The story of Sir Thomas More, who stood up to King Henry VIII when the King rejected the Roman Catholic Church to obtain a divorce and remarry.The story of Sir Thomas More, who stood up to King Henry VIII when the King rejected the Roman Catholic Church to obtain a divorce and remarry.The story of Sir Thomas More, who stood up to King Henry VIII when the King rejected the Roman Catholic Church to obtain a divorce and remarry.
- Won 6 Oscars
- 34 wins & 9 nominations total
Best Picture Winners by Year
Best Picture Winners by Year
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaProducer and director Fred Zinnemann, as quoted in his autobiography, calls this the easiest movie he ever made, thanks to the extraordinary caliber of the crew, and the actors and actresses, and the way they worked together.
- GoofsLord Chancellor Wolsey did not die in office; he was removed from the office of Lord Chancellor by Henry (because of his displeasure at Wolsey's failure to secure a divorce from Catherine), and died more than a year after Sir Thomas More became Lord Chancellor. Wolsey did, however, remain Archbishop of York.
- Quotes
William Roper: So, now you give the Devil the benefit of law!
Sir Thomas More: Yes! What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?
William Roper: Yes, I'd cut down every law in England to do that!
Sir Thomas More: Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned 'round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man's laws, not God's! And if you cut them down, and you're just the man to do it, do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!
- ConnectionsFeatured in Precious Images (1986)
He's up against all sorts of devious schemers, two of the most infamous extremely well played by LEO McKERN and JOHN HURT. ROBERT SHAW gives an over-the-top, typically flamboyant performance as Henry VIII that sometimes borders on the ludicrous. Yet, for this performance, he received much acclaim.
But PAUL SCOFIELD carries the film with his intelligent, piercing eyes and wit as he spars verbally with every member of his household, including WENDY HILLER as his stubborn wife who wants him to spare himself the indignity of being sent to the Tower. He maintains his poise and quiet determination at all times.
The costumes, the sets, the exteriors--all are brilliantly captured to give the film an authentic feeling of time and atmosphere. The screenplay by Robert Bolt is a pleasure to watch and listen to as it unfolds a period of history right before our eyes. This is the sort of film only the British can do in the royal manner--and it justifiably won several well deserved Oscars, including one for Scofield as Best Actor and other awards that included Best Picture and Best Director (FRED ZINNEMANN).
As a history lesson, you can't afford to miss it.
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Ein Mann zu jeder Jahreszeit
- Filming locations
- Studley Priory, Horton Hill, Horton-cum-Studley, Oxfordshire, England, UK(Thomas More's house)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $2,000,000 (estimated)
- Runtime2 hours
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.66 : 1