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Becket
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Additional DVD options | Edition | Discs | Price | New from | Used from |
Watch Instantly with | Prime Members | Rent | Buy |
Becket | $0.00  | — | — |
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Genre | Drama, Documentary/Biography |
Format | Color, NTSC, Multiple Formats, Dolby, Widescreen, Closed-captioned |
Contributor | David Weston, Lucienne Hill, Jean Anouilh, Richard Burton, Pamela Brown, Donald Wolfit, Edward Anhalt, Peter O'Toole, Peter Glenville, Martita Hunt, John Gielgud, Paolo Stoppa, Gino Cervi, Sin Phillips, Felix Aylmer, Percy Herbert See more |
Language | English, Latin |
Runtime | 2 hours and 28 minutes |
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Product Description
Product Description
Classic struggle between Church and Monarchy. Thomas Becket and King Henry Mantagenet engage in one of the most famous power struggles in English history. When Becket first becomes chancellor and later Archbishop of Canterbury, a rift grows between Henry II and his old friend. Some eager drunken knights trying to please the disgruntled monarch assassinate the cleric in the cathedral. Director Peter Glenville Star Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole, John Gielgud Special Features: Widescreen Format, Commentary.
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The primary bonus feature is a treat: a feature-length commentary by Peter O'Toole, accompanied by a moderator. With only occasional gaps of silence, the still sharp and well-spoken O'Toole recalls the making of the film, how he didn't research the historical King Henry ("The author has made the character; that's his job. My job is to play it."), and his memories of Richard Burton, both personal ("We found that we both enjoyed rugby, we both enjoyed songs, and we both enjoyed drinking, and got along very well.") and professional ("he had an astonishing presence on the stage"). There are also two archival interviews with Burton from 1967 and 1977 (26 minutes total), in which he doesn't discuss Becket, but he does say a lot about his life on stage, he recites some lines, and speaks candidly about his drinking problem.
Don't skip over the interviews with the film's editor Anne Coates and composer Laurence Rosenthal. Coates (7 minutes) has some good stories, and Rosenthal (12 minutes) discusses the influences on his Oscar-nominated score and how he had to teach Gregorian chant to Burton ("He was one of these people whom you really can't teach anything. He had this characteristic that you can only remind him of something he already knows. But he didn't know how to sing Gregorian chant."). In addition to a photo gallery and the four-and-a-half-minute theatrical trailer, MPI's long-delayed DVD looks better than many major-studio classics. --David Horiuchi
Beyond Becket
Other Peter O'Toole Films
Other Richard Burton Films
More King Henrys on DVD
Product details
- Aspect Ratio : 2.35:1
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- MPAA rating : PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
- Product Dimensions : 0.6 x 5.3 x 7.5 inches; 2.4 ounces
- Item model number : 1053
- Director : Peter Glenville
- Media Format : Color, NTSC, Multiple Formats, Dolby, Widescreen, Closed-captioned
- Run time : 2 hours and 28 minutes
- Release date : May 15, 2007
- Actors : Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole, John Gielgud, Gino Cervi, Paolo Stoppa
- Language : English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), Unqualified
- Studio : MPI Home Video
- ASIN : B00007G1WH
- Writers : Edward Anhalt, Jean Anouilh, Lucienne Hill
- Country of Origin : USA
- Number of discs : 1
- Best Sellers Rank: #10,856 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
- #1,625 in Drama DVDs
- Customer Reviews:
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Becket is played admirably by Richard Burton; Henry II is portrayed by Peter O'Toole. Both were nominated for the best actor Oscar, but neither won. In addition to these nominations and the best screenplay award, the film was nominated for nine other Oscars, running the list from costumes, music, directing, best picture, and a best supporting actor nod for John Gielgud, whose cameo as the King of France is rather interestingly presented.
Indeed, the movie has a remarkable realistic feel to it, particularly for a film from the 1960s, when cinema was as likely to portray stylised and idealistic images of the past. The sets are in bare stone with a minimum of ornamentation, as would have been the case in Plantagenet times; likewise, the ceremony around the royal person is much less grand, and the church rather grand, which is both accurate and serves to highlight the underlying conflict of the story in the film.
Becket is portrayed as a man of ambiguous loyalties -- a man of principle who has yet to find principles worthy of loyalty. Finally, in the role of archbishop, he finds a calling from the honour of God (and in so doing is not unlikely many priests who see their path to ordination as the means of spiritual grace; indeed, many are disappointed that the faith does not come with the office). Whether Thomas Becket actually experienced a spiritual conversion that made him a strong champion of the church, or in fact saw the power of the church as a means to an end of dominating the country, we will perhaps never know.
In the film, Becket is often disparaged as being a Saxon; this is perhaps overstated, given his Norman lineage, which is never hinted at in the film. While he does not come from Norman nobility, he is far from being a simple Saxon. Burton's portrayal of Becket shows the change from worldly chancellor to spiritual archbishop in unsubtle terms. Even so, there is an ambiguity that plays out marvelously in both his performance, and the reactions of the other characters who constantly question his sincerity.
O'Toole's performance is not as polished as Burton's; when he plays an older, wiser Henry II in 'The Lion in Winter' four years later, the acting is much more dramatic and effective. It perhaps goes without saying that Pamela Brown does not make the same impression on the screen as Eleanor of Aquitaine as Katherine Hepburn does in the later film, but Eleanor is an incidental character in Becket in any case.
Music in this film is not a prominent feature -- various trumpet and brass flourishes announce events or major scene changes in parts; a lot of chant (long before Gregorian chant achieved popular status) accompanies church scenes -- indeed, I credit this film for giving me my first real taste of Gregorian chant. The scene with Sian Phillips as Becket's love Gwendolyen is accompanied by period string instruments -- again, Phillips is a remarkable actress who is under-utilised in this performance.
Done in a flash-back manner, there is a resolution in the film -- Becket is dead, made a saint, honour is satisfied as the King does penance, and the people are happy. We know what is going to happen, but then, anyone with knowledge of history would likely know the story already. In fact, Henry's reign was rarely without challenge, but he was always powerful, and much more effective after Becket's death than before. Reigning for nearly twenty years after Becket's death, he left a very powerful Western European coalition of lands that soon fell apart, and embroiled England and France in war for centuries later. The tensions between church and state carry forward to this day; while the specifics of the challenges faces Becket and Henry II are very different from issues today, the principle of the relationship between church and state is far from definitively resolved.
Also, the side-line issue of class warfare and racial prejudice (teased out with subtle nuance between the Normans and Saxons, who, ironically, look exactly the same on the screen) are addressed in an interesting, pre-civil rights sort of manner. This issue is never resolved in the film, as indeed it wasn't in the 1960s, either.
This is an intriguing film, with great acting and great production values, and an interesting story that, even if not completely historically accurate, does not alter the history so much that it becomes a parody of the subject.
Richard Burton (Becket) and Peter O'Toole (Henry II, Plantagenet, a role he would reprise four years later in "The Lion in Winter", another masterpiece), deliver a vivid and excruciating portrayal of two close friends to whom life reserves a cruel surprise.
Based on true events and characters of the 13th Century, but translated to the screen from the same play, which in turn, was adapted from "Murder in the Cathedral", this historic portrayal of Feudal England is very imaginative and well done.
The two actors deliver powerful performances and the story, with all its subplots, is solid storytelling of the best kind.
The only thing that kills me, is why, oh why, Paramount, with its wonderful Star Trek franchise and re-release techniques, never came to the idea to re-release this one on DVD as well!!!
Perhaps the eternal fight over rights and who gets what and when, will go on forever. Greed seems to rule the world even when it comes to real masterpieces of art and history.
Producers go insane and studios uptight, not to use another euphemism for it.
Whatever happened to reasonable, creative and talented producers of yesteryear? And what about chasing bankers, lawyers and the kind out of Hollywood and instead bring back guys a la Talberg, Mayer, Selznick and Warner, who had a sense for the business, but also had a creative talent and the interest of the public at heart?
Marlon Brando once said, that no one should be rewarded just for doing his job. How right. How wise.
There are too many awards and rewards out there and too little true talent that deserves them.
But that's the world of business, not that of creative minds.
So, in conclusion, buy the videotape (it's well worth it, although I would wait for the DVD release anyway, otherwise you may spend twice the money) or, if you still own a LD player, try to get hold of the LaserDisc. The image resolution is sharper, although the sound is still a miserable and conventional Mono.
I hope that in some way, whenever, whomever will be so generous as to release a DVD version of it, may also want to clean it up somewhat and perhaps remaster the sound and the picture quality.
I know perfectly well, that some movies were simply produced in Mono. Sometimes to spare money and sometimes, plainly because the director wanted so. But hey, we're living in the 21st Century now, not in the 1960's, so why wouldn't even purists see how far better a stereo sound is?
I mix my own sounds and I can produce a perfect balanced and round stereo sound out of any monaural record I possess. It's no big deal, but some people think it is costly. Wrong!
The only cost is in time, not money. Even a kid could do it...
Becket, as said, is monaural and so are still many recent other DVD releases, from John Wayne Movies to early James Bond flicks and many others still.
I wonder if the studios have become purists, or simply plain lazy. With all the money people pay yearly, to go to the movies, buy DVDs, CD Soundtracks and various memorabilia, it is amazing to me that the studios haven't got the finances to improve their products and instead keep on producing dozens of other, new and rather stupid (see deja vu) movies each year.
Becket may not be a masterpiece like Ben-Hur or Lawrence of Arabia, but it is certainly not as utterly stupid as Dumb and Dumber and absolutely not as boring and wasteful as Pearl Harbor.
But again, hey, who am I to criticize?
I am just a voice in the desert.
A nobody, who buys DVDs instead of going to the movies.
Yet, I am also a stage director and an actor and know when the acting is good and performances are at their peak.
So take it from me. If you have the money to spare, buy the tape, waiting for the DVD to pop up. If not and you can wait so long, buy the DVD the day it appears on the horizon, but if it doesn't, you would have missed some piece of acting here.
You will never regret it...
Top reviews from other countries
Peter O'Toole, dont la prestation remarquable dans Lawrence d'Arabie était encore dans toutes les mémoires, campe ici un Henri II à la psychologie complexe et à l'érotisme trouble face à un Richard Burton inspiré et qui incarne un Becket puissant, face à un inéluctable destin dont ik est à la fois le jouet et le moteur.
Si la production n'a pu bénéficier des budgets qu'elle aurait mérité, l'adaptation anglaise de la pièce de Jean Anouilh n'en conserve pas moins les intelligentes nuances et la puissante analyse des relations de pouvoir.
La numérisation et la restauration de l'image et du son ont assez bien respecté l'original, même si on constate ici et là des corrections un peu maladroites des couleurs et des lumières.
Un monument de la littérature théâtrale française remarquablement porté à l'écran, une oeuvre que je suis heureux d'avoir pu intégrer dans ma cinémathèque idéale.
Wie dem auch sei, Becket, einst sogar ein Freund von Heinrich II, muß sterben.
Der Film beginnt in der Kathedrale, wo sich Heinrich II auspeitschen ließ, die ganze Nacht bei dem Sarkophag des ermordeten Erzbischof beten muß. So will es der Papst, Alexander III. Es sind erst drei Jahre nach dem Mord vergangen (1173), die Popularität des Erzbischofs ist so groß, dass er heilig gesprochen wurde.
Dabei soll es am Anfang alles ganz anders sein. Heinrich II ist ein englischer König aus dem Geschlecht des Plantagenet's. Er regiert auch in den Teilen der Nordfrankreich. Es sind erst 100 Jahre nach normanischer Eroberung Englands vergangen Wilhelm hat man noch gut/schlecht in der Einnerung. Die angelsächsische Gemeinde ist groß, nicht jeder mag den König und seine Gefolgsleute, besonders weil er sich viel im Ausland aufhält, die Sprache nicht versteht.
So soll die Freundschaft des Königs und Thomas Becket auch deswegen bemerktenswert sein, weil Becket angeblich aus dem angelsächsischen Volk stamm. Das ist nie bewiesen worden.
Thomas Becket hatte in der Zeit der Unwissenheit eine sehr gute Schulausbildung genossen. Der Erzbischof Theobald zu Canterbury machte ihn zum Erzdiakon. Irgendwann wurde der König auf den gebildeten Diakon aufmerksam. Es beginnt eine Zusammenarbeit, fast Freundschaft zwischen den beiden. Der König hatte ihn als Lordkanzler ernannt und gab ihm den Siegelring mit den drei Löwen. Somit hatte Becket die zweitgrößte Rolle/Macht in dem Konigreich, sofort nach dem König. Als der alte Erzbischof starb, schien es dem König angemessen und politisch sehr klug, Becket auch als den Erzbischof von Canterbury zu ernennen (mit päpstlicher Führsprache). Nicht ohne Hintergedanken.
Sowohl geschichtlich wie auch im Film ist es teils bewiesen, dass sich diese zwei starken Männer wirlich nahe standen. Becket sollte den König bitten, ihm die Würde des Erzbischof's nicht zu geben. Er sei nicht der richtige Mann dafür, außerdem spürte er, dass die doppelte Rolle sich gegen ihm wenden würde.
1162 wurde er trotzdem zu Primas der englischen Kirche.
Becket, ein Mann, der sowohl die Welt mit ihren Verheißungen und Lästereien kennt, wird in der Rolle des Erzbischofs ein anderer. Aus dem Gewissenskonflikt raus gibt den Siegelring dem König zurück. Er ist somit nur noch der höchstgestellte Geistliche in England.
Der König und die Kirche fochten viele Schlachten, hielten Disputen über die Zuständigkeit der rechtlichen und anderen Fragen. Becket widersetzt sich dem König, als er verlangt, dass die Kirche einen Priester verurteilt. Dieser wurde schon vor den weltlichen Gericht gestellt und getötet. Darauf exomuniziert der Erzbischof den Täter. Es entsteht eine offene Fehde zwischen der Kirche und dem König. Becket hat Freunde, der König aber auch. Ein Gericht kann Becket nicht verurteilen. Darauf flieht er nach Frankreich, er bittet den Papst um Hilfe. Auch König verlangt von der Kirche, dass man Becket verurteilt, was nicht gelingen will...
Man braucht vier Leute um ihn in der Kirche zu töten.
Der Film zeigt eine ungewöhnliche Freundschaft zwischen dem König und dem Priester. Die beiden haben am Beginn viel Freude (weltliche, zugegeben) zusammen. Aber Becket ist immer wieder von den Zweifeln geprägter Mann. Er liebt die Jagd, die Frauen, nutzt die Gunst der Stunde. Er ist mehr wie ein Berater für dem König. Heinrich kennt seine Grenzen, seine lückenhafte Ausbildung gegenüber seinem Freund. Fast wie ein Knabe fragt er ihn, ob er ihn mag, ja, sogar liebe. Becket's Antworten sind ausweichend, zweideutig. In der Einsamkeit spricht er mit dem Gott, mit dem Herr, aber er hört ihn nicht. So ist seine Arbeit mehr der weltlichen Regierung gewidmet.
In den Jahren als Erzbischof bittet er den Herrrn um die Ehre: "Herr, mach mich würdig" wird er sagen, und "die Ehre Gottes geht über die Ehre Königs", als er den Kanzleramt niederlegt. Heinrichs Liebe wird zum Hass, ohmächtig muß er zusehen, wie Becket sein Amt ausübt, wie er von den Menschen verehrt wird. Jetzt hat er nur noch Knechte, keinen Freund, der ihm widerspricht, der ihm sagt:"Herr, Sie würden nicht so frieren, wenn Sie sich jeden Morgen mit kaltem Wasser abhärten"... Er hasst ihn, aber er liebt ihn nocht immer. Und diese Liebe hasst er noch mehr. Sie wird zur Obsession, Besessenheit. Becket muß verschwinden...
Der Film von Peter Glenville wurde nach dem Bühnenstück Becket oder die Ehre Gottes von Jean Anouilh mit großen Aufwand 1964 in Großbritannien gedreht. Die Schauplätze weisen vielleicht etwas zuviel "Holywood". Und das ist auch die einzige Kritik, die ich habe. Im zwölften Jahrhundert waren die Kirchen sehr reich, die Könige auch, aber.., naja, etwas zuviel des Guten.
Die beiden Hauptdarsteller, Peter O'Tolle als Heinrich II (Henry) und Richard Burton als Thomas Becket sind grandios. Wieder kommt dieses Wort zuerst in mein Vokabular. Sowohl O'Toole wie auch Burton waren ausgezeichnete Theaterschauspieler, beide perfekte Shakespeare-Darsteller. Im Film kommt ihnen das zugute. Sie liefern sich verbale Duele, ihre Dialoge sind oft unverschämt, Becket kann sich erlauben, den König zu ärgern. Er ist ihm überlegen. Burton spielt den Mann Gottes mit Präsenz, man nimmt ihm sofort seine Zweifel ab. O'Toole besticht durch eine menschliche Schwäche für einen Mann, den er hasst und liebt. Seine Augen (sein Kapital) sprechen oft eine andere Sprache als der Mund. Die Herzen der beiden, die sieht nur der Gott (der Herr), das wird schon im Film gesagt.
Sir John Gielgud spielt den französischen König Ludwig VII, er ist der Dritte im Bunde der hochkarätigen Besetzung.
Die geschichtlichen Begebenheiten sind durchwegs gut dargestellt.
Ein Film über die Suche, die mit vielen Zweifeln un d verschiedenen Wegen beginnt, findet sich in der Ehre eines einzelnen. Und die Ehre geht dann in die Liebe, die alles verzeihen kann. Ob Becket's letzte Worte dem König galten:"der arme Heinrich" galten, ist eine Frage, sie galten sicher seinen Mördern, denen er schon vorher verziehen hat. "Der Herr ist mein Hirte", mit reinem Herzen ist er in eine andere Welt gegangen.
Immer wieder sehenswert!