L'avis des consommateurs

Becket - DVD (Wmt)

Rendering unto Caesar..., Avril 2 2004

The confrontation between Henry and the clergy is set immediately following the old archbishop's death, when Henry informs the assembled bishops that there will only be one head honcho in England, and that is the king. The bishops are not used to having their power abrogated by anyone outside the church; they answer only to the pope and to God. The king and clergy are on collision course, and Henry, to his chagrin, finds that Becket is solidly on the side of the Church his king has appointed him to represent. There will be no compromise here. The stage is thus set for a fateful confrontation.

One has to wonder: when Henry blurted out his petulant rhetorical question "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?", did he really not expect to be taken at his word? He's made it clear over and over again that he is the king, and the king is the law. So it's hard not to feel a sense of disgust at Henry's hypocrisy as he undergoes a ritual flogging in the cathedral crypt to expiate his guilt at having instigated Becket's murder, and immediately afterwards announces on the church steps that Becket will be venerated as a saint. Power-hungry to the last, Henry has abrogated to himself the privilege of an announcement that should have come from the new archbishop, or from the pope who alone has the power of canonization.

The film has everything going for it: a great plot, two excellent performances by Burton and O'Toole, terrific direction and cinematography, and fine historical accuracy. The Gregorian chant running through the scenes in the cathedral transport the viewer 700 years back in time. For two unforgettable hours, we're part of 12th century England.

And finally, let me add my request to those of the other reviewers of this excellent movie: Will someone please hurry up and release this film on DVD? I'll be first in line to buy it.

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Dual Portraits: Monarch and Martyr, Fév 17 2004

Par	Robert Morris (Dallas, Texas) - Voir tous mes commentaires

This is a visually stunning film, perhaps even moreso than (for example) The Lion in Winter (1968) in which O'Toole also appears as Henry II. Granted, the relationship between Henry and Eleanor in that film is quite different from Henry's relationship with Becket. Also, The Lion in Winter covers only a few days during one Christmas season whereas the timeframe in Becket extends over several decades. However, both films focus on conflicting as well as congenial relationships. In Becket, Henry (in effect) finds himself competing with God for Becket's loyalty and devotion. He loses. The supporting cast is first-rate. Notably John Gielgud (Louis VII), Donald Wolfit (Bishop Folliot), Martita Hunt (Queen Matilda), and Gino Cervi (Cardinal Zambelli). The role of Queen Eleanor (Pamela Brown) is minor when contrasted with Eleanor (Katherine Hepburn) as she is presented in The Lion in Winter.

Question: Why is there no DVD version of Becket?

Those who share my high regard for this film are urged to check out the aforementioned The Lion in Winter as well as Cromwell  (1970), Elizabeth (1998), A Man for All Seasons  (1966), Anne of the Thousand Days (1969), and Mary, Queen of Scots  (1971).

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Well Thomas, is the Honor of God satisfied now?, Oct. 2 2003

The title role is played by Burton , Becket the libertine Saxon who loves good things--and good things are Norman, while O'Toole plays Henry the Second, Norman Plantagenet king of England, grandson of William the Conqueror. He's also a libertine, a 'perennial adolescent' but deeply loves the only friend he ever had, the 'man he raised from nothing', Becket , who, unlike Henry, is an intellectual mastermind, loyal to his friend and king but unable to forgive himself for having lost his honor, long ago, when he decided that the good life meant collaborating with the hated Normans.

Whew! (For historical nitpickers Becket was a Norman as well, but never mind, the author needed the contrast and it plays wonderfully)

When The Archbishop of Canterbury dies of old age Henry believes he's hit upon a masterstroke to outfox any rivals to this powerfull post: He'll appoint Becket.

Sample dialogue:

Becket: 'Have you considered what the Pope will say?'
Henry: 'I'll pay his price'
Becket: 'My lord, I beg you do not do this!'
Henry: 'Why?'
Becket: 'It frightens me'
Henry: 'I thought you had God in the palm of your hand '

And at this point I wish to apologise for not doing enough justice to this masterpiece of wit, plot--and honor...

To say the acting is superb is an understatement.

Unfortunately since both Burton and O'Toole were 'leads' The Academy split and neither won the Oscar for Best Actor.

Peter O'Toole later recreated the character of Henry, decades older in "The Lion in Winter" with Katherine Hepburn--another great film. As to Burton, even taking into consideration "Who is Afraid of Virginia Woolf" with Elizabeth Taylor--again a great film and a great performance--'Becket' was by far, his greatest role, his best achievement.

But don't take my word for it.

Watch this film and see what great acting can be. . .

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Superb Acting, Sep 1 2003

Par	Peter Kenney (Birmingham, Alabama, USA) - Voir tous mes commentaires

The acting is superb led by Richard Burton as Becket and Peter O'Toole as Henry II. The strong supporting cast includes John Gielgud, Donald Wolfit, Gino Cervi and Paola Stoppa.

BECKET received an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay and eleven other nominations including Best Picture, Director (Peter Glenville), Actor (Richard Burton and Peter O'Toole) and Supporting Actor (John Gielgud). The main competition for Academy Awards in 1964 came from MY FAIR LADY and MARY POPPINS.

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Excellent rendition of Murder in the Cathedral..., Aoû 3 2003

Par	Patrick Selitrenny (Switzerland a.k.a. Helvetia Felix) - Voir tous mes commentaires

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...

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A great story of friendship, power, and politics. Awesome., Juil 24 2003

Par	Roger J. Buffington (Huntington Beach, CA United States) - Voir tous mes commentaires

The story deals with the rivalry between Church and State. King Henry sought to outmaneuver and check the growing power of the the Church, which was acting as a second, and perhaps more powerful, government. Thomas Becket, his Chancellor and chief advisor, has warned him that in ten year's time there would only be one King--and it wouldn't be King Henry! The King's plan: to appoint his closest friend, Thomas Becket, as the head of the Church of England. But Becket feels honor-bound to fight for the Church and against King Henry. The result is an absolute masterpiece tale of friendship, politics, and conflict. This is a great story.

As if all of that isn't enough, Peter O'Toole and Richard Burton each in this movie turn in the greatest performances of their careers. O'Toole is utterly engrossing as King Henry, who is dissolute, disciplined, sly, and scheming. Burton is great as the highly intelligent, conflicted Thomas Becket, who seeks to reconcile his friendship and loyalty to his King with his honor and the duty he owes to the Church. It is fun to argue which man turns in the better performance. My vote goes to O'Toole.

The filming was done in England, and this adds an air of authenticity to the film. This is a film that every collector will want to own and watch repeatedly over the years. Now it needs to become available in the DVD format.

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A great story of friendship, power, and politics. Awesome., Juil 24 2003

Par	Roger J. Buffington (Huntington Beach, CA United States) - Voir tous mes commentaires

The story deals with the rivalry between Church and State. King Henry sought to outmaneuver and check the growing power of the the Church, which was acting as a second, and perhaps more powerful, government. Thomas Becket, his Chancellor and chief advisor, has warned him that in ten year's time there would only be one King--and it wouldn't be King Henry! The King's plan: to appoint his closest friend, Thomas Becket, as the head of the Church of England. But Becket feels honor-bound to fight for the Church and against King Henry. The result is an absolute masterpiece tale of friendship, politics, and conflict. This is a great story.

As if all of that isn't enough, Peter O'Toole and Richard Burton each in this movie turn in the greatest performances of their careers. O'Toole is utterly engrossing as King Henry, who is dissolute, disciplined, sly, and scheming. Burton is great as the highly intelligent, conflicted Thomas Becket, who seeks to reconcile his friendship and loyalty to his King with his honor and the duty he owes to the Church. It is fun to argue which man turns in the better performance. My vote goes to O'Toole.

The filming was done in England, and this adds an air of authenticity to the film. This is a film that every collector will want to own and watch repeatedly over the years. Now it needs to become available in the DVD format.

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A meddlesome priest..., Jui 1 2003

Par	FrKurt Messick "FrKurt Messick" (Bloomington, IN USA) - Voir tous mes commentaires

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.

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