Rent A Man for All Seasons (1966)

3.9 of 5 from 159 ratings
1h 56min
Rent A Man for All Seasons Online DVD & Blu-ray Rental
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Synopsis:
Sir Thomas More (Paul Scofield), England's Roman Catholic Chancellor, is forced into a difficult position when corrupt King Henry VIII (Robert Shaw) demands his approval to divorce his wife and marry his mistress. Torn between his conscience and duty to the crown, Sir Thomas chooses to say nothing, sparking the rage of the king. What unfolds is a battle of wills packed with palace intrigue, political brinkmanship and the fate of man, church and country. In the end, his silence spoke loudest of all.
Actors:
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Directors:
Producers:
Fred Zinnemann
Writers:
Robert Bolt
Others:
John Box, Joan Bridge, Ted Moore, Elizabeth Haffenden
Studio:
Columbia Tristar
Genres:
Classics, Drama
Collections:
A History of British Queens in Film, Acting Up: British Actors at the Oscars, Acting Up: British Actresses at the Oscars, Award Winners, BAFTA Nominations Competition 2024, Cinema Paradiso's 2022 Centenary Club, Getting to Know..., Getting to Know: Sidney James, Getting to Know: Vanessa Redgrave, Oscar Nominations Competition 2024, Oscar's Two-Time Club, Oscars: Winners & Losers, A Brief History of Film..., Top 10 Best Last Films: World Cinema, Top 10 Best Picture Follow-Ups, Top 100 BFI Films, Top Films
Awards:

1968 BAFTA Best Screen Play

1968 BAFTA Best Actor

1968 BAFTA Best Film

1968 BAFTA Best Production Design

1968 BAFTA Best Cinematography

1968 BAFTA Best Costumes

1968 BAFTA Best British Film

1967 Oscar Best Picture

1967 Oscar Best Director

1967 Oscar Best Actor

1967 Oscar Best Costume Design Color

1967 Oscar Best Adapted Screen Play

1967 Oscar Best Cinematography Color

BBFC:
Release Date:
26/11/2001
Run Time:
116 minutes
Languages:
English Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono, French Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono, German Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono, Italian Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono, Spanish Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono
Subtitles:
Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish
DVD Regions:
Region 2
Formats:
Pal
Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen 1.85:1
Colour:
Colour
Bonus:
  • Original theatrica trailer
BBFC:
Release Date:
20/02/2017
Run Time:
120 minutes
Languages:
English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English LPCM Mono
Subtitles:
English Hard of Hearing
Formats:
Pal
Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen 1.66:1
Colour:
Colour
BLU-RAY Regions:
B
Bonus:
  • The Life of Saint Thomas More, a 2007 Video Piece on the Historical Figure
  • Original Theatrical Trailer
  • Audio Commentary by Film Historians Nick Redman, Julie Kirgo and Lem Dobbs
  • New Video Interview with Film Scholar Neil Sinyard

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Reviews (3) of A Man for All Seasons

Nearly perfect - A Man for All Seasons review by CSF

Spoiler Alert
02/02/2021

I know it focuses on Thomas More but it doest's show enough of Anne Boleyn's thoughts and reaction concerning the attitude of More.

Apart from that everything is great: script, actors, decors... And it doesn's date!

1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.

Political History. - A Man for All Seasons review by Steve

Spoiler Alert
14/10/2023

Handsome and intelligent account of the English Reformation under Henry VIII from the point of view of his Chancellor Thomas More, who became its martyr. This was a huge Oscar winner and not just for its sumptuous production design but for many of the big ones, like best director for Fred Zinnemann, best actor for Paul Scofield as More, and best picture.

And crucially, Robert Bolt for his adaptation of his stage hit. While the early exchanges dawdle, once the legal hostilities erupt between More and Thomas Cromwell (Leo McKern) the scenes crackle with cerebral vitality. Scofield is convincing as the erudite, resolute More, who is presented as a flawless hero. But despite his Academy Award he is eclipsed by the more charismatic support roles.

Robert Shaw plays Henry as a shifty, malevolent toddler. A sociopath. But with enough charm to suggest why he might be indulged as well as feared. Susannah York makes an impression as More's shrewd, educated daughter. And McKern is equal to the star. But credit to Scofield, he is up on screen for the entire running time.

The production makes excellent use of real locations, like More's rural mansion, and especially the River Thames. But for all of its richness of detail, it doesn't stray far from the theatrical source, which draws on contemporary records. The politics is fascinating, but it is a sedate, scholarly film more likely to appeal to those interested in the period.

0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.

Historical Drama With Fantastic Cast - A Man for All Seasons review by GI

Spoiler Alert
19/11/2023

An impeccable cast, a fantastic script based on a celebrated play and a story that invokes the nuances of politics and law as manipulated by power hungry wannabes makes this historical drama a fantastic film that deserves a resurgence. With Robert Shaw as Henry VIII (Oscar nominated), Paul Scofield as Sir Thomas More (Best Actor Oscar), Orson Welles as Cardinal Wolsey, Leo McKern as Thomas Cromwell and other greats such as John Hurt, Vanessa Redgrave, Susannah York and Nigel Davenport this is a cast to die for! This is the story of Sir Thomas More who was Chancellor of England and a devout catholic who refused to take the oath of allegiance to Henry when he renounced Rome and set himself up as the Head of the Church of England in order to secure a divorce and marry Anne Boleyn. But More cleverly stands on his principles without incriminating himself. But a reluctance to go against the King's wishes by the court and betrayed by a liar he is nevertheless condemned. What's remarkable about this film is how it resonates with politics even to this day with the casual use of lies and innuendo, a lack of morality and sycophancy that drives the characters to get what they want. This is a wonderful film and one to really savour time and time again, it thoroughly deserved it's 6 Oscars, 7 BAFTAs and 4 Golden Globes. If you missed it then I urge you to seek it out.

0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.

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