The first time I saw 'A Man for All Seasons' I was a young man living in Melbourne (I had emigrated from the U.S.)almost 40 years ago. From the dramatic musical score that opened the story, and red tip of boat's white oar dipping into the water, to the first sight of Paul Scofield's earnest, troubled countenance I would be mesmerized for the following two hours. When I entered the theater (the film had already been a mega-hit in London) I didn't know what to expect, but the theater's reserved seat policy indicated it would be a very special movie.
And it was. Indeed, seeing 'A Man for All Seasons' was an extraordinary experience for me. When I walked out of the theater I felt a change in my consciousness; Paul Scofield's performance was so brilliant he appeared to transcend acting, i.e., watching him play Saint Thomas More (or, Sir Thomas,if you prefer)was somehow like seeing More himself and his whole world get get caught up in a time-warp and play out their fates on the screen four centuries after their time on the planet.
Wordsworth said that all of literature tries to answer the same question: "How should a man live?" When I left that theater in Australia almost four decades ago, that movie, 'A Man for All Seasons,' made such an impression on my thinking I learned how to TRY to live, and I've tried to carry on as such ever since: as close to the values espoused by Thomas More as possible.
And it was. Indeed, seeing 'A Man for All Seasons' was an extraordinary experience for me. When I walked out of the theater I felt a change in my consciousness; Paul Scofield's performance was so brilliant he appeared to transcend acting, i.e., watching him play Saint Thomas More (or, Sir Thomas,if you prefer)was somehow like seeing More himself and his whole world get get caught up in a time-warp and play out their fates on the screen four centuries after their time on the planet.
Wordsworth said that all of literature tries to answer the same question: "How should a man live?" When I left that theater in Australia almost four decades ago, that movie, 'A Man for All Seasons,' made such an impression on my thinking I learned how to TRY to live, and I've tried to carry on as such ever since: as close to the values espoused by Thomas More as possible.