Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Robert Joyner The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Rosie Searle It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Fleur Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

HotToastyRag While the famous scene from The Private Life of Henry VIII is unarguably the turkey leg scene, during which a very angry King Henry VIII eats an entire turkey while shouting his frustrations that another marriage is being forced upon him, this movie shows much more than the king's eating habits. As the title suggests, it reveals the private side of a king history has painted so vilely. The word "king" isn't even included in the title, because for most of the movie, he's shown to be a man, not a ruler. If you only think of King Henry VIII as a cruel, wicked king who beheaded his wife, give this movie a watch. You'll see a completely different side, a heartbreakingly human side.If you've seen a painting of King Henry VIII, you know he looks nothing like Richard Burton's portrayal in Anne of the Thousand Days. In this 1933 biopic, Charles Laughton completely transforms into the role. When he strides forward in his entrance, it's shocking to see the historical figure come to life. Charles won an Oscar for his performance, and even during the first ten minutes of the film, it's clear why. He's a master at transforming for different parts, and everything, from his walk to his laugh to his air as he interacts with his subjects, is utterly regal. As the film progresses, the audience is treated to more of his private personality. He may be annointed to the throne by God, but he feels terribly out of control of his life, and his anguish is palpable. Marriages are arranged without his desire, daughters are born instead of sons, and his very movements within the palace are curtailed by his guards.One of the most interesting aspects of the story is the power women have over the queen. King Henry VIII is a figure best remembered for his cruelty to Anne Boleyn, but this film shows a different reality behind closed doors. Henry's different wives exert enormous control over him. He's portrayed as a terribly romantic figure-despite his outward appearance-and when in love, will do anything and everything to impress his woman of choice. Merle Oberon, Wendy Barrie, Elsa Lanchester, Binnie Barnes, and Everley Gregg play the various wives. Binnie, the wife with the greatest screen time, isn't in love with her husband and has an affair with one of his loyal subjects, Robert Donat. It's incredibly heartbreaking, because, even though Charles Laughton's feelings run deep. He may be a king, but he can crumble and weep from a broken heart like any man.I've heaped a great deal of praise on this film, and if you start watching it and think, "I don't want to watch this gross guy onscreen for ninety minutes!" just give it another ten minutes. It's a fascinating character piece, and Charles gives a wonderfully layered performance.

writers_reign I managed to avoid this for most of my life but in the end I capitulated if only in order to see hambone Laughton actually chewing something else - several chickens - besides the scenery. Okay, it was made back in the day, when punters were still getting used to hearing the actors actually speaking and would accept virtually anything but seen today it's dire personified with Laughton leading a group of actors who appear to mistake Denham for Straftord-upon-Avon and appear to be competing for the Bransby Williams medal for declamatory, with only Elsa Lanchester's Ann of Cleves anchored in Buckinghamshire. Fits where it touches.

MartinHafer You should probably know that I was a world history teacher, so I tend to look at historical films differently from the average person. I love a good historical film but I am also very unforgiving of a sloppy film or one that gets its facts wrong. Keep this in mind when you read this review.Compared to the average 1930s historical film, this one is pretty good and pretty accurate. Aside from a few mistakes here and there (such as showing Anne Boleyn being publicly executed), the spirit of the film is pretty accurate to Henry in his later years. However, it shows an odd view of his life--completely bypassing his marriage to Catherine of Aragon (it said she was a good woman so her life was omitted--but she also was married to Henry the longest--and this would take up at least two movies to discuss well) as well as only giving the briefest glimpse of Boleyn just as she was being executed--but nothing more. So it skips a lot--and only shows a small glimpse of Henry's life (about a six year period). BUT, and this is important, there is STILL way too much material for this film. You see, during this time, Henry had five different marriages--and each is treated almost like a Cliff Notes version of the marriage.So, despite its limitations, is it entertaining? Well, perhaps. If you like historical period pieces and don't mind the sketchy nature of the film, it's fine viewing. The acting is very good--and Charles Laughton was in fine form. And the film looks beautiful. As for the script, it's pretty good--with some nice sparkling dialog.

Cyke 087: The Private Life of Henry VIII. (1933) - released 8/17/1933; viewed 3/12/07.Gandhi is sentenced to prison. Wiley Post flies solo around the world in his Lockheed Vega.BIRTHS: Marty Feldman, Dom Deluise, Jerry Fallwell, Julie Newmar. DOUG: Following his first foray into Hollywood with 'Island of Lost Souls,' Charles Laughton heads back to his native soil to play one of England's most famous historical figures, Henry VIII, the man who ruled all of Britain for 37 years and, according to this film, would have traded it all for one good wife. This film is a documentary compared to the last historical epic we saw Laughton in ('Sign of the Cross'). Laughton IS Henry VIII. He absolutely vanishes into the character, and helps the film rise above being rather dated and historically inaccurate. Impressive work for the make-up department on making Henry age. The whole film is basically about Henry's search for the perfect wife; it starts with the eve of the execution of Anne Boleyn (Merle Oberon) followed quickly by Henry's marriage to Jane Seymour (Wendy Barrie). Once she dies giving birth to Edward (Henry's only surviving son), Henry soon moves on to the delightfully odd German princess Anne of Cleves (Laughton's real-life wife Elsa Lanchester). There is a wonderful scene where Henry, deciding that this whole marriage isn't going to work, asks Anne for a divorce, which she happily accepts with a long list of demands. When he meets Catherine Howard (Binnie Barnes), it appears as if Henry has found his match, but it all falls apart after an adulterous affair. The movie finishes with Henry a withering old man, married to the stern Catherine Parr (Evelyn Gregg), and munching on quail behind her back. The restoration on the DVD is horrific. Much of the footage looks fuzzy, and there's a faint buzz on the audio throughout. It was hard to understand everyone's accents sometimes, and there's no closed captioning at all, so it was sometimes hard to follow what's going on. According to what I've read, Henry was historically far more of a brutal ruler than a jovial womanizer. Still, it's well-made and well-acted, the costumes look great, and Laughton's performance really makes it all work.KEVIN: 'The Private Life of Henry VIII' is a meandering, semi-enjoyable historical drama carried entirely on the back of the performance of its Oscar-winning star. Charles Laughton is absolutely pitch-perfect. Every minute he was on screen, I felt I was watching the real Henry VIII. There's a memorably chilling moment when Henry learns that Jane Seymour has perished in childbirth. Henry pauses, "Poor, poor Jane." He is genuinely emotional for a few heartfelt moments, until he snaps back up and asks about his newborn son, like nothing is wrong. Laughton's old-age make-up is most impressive. It took me more that half the film to realize he was aging before my eyes. Other than that, there's not much else to write home about. Numerous scenes run way too long while other dramatic story points are cut short (like the executions of Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard, which take place off-screen.) None of the supporting players are able to keep things going when Laughton is absent, though some of them give an admirable effort. I liked how the Anne of Cleaves storyline was handled. When I hear about it in History class, how Henry liked the painting of Anne but changed his mind when he met her, he just sounded picky. But in the film, Elsa Lanchester's Anne is likable but far from marriage material. The scene where Henry asks for a divorce is highbrow hilarity. As far as storytelling, it's crazy difficult to squeeze Henry's marital tribulations into 97 minutes of film. I also wonder if there aren't other topics that could be covered which fall under the banner of Henry's private life.Last film: Baby Face (1933). Next film: Dinner At Eight (1933).