Fred Zinnemann (High Noon) directs this fine adaptation of the play by Robert Bolt (Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago), who also penned the script. The plot follows the conflict between Sir Thomas More and Henry VIII over the king's marriage to Anne Boleyn which led to the English Reformation.
Paul Scofield elevates the movie with one of the great performances of the Sixties, playing More with dignity, intelligence, humour and vulnerability. To appreciate how great Scofield is, compare him to Charlton Heston as More in the 1988 version. While Heston's performance isn't bad (just like the remake), it lacks the nuance and subtlety of Scofield's.
Also featuring Robert Shaw as Henry VIII, Leo McKern as Cromwell, Nigel Davenport as the Duke of Norfolk, a young John Hurt (in his first major role) as a social climber and a memorable cameo by Orson Welles as bitter, bleary-eyed Cardinal Wolsey.
8/10
Paul Scofield elevates the movie with one of the great performances of the Sixties, playing More with dignity, intelligence, humour and vulnerability. To appreciate how great Scofield is, compare him to Charlton Heston as More in the 1988 version. While Heston's performance isn't bad (just like the remake), it lacks the nuance and subtlety of Scofield's.
Also featuring Robert Shaw as Henry VIII, Leo McKern as Cromwell, Nigel Davenport as the Duke of Norfolk, a young John Hurt (in his first major role) as a social climber and a memorable cameo by Orson Welles as bitter, bleary-eyed Cardinal Wolsey.
8/10