A Man for All Seasons

"When Henry VIII (Robert Shaw) seeks approval from the aristocracy to divorce his wife and marry Anne Boleyn, Sir Thomas More (Paul Scofield) finds himself caught between a murderous king and the powerful Roman Catholic Church. Richly crafted with spectacular period details and a fine supporting cast, director Paul Zinnemann's drama swept the Oscars for 1966, winning six golden statuettes, including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director."

I would say for the average, non-history-nerd, it might be pretty boring. However, as the European history lover that I am, I really enjoyed this film. Last summer I read an historical fiction that dug into the life and perspective of Anne Boleyn (some true, some creative interpretations, but well researched). And also having covered England's break from the Catholic Church in AP Euro, I knew quite a bit around the story of Henry VIII. An aspect of the period that I was not fully clear on was the experience of Sir Thomas More. This film does an excellent job of depicting the pressures, difficult choices, and ultimately fatal stance of this man of the church. Bottom line, if you have any interest in this period and controversy, this film does a really good job of conveying the story.

Rating: * * * *