Rent Anne of the Thousand Days (1969)

Authentic - Anne of the Thousand Days review by CSF

When actors are that good, the film won't date. I read a lot about Henry VIII and Richard Burton IS Henry VIII. Of course I can say the same about Genevieve Bujold. Not to be missed.

Well worth seeing again - Anne of the Thousand Days review by CW

I saw Anne of the Thousand Days when it came out many years ago. Seeing it again I was just as impressed, maybe even more so, with the entire production. The casting, acting, screenplay, sets, direction all excellent. I highly recommend this movie, the slice of history.

Political Romance. - Anne of the Thousand Days review by Steve

Long, evocative adaptation of a play from 1948 by Maxwell Anderson about the constitutional storm caused by the relationship between Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. There's an acting head to head between Richard Burton and Geneviève Bujold who were among ten Oscar nominations. The one win for costume design was well deserved.

The script is pretty strong stuff, so perhaps changes in censorship were necessary before it could reach the big screen. And though it is sometimes a bit fanciful, this is a provocative interpretation. It is a tragedy; Anne is destroyed by her own hubris. But the king is so crazy that there is no escaping his capricious, intractable cruelty.

This Henry is a full on monomaniacal psychopath, and the representation of the monarchy is of a terrifying dystopia. And it excels as a vivid historical spectacle, in Panavision and stunning Technicolor. The sets and locations are outstanding, and complemented by the period score of fanfares and ballads.

Despite the Oscar activity, it sold few tickets. There were many blockbusters about the English throne in the late sixties. Maybe this was the one too many. But it is the most handsome of all and Burton and Bujold give the roles a credible vitality. There will be too much melodrama and too little politics for experts, but it's still fine entertainment.