An engrossing historical drama of much wit and intelligence, A Man for All Seasons is a robust portrayal of one man’s stand for virtue against a corrupt tyranny, with the story of Sir Thomas Moore incredibly relevant today.
There are moments in life that demand you draw a line in the sand, moments that speak to who you are, what you believe, and how far you are willing to go to fight for that belief. For Sir Thomas Moore (Paul Schofield) his beliefs, strongly inspired by his Catholic faith, not only defined who he was in life, but also who he was in death.
A lawyer and statesman during 16th century Britain, Moore was also Lord High Chancellor of England, until his opposition to the Protestant Reformation took him to a moral, political, and theological crossroads, when King Henry VIII (Robert Shaw) moved to split from the Catholic Church and establish the Church of England, all so he can divorce the Queen and marry Anne Boleyn (Vanessa Redgrave.)
A Man for All Seasons presents Moore’s final years, and the ramifications of King Henry VIII’s earth shattering decision, with equal parts historical veracity and British filmmaking pageantry. Based on the 1960 play by Robert Bolt (who adapts his work to the screen), the film is especially dialogue driven yet you would be hard pressed to find a better screenplay during year or any other.
Heavy subjects such as religion and politics are spoken with spirited tongue, as Moore uses his intelligence and cunning wit to not only ignore the traps laid by a corrupt royalty out to catch him as a “traitor”, but to also teach lessons of integrity and God given virtue in the face of a giant imposing force set to crush his will and compromise his soul.
Paul Scofield is terrific as Moore, delivering Bolt’s dialogue with conviction and precision, establishing the strong, faith based moral integrity that Moore was willing to die for and which we believe and invest in throughout the films 120 min runtime. Great too are supporting turns by John Hurt as the corruptible weasel Richard Rich, and Robert Shaw as the emotional unpredictable King Henry VIII whose power-hungry ego leads him believe that he is equal to God himself.
Director Fred Zimmerman (From Here to Eternity) expertly balances royal drama theatrics, character rich morality storytelling, and historical based dramatization to create a film of much relevance and entertainment value. The story of Sir Thomas Moore is an important in its historical and present-day implications, where the integrity of the individual – made in God’s image, exercising free will, with the right to believe what he/she chooses to believe – is of paramount importance.
A Man for All Seasons is a movie made for all seasons.
