Lion In Winter, The (DVD)

This sharply portrayed and picturesque film is no less than a stunning masterpiece! Finely capturing the gusting momentum of a kingdom and its contending rule, all the while bootying the intricacies of family passion & strife, this movie grasps all by masterfully portraying it within the frame of a Christmas holiday spent at the beauteous castle of Chinon. The year is 1183, and Henry II, insatiate King of the British Empire summons forth his family: his wife - Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, and their surviving sons Richard, Geoffery, and John. They meet at Chinon - and like every gathering of this family must always have been, this meeting is momentous ~ James Goldman wholeheartedly deserved the Oscar he won for this screenplay -- for, not only is it in tune to every orchestral note of this history, but it is also precise as a dagger in its eloquence ~~ I've rarely heard a more masterful script portrayed on film! Such a prodigious screenplay must needs have a brilliant cast and musical score to give it flesh and blood -- and herein you'll find it most heartily delivered! Katharine Hepburn is absolutely stellar in her portrayal of perhaps one of the most fascinating women in history: the much-acknowledged "Queen of Love" throughout Europe before she became Queen of France, fighting in the Crusades alongside her husband Louis VII of France - and then Queen of England, wife of Henry II, who had imprisoned her for many years for joining her sons in plots against him. Henry would free her at times for such holiday family gatherings as this. Hepburn's scenes with Peter O'Toole, as Henry, are pure electrically-charged art! As King and Queen, parents to the three aspired heirs to the throne, they lay blame and conspire against each other, and their sons will stop at nothing to acquire what they each feel that they deserve: succession to the throne. To add to this tangled web of deceit are the young King Phillip of France and his sister, Alice, who had been raised in the household of King Henry, betrothed to Richard since her infancy. While Eleanor and her sons each plot with the French King, Henry openly exhibits his ongoing love affair with Alice~~ The chemistry of this well-casted drama is flawless - every line spoken a masterpiece of wit and daring. This movie is a rare find, indeed!

The product, as it were, is perfect. Print transfer is just right, clear as a bell. The film itself is brilliant and finds the cast, writer, and director at the top of their respective games. As a stage play with rich language and twists and turns and characters with twisted agendas it is converted magnificently to the screen. This is "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?" set in Medieval Times and the family dysfunction here is epic. Set during Christmas "holdays" in 1183, Peter O'Toole as Henry ll frees imprisoned Queen Eleanor played by Katharine Hepburn for a verbal donnybrook as they both plot Henry's succession. Anthony Hopkins in his first screen role is stellar as the repressed and Oedipal first born Richard The Lionheart and a very young Tomothy Dalton does an awesome turn as the slimy King of France. Hepburn plumbs the depths in this very modern psychodrama; "I even made poor Louis take me on Crusade. How's that for blasphemy. I dressed my maids as Amazons and rode bare-breasted halfway to Damascus. Louis had a seizure and I damn near died of windburn... but the troops were dazzled." For all her awesome presence and naturalism in her 1930s-1940s classics, this might be her best effort and it did not go unnoticed, she won the Academy award for this portrayal of Eleanor Of Aquitaine. O'Toole chomps scenery with the best of 'em and as the wild eyed and agenda-driven Henry ll he is tops. The chemistry between he and Kate belies their 25 year age difference, the two of them match each other blow for blow while serving the script brilliantly. It's a tour de force really, a great study of two actors fulfilling their roles while truly playing WITH each other. Damn, they're good. The Lion In Winter rules, the high standard of this production is timeless. 5 Stars for certain.

One of the problems endemic to movies adapted from stage plays is the annoying boxing in of the action - everything must take place in the same two or three locales. Anthony Harvey, director of THE LION IN WINTER, manages to overcome this handicap by bringing the historical setting to a rich, credible life. As you watch, you find yourself leaning forward in fascination, muttering, "So *that's* what it was like." Still, though, a movie like this lives or dies based on the writing and the performances, and both aspects are nearly flawless. The script has a certain '60's stridency in parts, but God knows it's infinitely better than most plays from that era. The characters trade barbed ripostes like seasoned pros - even Anthony Hopkins' hulking Richard III is a wit - but the movie is better as catharsis than light entertainment. The story is a sad one, not grim, but flavored with the wistful remorse of the king and his queen, who have ended up making far less out of their lives than they could have and are acutely aware of the fact. The performances are great across the board - everyone knows who Hepburn, O'Toole, Hopkins, and Dalton are, but the lesser-known John Castle and Jane Merrow ace theirs perfectly well (both of them also turned in good performances in episodes of THE PRISONER, as did this film's briefly-seen Kenneth Griffith). I got my friends to watch this by telling them it was THE BIG KAHUNA in the Middle Ages; it's not, of course, but the principal joy of each film is the same: the pleasure of watching a pack of wonderful actors tearing into each other with maximum gusto. In short, this movie is a definite to-own. The DVD's extra features are practically nonexistent, but there is an interesting and illuminating commentary by the director. Even if there weren't, though, the superior presentation would still warrant a purchase.

During the beginning the film, when Henry II played by Peter O'Toole and Eleanor of Aquitaine played by Katherine Hepburn, meet for the annual Christmas fête during which the queen is released from imprisonment for purely ceremonial purposes. The opening quips reveal the nature of their adversarial relationship and of things to come. Henry II: How was your crossing? Did the waters part for you? Eleanor: It went flat when I told it to; I did not think to ask for more. How dear of you to let me out of jail. This depiction is priceless and a perfect indicator of the events to come during this Yuletide family reunion; which to say the least, a graphic depiction of the power struggle between Eleanor and Henry. This is a simplified depiction based upon fact; however, the overwhelming complexities of the history of The Duchy of Aquitaine, which at one time made up a third of France cannot be told with any coherency in a single film. There are other films such as Beckett and A Man For All Seasons; just to name a few, which provide minuscule insights into the history of medieval French and English histories which are better left to learned scholars in academia. These films are filled with historical inaccuracies and typically portray the various players simplistically as either entirely villainous or victims with whom the audience is entirely sympathetic to. It is the same with The Lion in Winter which, as are the numerous other productions chronicling the events of that period, are nothing but elaborate stagings that are meant to showcase the considerable talents of extraordinarily gifted actors. While the depictions of verbal fencing and intrigues are oversimplified they are nonetheless imbued with an appreciable quality that make them highly entertaining and believable; provided you don't take them too seriously. Hepburn and O'Toole are consummate actors blessed with rare talent; they are intellectual equals as are the characters they portray. The scenes of Ms. Hepburn's interaction with her various offspring in an effort to curry their favor are impressively touching as they are harshly revealing of the complexities of a formidable woman attempting to assess and influence her children; each endowed with decidedly different traits, temperaments and ambitions. The portrayal of the children themselves as individuals or interacting with one another are well served by enhancements in the script which tend to overstate the qualities of the characters. As I previously indicated, this technique is vital to differentiating the personae of each character, making it easier for the viewer to understand and relate to the character. Each scene is depicted with flawlessly targeted precision and dispenses with any superfluous embellishments and contain carefully placed moments of humor that preclude the need for overstated scenarios of comic relief in the strict Shakespearian sense. Although the premise of this film is that of a period drama, the plot is presented in such a way as to portray the lives of Henry's family as a modern, highly dysfunctional family gathered for a Christmas holiday in crisis mode, which makes the subject matter easier for the audience to understand and relate to. Mr. O'Tooles' performance is nothing less then perfection that is augmented by his strong intuitive sense of understanding how to navigate the complexities of interpreting his character in a completely convincing manner that is finely synchronized with the sensibilities of the audience. For the most part, the plot deftly conveys the essence of the storyline and is thoroughly entertaining, making each scene an enticement to look deeper into the lives of these two pivotal characters.

What do you say about one of the greatest movies of all time FINALLY coming to Blu ray? You say, "Lord in heaven, what took you so long?!" Still, no format of any kind ever dimmed two of the single most brilliant screen performances in history, Katherine Hepburn and Peter O'Toole. Ms. Hepburn brings a gorgeous, regal, dichotomous, vulnerable, and ruthless power to the life of an early very substantive "landed" queen of England; Mr. O'Toole, nearly ruthless throughout (with touches of his own form of vulnerability), is a non-stop tour de force of what a king in his times likely had to be to hold the throne of a developing but still fractured country. All of the supporting performances - incidentally, the premiers of Anthony Hopkins and Timothy Dalton, to name a few - are as flawless as their megastar counterparts. The movie, however, belongs to every single scene the powerful and utterly captivating Hepburn marches or gently slides into. She is shimmering.

A classic for sure - I watched because I am supposedly a descendant of King John. Imagine my dismay when he's the donkey of the group. (As far as this film is concerned, that is.) I also had of course heard about this film over the years but had no opportunity to view it until I saw it on Amazon. The acting is all top notch, of course. Sir Anthony Hopkins - brilliant, and moving, as the future King Richard Lionheart. Katharine Hepburn and Peter O'Toole as King and Queen. Eleanor of Aquitaine was fascinating in her own right. The only thing I found difficult was the writing style. It was so densely worded, clever rather than natural, that I found it hard to get through in one sitting. Mileage may vary of course. I love Shakespeare but this isn't Shakespeare type of clever writing - sounded more like they were always speaking of themselves in the third person. Bit stilted. It was a hit Oscar winning film so what do I know? I liked it, but I am more a fan of individuality in characters. These all sounded like the writer.

A good copy of a great film

Superb movie. Magnificent acting by Peter O'Toole (how could he not have won an Academy Award for his role as Henry II in this movie?) and Katherine Hepburn (who did win an Academy Award for her role). Wonderful depiction of the era and the personalities in power. Dialogue is extraordinary--perhaps because the story was a play before it became a movie. O'Toole is at his best and dominates every aspect of the story--much as he did playing the same role in "Beckett", another fine movie co-starring Richard Burton. Giving this movie five stars is inadequate--it deserves at least ten. May be my favorite move ever and "Beckett" is not far behind.If there is to be any criticism of this movie it is that Prince John, Henry's choice to succeed him, is portrayed as whiny and immature and even Henry knows that his older two sons will either control him or oust him. The supporting cast is excellent but no one can keep up with O'Toole and Hepburn. They are at their best and have a wonderful vehicle to demonstrate their enormous skills.