...So here I am, once again slogging my way through the Epinions movie database, searching for something... anything... to review. That blasted database has let me down again! Seems like every movie I’ve seen recently isn’t listed, and all the ones I haven’t seen yet already seem to have around 4,000 reviews written about them!

Oh, well... here I go, off to the "Biography" section. Hmmm... Amadeus... yup, already reviewed it; Immortal Beloved... haven’t seen it yet; Nixon... YUKK!! Becket... a great film!! A Man For All Seasons...

Whoa!! Back up there, Mike!!! Becket.

Now there is a marvelous movie... probably one of the finest "biopics" ever written!! I remember seeing the film in the theater when it first came out way-y-y back in 1964. Even as a thirteen year-old, I was pretty impressed! When I saw Becket on commercial TV a couple times during the ‘70s, I enjoyed it each time almost as much as I did when I first saw it in the theater.

Then I remembered... I actually have a copy of Becket on videocassette!! My middle daughter gave it to me for Christmas a couple years ago. I watched it once, on that Christmas day, then filed it away with the rest of my video collection.

Now, on this April evening in 2001, with my search for an item to review at an end (for now), I shut Epinions down for a couple of hours, pull out my copy of Becket, blow a couple of serious layers of dust off the box, plug the tape into my VCR, and sit back to enjoy.

Becket is one of those good old-fashioned biographical dramas that were so popular back in the 1950s and '60s. With two of the greatest actors of the twentieth century in the lead roles (Richard Burton and Peter O’Toole), you can be sure the performances are nothing less that glorious throughout! It’s also very a well written film.

Becket tells the story of the relationship between two men: King Henry II of England, great-grandson to William the Conqueror, and Thomas Becket, a Saxon nobleman, a close friend of King Henry’s, and, ultimately, Archbishop of Canterbury. Historically, these two figures were giants in English history.

Henry, the first monarch of the House of Plantagenet, ruled from 1154 to 1189. During his long reign, Henry oversaw the consolidation of royal power; the creation of a strong government bureaucracy, and the transformation of England into one of Europe’s most powerful kingdoms. Thomas Becket was Henry’s lifelong friend, loyal servant, and confidant. In 1162, King Henry appointed Becket to the post of Archbishop of Canterbury. It was a move that ended their decades-long friendship and had tragic consequences for both men.

One of the great controversies of Henry’s reign was the relationship between the English court system, established under William the Conqueror, and the Church courts. The heart of the issue – and the central theme of the film – was the question of jurisdiction over accused criminals. Under what circumstances, and for what crimes, could a person be tried by the ecclesiastical (church) courts rather than those established by the English government?

As our story unfolds, Henry and Becket are inseparable friends. They spend their days feasting at banquets, carousing, wenching, and hunting. Henry (played by Peter O’Toole) appoints Becket (Richard Burton) to the post of Chancellor of England – the equivalent of Prime Minister and Treasurer. Becket is a man completely loyal to the King. But, his is a loyalty completely devoid of any kind of subservience. Although he knows his "place" as a servant to the crown, and treats his monarch with deference, he also displays before the King a refreshing attitude of intellectual equality. Becket is a man with a curious sense of honor. "Honor is a private matter within," he tells Henry early in the film. "It’s an idea, and every man has his own version of it."

Becket is ultimately a story of "the honor of God" versus "I am your king." In an effort to gain the upper hand in the ongoing controversy between the Church and state, Henry names Becket to the post of Archbishop of Canterbury. In Thomas Becket, the King sees a loyal servant who will place the wishes of his monarch before everything else. Unfortunately, the King’s hopes for an easy time of it are soon dashed.

After becoming the primate of England, Becket somehow, somewhere, regains his personal sense of honor. To Becket, "the honor of God" seems worthy of defending against all who would attack the Church. When one of Henry’s noblemen kills a priest, Becket orders him haled before an ecclesiastical court. The inevitable showdown between King and Archbishop is at hand.

Becket plays his cards brilliantly. Despite the King's insistence, he refuses to budge from his position that the church courts have jurisdiction in this and all similar cases. His continuing defiance of the King sends Henry into increasingly virulent paroxysms of rage against his former friend. To Becket he repeats his relentless tattoo: "I am your king!"

Ultimately, Becket is forced to flee England, but returns after seven years, having agreed to a series of compromises with the King, but not conceding the main points of his argument. The truce is short lived, however. Becket continues to resist Henry’s efforts to intrude into Church affairs. Henry, enraged once again, fills the air with oaths against his new-found foe, asking at one point: "Will no-one rid me of this meddlesome priest?"

Four of his barons take him at his word. On December 29, 1170, they assassinate Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, on the altar of Canterbury Cathedral.

Becket is based on the stage play of the same name by French playwright Jean Anouilh, and adapted for the screen by Edward Anhalt (who won the 1964 "Best Screenplay" Academy Award for his efforts). It was also nominated for 11 other Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor.

This is one of those movies where words can’t really convey the depth and quality of the performances turned in by its stars. It’s rare to find a film with one performance of such great magnitude; I don’t ever recall seeing two such brilliant performances in one movie! For Burton and O’Toole are so very good in their roles as Becket and Henry, that they seem almost to become the very characters they’re playing. Their acting is refined, unaffected, completely without ego, almost effortless.

Two other lesser roles deserve special mention. John Gielgud shines as the King of France, and Donald Wolfit is excellent as the Bishop of London.

It’s a good thing Burton, O'Toole, and company do such a wonderful job throughout the film, because performances by some of the actors in minor roles are actually quite disappointing. Martita Hunt's performance as Henry’s mother, and Pamela Brown’s portrayal of his wife, Eleanor of Acquitaine, are both downright irritating. Both women are relegated to roles where they spend the bulk their time whining and sniping at Henry in a most "un-royal" manner.

I have a couple of issues with the historical accuracy of the film. They’re minor, but worth mentioning. First, the film does not convey the fact that, before Henry appointed Becket as Archbishop of Canterbury, Becket warned him that he would place the needs of the church before his loyalty to the king. The movie would have you believe that Becket’s reluctance to accept the position was based on his personal feelings of unworthiness to fill the job.

My second problem with the film is one that’s probably more a matter of historical interpretation than anything else. I tend to agree with those historians who say that when Henry uttered those immortal words "Will no-one rid me of this meddlesome priest?" thereby initiating the chain of events that led to Becket’s assassination, he did so in a fit of uncontrolled rage. His words were not intended to provoke his barons to commit an act of murder. Yet, in the film there seems to be a chilling deliberateness in the way O’Toole delivered that line. Perhaps it was O’Toole's interpretation of the event; or perhaps he was simply trying to add dramatic effect to a key scene in the movie. To me, the way the scene was played, it looks like Henry turned to his noblemen and maliciously charged them to commit murder, without ever saying so in so many words.

Despite these minor quibbles, Becket remains one of those good old-fashioned movies so popular forty years ago... the kind with world-class actors delivering lines from a superb screenplay; with an interesting subject at its heart; sumptuous sets; and colorful costumes. Maybe the film doesn’t quite match the tastes of today’s moviegoers as well as it did 37 years ago; but, if you’re looking for some first-rate entertainment by the best actors in the business, Becket certainly is a wonderful choice!






Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8