in Britain, with the American money of Columbia Pictures, this is historical drama the way it used to be, all plush vistas, moody verbal stand-offs in decadent courtyards and old-school acting masterclasses.
This Masters of Cinema reissue offers interesting extras including mini docs on director Zinnemann and the real life Thomas More and a glorious print transfer that shows off the camerawork of Ted Moore to its best effect.
