Tedfoldol everything you have heard about this movie is true.

BoardChiri Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

Ezmae Chang This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Ginger Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Kirpianuscus maybe, it is far to be the right word. because its meanings are too complex for define this definition. sure, script, performances, atmosphere, cinematography, costumes, values are impeccable. but it is not a real new thing in the context of historical films from the same period. maybe, the fact than, in my childhood, Thomas Morus was one of my heroes is not real significant too. the best part of this extraordinary film is the message. clear, powerful, precise. about duty. and about conscience. about the decision who defines yourself . about the clash between moral and politic. about one word who change everything. this is all. sure, it is tempting to do a parallel with "Beckett". but, maybe only for me, "A man for all the seasons" is more than the story between a king and his friend. and more than a glamorous Hollywood super production. it is a huge remember of what you must be. against the pressures. against the context.

Hotwok2013 Directed by one of the all-time great film directors Fred Zinnemann & with a really brilliant screenplay written by Robert Bolt, "A Man For All Seasons" is just about as perfect a movie as is possible to make. The movie gives an account of the conflict which took place in the 16th century between King Henry V111 & his Lord Chancellor Sir Thomas More, which eventually led to More's execution. Paul Scofield gives a towering acting performance as Sir Thomas More with Robert Shaw (also extremely good) as Henry V111. After the Pope in Rome refused to annul his marriage to Catherine Of Aragon the King separated himself from the Catholic Church & proclaimed himself head of the newly- created Church Of England. More refused to sign the Oath Of Supremacy acknowledging the King's position & also refused to countenance the divorce which would leave the King free to marry Anne Boleyn. The Duke of Norfolk (Nigel Davenport) tries to persuade him to sign a document sanctioning the divorce but More adamantly refuses. The Duke tells him that it doesn't really matter whether he believes in granting the King a divorce or not & that he should sign it anyway, "for fellowship". More answers him by saying, "And when we stand before God & you are sent to heaven for doing your conscience & I am damned & sent to hell for not doing mine, will you accompany me there for fellowship?". After he resigned as Lord Chancellor More maintained an attitude of silence before & during his trial regarding the kings divorce. His thinking was that by doing so they would be unable to gain a treason conviction against him. More hoped he would then be left alone to live out the remainder of his life in peace & quiet. However, the angry King wanted More's head & there was never any chance of that!. Thomas Cromwell (Leo McKern), the ruthless & unscrupulous chief minister to the King got an ambitious, young (& equally unscrupulous) nobleman Richie Rich (John Hurt) to bear false witness against Sir Thomas More which helped to convict him. Cromwell rewarded Rich for his treachery with a chain of office. When More sees it he finally breaks his silence. "Why Richie, isn't that the chain of office for the Ministry of Wales? It profits a man nothing that he sells his soul to the devil for all the world, but to do it for Wales!". As I said at the start Robert Bolt's screenplay is just brilliant. He took the movie's title from a writer & poet who knew him & lived during Sir Thomas More's lifetime. Robert Whittington described him thus:-"More is a man with an angel's wit & singular learning. I know not his fellow. For where is the man of such gentleness, lowliness & affability. And, as time requireth, a man of marvellous mirth & pastimes, & sometimes of sad gravity. A man for all seasons". Jonathan Swift wrote that More was "a man of the greatest virtue this kingdom ever produced". Just before the axe came down severing his head from his body More is reputed to have said, "I die the king's good servant, but God's first".

charlywiles This is the story of Sir Thomas More, who, as Chancellor of England under Henry VIII, refused to compromise his beliefs and condone the King's divorce, remarriage and break from the Pope. He resigned his office, refused to sign an oath and paid for his convictions with his life. It is a thoroughly engrossing story, an enlightening look at a key period in British history and a portrayal of a man who steadfastly followed his conscience.Fred Zinnemann directs superbly (my God, did this man ever make a bad film!?)and the film is an acting tour-de-force by an amazing cast. Paul Schofied as More is front-and-center and he is absolutely amazing and totally believable in the role. Wendy Hiller, as his wife Alice, Leo McKern, as the conniving Cromwell, Robert Shaw, as King Henry, Orson Welles, as Cardinal Wolsey, Susannah York, as More's daughter Margaret, Nigel Davenport, as his friend the Duke of York, and John Hurt in his first important role as the scheming Richard Rich, are all fantastic in support.Robert Bolt's screenplay, based on his play (which won a Tony as Best Drama), is literate, intelligent and insightful. The film's cinematography, costume design and set design are exemplary and the picture is wonderfully evocative of time and place.The trial scenes (based on eye-witness accounts) are amazing, but my favorite section of the film is the farewell at the prison between Schofield and Hiller. It is poignant and incredibly heartbreaking.The film won six Academy Awards including Best Picture and deserved every one of them. It is without a doubt one of the best British historical dramas, as well as one of the best costume dramas, ever made.

Bryan Kluger One of the greatest film directors of all time is Fred Zinnemann, and the shocking thing is, most people wouldn't know who that is, let alone even heard the name. He has a whopping 65 Oscar nominations under his belt with a great 24 wins. His films have stood the test of time and continue to be debated and discussed to this day. Perhaps Zinnemann is most known for 'High Noon', 'Oklahoma', 'The Nun's Story', and 1977's 'Julia'. All of those movies are excellent and have each earned their own numerous awards in filmmaking.But there is another film from 1966, which was one of Zinnemann's last films that not only took home Best Picture, Best Screenplay, and Best Actor, but it is the best film ever made according to The Vatican. Needless to say, that's a pretty high honor, considering the film isn't 100% about religion. The film centers around the time where King Henry VIII was wanting to marry Anne Boleyn, and right before the King became the chaotic leader he is known for. But this story does not follow around King Henry (Robert 'Jaws' Shaw), but rather 'A Man for All Season' focuses on Sir Thomas More (Paul Scofield), a family man who was the right hand man to King Henry VIII, at least for a little while.Based on the 1960 stage play by Robert Bolt with Bolt writing the screenplay, 'A Man for All Seasons' can be seen as an accurate portrayal of the downfall of one of the most infamous kings in England, not to mention the intense and brilliant dialogue that occurs. As the film starts out, King Henry is already wanting to marry Boleyn and leave Lady Aragon, because she cannot bear children, specifically a son to take the reigns someday, which is something King Henry is obsessed about. He has his lord chancellor Wolsey (Orson Welles) ask Sir Thomas More, Henry's right hand man to attend a secret meeting to convince the Pope to allow Henry to divorce his wife and marry another.If you're Catholic, you have been told this a big "no-no" in the religion. Already knowing that the Pope will not agree to this, Sir Thomas More, declines to help. You see, back then, almost everything had to be approved before the Pope and the church, and if it wasn't "kosher", it would be considered illegal. When More declines, King Henry tries to bribe More with power and riches. When that doesn't work, King Henry takes a more violent approach. All the while, Sir Thomas More sticks to his religious convictions and does what's right by his family and God. He never bows down or takes the low road. Instead, he takes the righteous path, always standing up to what he believes him, no matter what the obstacle is to overcome.Well, we all know what happened, King Henry overthrew the Pope basically, making it law that the church had no say on people's lives. He went on to marry five more women, some of whom he had killed. But what works so well with 'A Man for All Seasons' is the attention to detail of the time period, and the incredible performances by each actor. These actors just throw themselves into these roles and make you believe every single action and emotion, especially Paul Scofield, who is one of the best Shakespearean actors to have ever lived. He fully immersed himself into these roles and there are stories of how intense he was on set in character. It definitely shows here as he won Best Actor at the Oscars for his role here. 'A Man for All Seasons' is smart, beautiful, and well-acted, and remains one of the best adaptations of King Henry VIII's life out there today.