A Man for All Seasons [Special Edition]

Director: Fred Zinnemann

Overview

Adapted by Robert Bolt and Constance Willis from Bolt's hit stage play, A Man for All Seasons stars Paul Scofield, triumphantly repeating his stage role as Sir Thomas More. The crux of the film is the staunchly Catholic More's refusal to acknowledge King Henry VIII (Robert Shaw)'s break from the church to divorce his first wife and marry Anne Boleyn (an unbilled Vanessa Redgrave). Sir Thomas willingly goes to the chopping block rather than sacrifice his ideals. Director Fred Zinnemann retains the play's verbosity without sacrificing the film's strong sense of visuals. The impeccably chosen cast includes Wendy Hiller as Sir Thomas' likably contentious wife Alice, John Hurt as the deceitful Richard Rich (More's put-downs of this despicable character provide some of the film's biggest laughs), Orson Welles as a dour Cardinal Woolsey, Leo McKern as the ambitious Thomas Cromwell, and Susannah York as More's daughter Margaret. The "Common Man," an important bridging-the-scenes character in the original play, is removed from the film version, which does just fine without him. A Man for All Seasons won six Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor, as well as seven British Film Academy awards.

Product Details

Release Date:	02/20/2007
UPC:	0043396180857
Original Release:	1966
Rating:	G
Source:	Sony Pictures
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	2:00:00
Sales rank:	1,190

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Paul Scofield	Sir Thomas More
Wendy Hiller	Alice More
Leo McKern	Cromwell
Robert Shaw	Le roi Henry VIII
Susannah York	Margaret
Nigel Davenport	Norfolk
Orson Welles	Le cardinal Wolsey
John Hurt	Rich
Corin Redgrave	William Roper,Anne Boleyn
Colin Blakely	Matthew
Yootha Joyce	Averil Machin
Anthony Nicholls	King's Representative
John Nettleton	Jailer
Eira Heath	Matthew's Wife
Molly Urquhart	Maid
Paul Hardwick	Courtier
Michael Latimer	Norfolk's Aide
Philip Brack	Captain of Guard
Martin Boddey	Governor of Tower
Eric Mason	Executioner
Matt Zinneman	Messenger
Cyril Luckham	Archbishop Cranmer
Jack Gwillim	Chief Justice
Thomas Heathcote	Boatman
Matt Zimmerman	le messager
Georges Delerue	Composer
Sylvia Bidmead	Young Woman
Jack Bligh	Old Man in Scene 33
Bridget Brice	Young Woman
Jan Carey	2nd Girl
Gladys Dawson	Old Woman
Edwin Finn	1st Scholar
Laura Graham	4th Girl

Technical Credits

Robert Bolt

Constance Willis

Robert Bolt	Screenwriter
William N. Graf	Executive Producer
Fred Zinnemann	Producer
Constance Willis	Screenwriter

Scene Index

Disc #1 -- A Man for All Seasons
1. Start [5:15]
2. A Butcher's Summons [4:13]
3. With the Cardinal [6:43]
4. Petitions [1:00]
5. Home to Chelsea [5:07]
6. Saying "No" to a Heretic [4:06]
7. The Duke of Norfolk [1:22]
8. The New Lord Chancellor [1:47]
9. "Surprise" Visit [5:02]
10. Quiet Words [8:20]
11. Catching the Tide [4:12]
12. A Bad, Dangerous Spy [3:22]
13. Rich & the New Secretary [4:30]
14. The King's Answer [1:20]
15. More Resigns [1:36]
16. Explaining His Decision [1:34]
17. The King's Wedding Day [10:31]
18. A Letter [2:39]
19. Conversation With Cromwell [1:04]
20. Ending a Friendship [5:07]
21. News of the Oath [4:57]
22. In the Tower [1:36]
23. An Inquiry [2:34]
24. Family Visit [7:21]
25. The Trial [7:56]
26. Richard Rich Testifies [6:12]
27. Verdict & Discharge [4:21]
28. Sentence Carried Out [3:48]

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Disc #1 -- A Man for All Seasons
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Scene Selections
Special Features
The Life of Saint Thomas More
Trailers
Sense and Sensibility
Little Women
Trailers
Sense and Sensibility
Little Women

Editorial Reviews

A Man for All Seasons is a handsome adaptation of the stage play on which it is based, with fine acting, solemn issues, and a message of moral order that conservative audiences of the 1960s found attractive. Historians, however, have objected to the glorification of Sir Thomas More, who was hardly the innocent martyr portrayed by playwright/screenwriter Robert Bolt. For example, the historical More urged the executions of various "heretics," a distasteful matter that the film somehow overlooks. The appeal of A Man for All Seasons to 1966 audiences was a direct reaction to the cultural upheavals in the world at large. In a era where once-confident values were being questioned and sometimes destroyed, the story of the principled More, who sacrifices himself rather than give in to change and wickedness, had resonance among those who longed for simpler days with more concrete values. AMPAS, still a bit embarrassed over having honored the libertine Tom Jones three years earlier, showered the film with six Oscars, including Best Picture.