Man For All Seasons (1966)

"Splendidly acted by Paul Scofield and Robert Shaw...  Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.com
"Fiercely intelligent, deeply affecting, resonant with verbal beauty and grace.  Steven D. Greydanus, Decent Films Guide
"This absorbing film features inventive camerawork and superior production values.  TV Guide

Editor's Note Fred Zinneman directs this excellent biographical drama about the conflicts faced by Sir Thomas More (Paul Scofield) when King Henry VIII asks him to break with the Pope and grant him a divorce. Based on Robert Bolt's stage play, A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS is a powerful, cerebral story, supported by an excellent cast and characterization. Vanessa Redgrave would later participate in a well-received made-for-television remake in 1988. This biographical drama earned eight Academy Award nominations and six wins, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Paul Scofield), and Best (Adapted) Screenplay.

	John Hurt
	Nigel Davenport
	Orson Welles
	Paul Scofield
	Robert Shaw
	Susannah York
	Vanessa Redgrave
	Wendy Hiller
	Fred Zinnemann - Director
	Fred Zinnemann - Producer
	Georges Delerue - Original Music By
	Ralph Kemplen - Editor
	Robert Bolt - Writer
	Ted Moore - Cinematographer
	Terence Marsh - Art Director
	William N. Graf - Executive Producer

When Henry VIII's first wife, Catherine of Aragon, is unable to produce an heir to the throne, he uses that as a pretext for the pope to grant him a divorce, so he can marry his newest conquest, Anne Boleyn.

The King is backed by everyone on this request except the highly regarded and religious Sir Thomas More. When Cardinal Wolsey, Chancellor of England, names More as his successor, it becomes important for Henry to get More's support, but More cannot be swayed.

Henry demands the clergy to renounce the Pope and to name him Head of the Church of England. Oliver Cromwell frames More, forcing him to resign as Chancellor. Eventually More is brought to trial, found guilty of treason, and beheaded.

Premiere
"[Welles is] quite vivid in this Oscar-winning version of Robert Bolt's play..." 05/01/2006 p.99

Ultimate DVD
5 stars out of 5 -- "Chock full of notable British actors, this is an absorbing and compelling piece of writing and acting..." 05/01/2007 p.124

At-A-Glance Film Reviews 10 of 10
A Man For All Seasons is a wonderfully well-written story. Ostensibly it is about the reformation of the church in England during the time of King Henry VIII. Really, it's about the struggle of a man to hold by his principles in increasingly adverse times...this same story occurs time and again throughout history, throughout the world. The faces, the societies, and the principles under contention all change, but even the least principled of us all comes upon moments when we are faced with the decision to stand by unpopular beliefs or succumb to the threat of adversity. A Man For All Seasons tells this story -- hopefully a more extreme version of it than most of us will ever have to face -- with remarkable eloquence, insight, and stellar performances.

The Flick Filosopher 7 of 10
A Man for All Seasons is a handsome production. In other words, it is staid, stern, plodding, and precise, with about as much passion as your 11th-grade history textbook...The film looks great, and the performances are fine, including Leo McKern as a kind of grand inquisitor and John Hurt as his toady, and Orson Welles as the oily Cardinal Wolsey. But somehow the movie never gelled for me. Much of the plot revolves around debates about the intricacies of church law and secular law, which are hard to make interesting...A Man for All Seasons is preaching to the choir -- if you're in the choir, you may find it a lot more enjoyable that I did. - MaryAnn Johanson