Amazon.co.uk Review
In this 12th-century version of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Henry II of England (Peter O'Toole) and his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine (Katharine Hepburn), meet on Christmas Eve to discuss the future of the throne. These two are having slight marital problems, as she is kept in captivity most of the year for raising a rebellion against him, and he flaunts his young mistress. Then there are the problems raised by their three treacherous and traitorous sons. James Goldman won an Oscar for the brilliant screenplay, based on his Broadway play. It is a tad wordy, as the action is kept to a minimum, but those words are sharp as daggers. The humour is wicked and black and delivered with very dry, dead-on precision. Sparks fly and the screen sizzles whenever Hepburn and O'Toole tango, which is often. Both were nominated for Academy Awards for their vigorous performances. (She won, he didn't.) There is also an infamous homoerotic exchange between Philip of France (Timothy Dalton) and Richard the Lionhearted (Anthony Hopkins). Both actors were making their feature film debuts. --Rochelle O'Gorman, Amazon.com
Customer Reviews:
A cocksure, swaggering piece of cinetheatre aimed at impressing Americans.......2008-02-08
What an over rated film this is. Not easy to get into, its verbosity is either a turn on or a turn off, depending on your taste, and once into its stride, it does not open out as I for one was hoping it would. Theatrical, with that very high camp style that British cinema developed in the 60s to make full use of actors like O'Toole, Burton, Harvey, Williamson, Harris, to name a few of that physical brand of stage trained screen actor, it tends to screech its own greatness at you, telling you that with this great cast and with this stylish dialogue, what we have here is a great film of a fashionable era in history and a rather cool dynasty. That sort of thing...well it was made in the late 60s, and now seems very much a victim to the pervasive attitudes and style. Doesn't wear the change of eras well, looks very dated in its style now, but perhaps the one thing we can thank it for: Introducing another stage trained young actor, one who would after a bit of time eclipse all that old 60s crowd in terms of talent.
A right Royal Christmas.......2007-12-20
If a family meets for Christmas very often it ends in disaster as all the family troubles not having bespoken about for the rest of the year and slowly poising everybody's mind erupt.
Well, why should it be different in the Royal Family? But here it is worse than usual: the first Plantagenet King's family was known for its temperaments. Henry II and his consort Eleanor of Aquitaine and their sons Young King Henry, Geoffrey of Brittany, Richard the Lion heart and John Lackland are stuff for legends and endless books. On top the cousin of France poisons the atmosphere further. The struggle for power and crowns, greet, jealousy, hate and sexual lust are a powerful mixture which creates a most explosive atmosphere. If the main characters are portrayed by Katherine Hepburn (Queen Eleanor) and Peter O'Toole one is in for a rare treat. Mrs. Hepburn's performance earned her 3 Oscar. The move is a great classic and one can really feel the tension; it seems to be simpering from the screen.
Well, let's hope that none of us will ever have such a right royal Christmas!!
Well, What Family Doesn't Have Its Ups and Downs?.......2007-06-02
"Katharine Hepburn, from her first scene when she is briefly taken out of her 10-year imprisonment, shows a wonderful relish for even the most unimpressive sarcastic line. "Well, what family doesn't have its ups and downs," she says, when sodomy, patricide, treason and incest are running their daily course. There is something about an actress with this degree of presence and a wholly distinct, pleasant and idiosyncratic voice that gets her through even misplaced weepy or extravagant scenes." Renata Adler
How many times can you watch a masterpiece and not get tired of it? Apparently as many as you want. Thus 'The Lion In Winter' is the masterpiece for me. The action is contained within one day,Christmas Eve. Henry II, Peter O'Toole is 50 years old and wants to choose his heir before he dies. He has three sons: John, his favorite; Richard, the soldier genius; and Geoffrey, reserved and quiet. Henry calls a Christmas court, letting his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine Katharine Hepburn out of prison for the occasion. King Philip of France is also a visitor. He wants to know when his sister will be married to the heir to the throne. But, Henry has not been able to appoint an heir yet, and what's more, the girl's become his mistress. This film marks the debut of Anthony Hopkis, as Richard the Lion-Hearted, Nigel Terry as the adolescent Prince John; John Castle, as Prince Geoffrey; and Timothy Dalton, as the embittered Philip of France. This film brought forth many Oscars and they deserve to be mentioned.
Katherine Hepburn-Eleanor of Aquitaine brought Hepburn her third of four Oscars.
Peter O'Toole- best actor
James Goldman- Best Screenplay
Anthony Harvey- Best Director
Margarret Furt- Best Costumne Design
Because of the powerful acting we know at the outset that the outcome will be a rsult of power, politics and will. The stakes grow high as the film moves along until there is no game any longer only reality. The emotional tug of war is palpable between he Queen and King. The issues of trust, love and honor are at stake. This film takes on the human emotions and the full realm of laughter, smiles, tears and anger invade our souls.
We root for the Queen until her manipulation has so evidently destroyed her family. We feel sorrow for the three sons, until their foibles become self-evident. The King is the King and thus all powerful. And,the mistress is but the pawn in this game.
"Jesus himself would have a hard time bringing peace to this yuletide household. Here's a family whose every deed and word is a chess move or a dagger stroke. After all, there's more at stake than merely the future of England and France. Alliances (political and sexual) rise and fall amid skillful maneuvering, clashing, and scheming for Henry's throne. At the center of this regal melee are Henry and Eleanor, whose combination of high mutual fondness and take-no-prisoners warfare -- on battlefields and in bedrooms -- make them one of cinema's great complicated relationships."
Mark Bourne
If there are any neophytes out there who have not seen this film- take thee to the nearest DVD store. A film not to be missed.
Highly, Highly Recommended. prisrob 6-02-07
The ultimate family Christmas movie.......2006-03-22
No movie sums up Christmas or brings back so many memories of Christmases Past than The Lion in Winter. It's 1183 and Henry II's let his wife out of prison to decide the succession at Christmas court in Chinon: he favors John, she favors Richard and nobody cares for Geoffrey. Cue daggers, plots and reopened wounds as everyone tries to kill everyone else and nobody gets what they wanted for Christmas. Part costume drama, part Who's Afraid of Eleanor of Aquitaine? as these jungle creatures scratch and claw at each other's weak spots and almost certainly a lot closer to history as it was lived than as it is written thanks to a truly great screenplay by James Goldman (who stumbled across the plot while researching a play about Robin Hood that would later become the sadly underrated Robin and Marion) that's done justice by it's cast. Katherine Hepburn may have got the Oscar, but Peter O'Toole before the rot set in, reprising and bettering his role from Beckett, matches her tooth and claw, with Anthony Hopkins, Timothy Dalton and John Castle picking up a few tricks en route. The weak links are the reliably awful Nigel Terry's overstated John and Jane Merrow's Alais, a performance as flat as her singing voice, but as they are required to be simpletons and ciphers they don't get in the way. Terrific nasty fun. It's just a shame the director's commentary on the Region 1 DVD wasn't included on the disc.
A play rather than a film.......2006-03-19
I did not really like this film. Too much emphasis on the relationships between the characters and not much actually going on. The dialogue is great though, very witty, but it would have been more appropriate staged as a play. There are some good moments but, on the whole, I found it did not give me the impression of being set in the middle ages or to give an accurate reflection of the historical events of the time.
I was a bit disappointed or perhaps not in the mood for that kind of film when I watched it.
Amazon.co.uk Review
In this 12th-century version of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Henry II of England (Peter O'Toole) and his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine (Katharine Hepburn), meet on Christmas Eve to discuss the future of the throne. These two are having slight marital problems, as she is kept in captivity most of the year for raising a rebellion against him, and he flaunts his young mistress. Then there are the problems raised by their three treacherous and traitorous sons. James Goldman won an Oscar for the brilliant screenplay, based on his Broadway play. It is a tad wordy, as the action is kept to a minimum, but those words are sharp as daggers. The humour is wicked and black and delivered with very dry, dead-on precision. Sparks fly and the screen sizzles whenever Hepburn and O'Toole tango, which is often. Both were nominated for Academy Awards for their vigorous performances. (She won, he didn't.) There is also an infamous homoerotic exchange between Philip of France (Timothy Dalton) and Richard the Lionhearted (Anthony Hopkins). Both actors were making their feature film debuts. --Rochelle O'Gorman, Amazon.com
Customer Reviews:
A cocksure, swaggering piece of cinetheatre aimed at impressing Americans.......2008-02-08
What an over rated film this is. Not easy to get into, its verbosity is either a turn on or a turn off, depending on your taste, and once into its stride, it does not open out as I for one was hoping it would. Theatrical, with that very high camp style that British cinema developed in the 60s to make full use of actors like O'Toole, Burton, Harvey, Williamson, Harris, to name a few of that physical brand of stage trained screen actor, it tends to screech its own greatness at you, telling you that with this great cast and with this stylish dialogue, what we have here is a great film of a fashionable era in history and a rather cool dynasty. That sort of thing...well it was made in the late 60s, and now seems very much a victim to the pervasive attitudes and style. Doesn't wear the change of eras well, looks very dated in its style now, but perhaps the one thing we can thank it for: Introducing another stage trained young actor, one who would after a bit of time eclipse all that old 60s crowd in terms of talent.
A right Royal Christmas.......2007-12-20
If a family meets for Christmas very often it ends in disaster as all the family troubles not having bespoken about for the rest of the year and slowly poising everybody's mind erupt.
Well, why should it be different in the Royal Family? But here it is worse than usual: the first Plantagenet King's family was known for its temperaments. Henry II and his consort Eleanor of Aquitaine and their sons Young King Henry, Geoffrey of Brittany, Richard the Lion heart and John Lackland are stuff for legends and endless books. On top the cousin of France poisons the atmosphere further. The struggle for power and crowns, greet, jealousy, hate and sexual lust are a powerful mixture which creates a most explosive atmosphere. If the main characters are portrayed by Katherine Hepburn (Queen Eleanor) and Peter O'Toole one is in for a rare treat. Mrs. Hepburn's performance earned her 3 Oscar. The move is a great classic and one can really feel the tension; it seems to be simpering from the screen.
Well, let's hope that none of us will ever have such a right royal Christmas!!
Well, What Family Doesn't Have Its Ups and Downs?.......2007-06-02
"Katharine Hepburn, from her first scene when she is briefly taken out of her 10-year imprisonment, shows a wonderful relish for even the most unimpressive sarcastic line. "Well, what family doesn't have its ups and downs," she says, when sodomy, patricide, treason and incest are running their daily course. There is something about an actress with this degree of presence and a wholly distinct, pleasant and idiosyncratic voice that gets her through even misplaced weepy or extravagant scenes." Renata Adler
How many times can you watch a masterpiece and not get tired of it? Apparently as many as you want. Thus 'The Lion In Winter' is the masterpiece for me. The action is contained within one day,Christmas Eve. Henry II, Peter O'Toole is 50 years old and wants to choose his heir before he dies. He has three sons: John, his favorite; Richard, the soldier genius; and Geoffrey, reserved and quiet. Henry calls a Christmas court, letting his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine Katharine Hepburn out of prison for the occasion. King Philip of France is also a visitor. He wants to know when his sister will be married to the heir to the throne. But, Henry has not been able to appoint an heir yet, and what's more, the girl's become his mistress. This film marks the debut of Anthony Hopkis, as Richard the Lion-Hearted, Nigel Terry as the adolescent Prince John; John Castle, as Prince Geoffrey; and Timothy Dalton, as the embittered Philip of France. This film brought forth many Oscars and they deserve to be mentioned.
Katherine Hepburn-Eleanor of Aquitaine brought Hepburn her third of four Oscars.
Peter O'Toole- best actor
James Goldman- Best Screenplay
Anthony Harvey- Best Director
Margarret Furt- Best Costumne Design
Because of the powerful acting we know at the outset that the outcome will be a rsult of power, politics and will. The stakes grow high as the film moves along until there is no game any longer only reality. The emotional tug of war is palpable between he Queen and King. The issues of trust, love and honor are at stake. This film takes on the human emotions and the full realm of laughter, smiles, tears and anger invade our souls.
We root for the Queen until her manipulation has so evidently destroyed her family. We feel sorrow for the three sons, until their foibles become self-evident. The King is the King and thus all powerful. And,the mistress is but the pawn in this game.
"Jesus himself would have a hard time bringing peace to this yuletide household. Here's a family whose every deed and word is a chess move or a dagger stroke. After all, there's more at stake than merely the future of England and France. Alliances (political and sexual) rise and fall amid skillful maneuvering, clashing, and scheming for Henry's throne. At the center of this regal melee are Henry and Eleanor, whose combination of high mutual fondness and take-no-prisoners warfare -- on battlefields and in bedrooms -- make them one of cinema's great complicated relationships."
Mark Bourne
If there are any neophytes out there who have not seen this film- take thee to the nearest DVD store. A film not to be missed.
Highly, Highly Recommended. prisrob 6-02-07
The ultimate family Christmas movie.......2006-03-22
No movie sums up Christmas or brings back so many memories of Christmases Past than The Lion in Winter. It's 1183 and Henry II's let his wife out of prison to decide the succession at Christmas court in Chinon: he favors John, she favors Richard and nobody cares for Geoffrey. Cue daggers, plots and reopened wounds as everyone tries to kill everyone else and nobody gets what they wanted for Christmas. Part costume drama, part Who's Afraid of Eleanor of Aquitaine? as these jungle creatures scratch and claw at each other's weak spots and almost certainly a lot closer to history as it was lived than as it is written thanks to a truly great screenplay by James Goldman (who stumbled across the plot while researching a play about Robin Hood that would later become the sadly underrated Robin and Marion) that's done justice by it's cast. Katherine Hepburn may have got the Oscar, but Peter O'Toole before the rot set in, reprising and bettering his role from Beckett, matches her tooth and claw, with Anthony Hopkins, Timothy Dalton and John Castle picking up a few tricks en route. The weak links are the reliably awful Nigel Terry's overstated John and Jane Merrow's Alais, a performance as flat as her singing voice, but as they are required to be simpletons and ciphers they don't get in the way. Terrific nasty fun. It's just a shame the director's commentary on the Region 1 DVD wasn't included on the disc.
A play rather than a film.......2006-03-19
I did not really like this film. Too much emphasis on the relationships between the characters and not much actually going on. The dialogue is great though, very witty, but it would have been more appropriate staged as a play. There are some good moments but, on the whole, I found it did not give me the impression of being set in the middle ages or to give an accurate reflection of the historical events of the time.
I was a bit disappointed or perhaps not in the mood for that kind of film when I watched it.
DVD:
- The Maltese Falcon (2 Disc Special Edition) [1941]
- The Norman Wisdom Collection [1953]
- The Party (2 Disc Special Edition) [1968]
- The Philadelphia Story [1940]
- The Quiet Man (John Wayne) [1952]
- The Seventh Seal [1957]
- The Song Of Bernadette [1943]
- The Ten Commandments [1956]
- The Third Man [1949]
- The Wizard Of Oz [1939]
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