| Overall Grade: |
A+ |
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| Story: |
A |
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| Acting: |
A |
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| Direction: |
A |
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| Visuals: |
A |
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Film for all seasons
by JDW (movies profile)
Sep 13, 2006
1
of
1 people found this review helpful
"If we lived in a state where virtue was profitable, common sense would have made us saintly."
This film, certainly with one of the most well-written screenplays of all time, essentially shows us that we do not live in such a world, as well as the price paid by those who aspire to saintliness. Granted, Sir Thomas More was not such a person. Though he was steadfast in his principles and true to them till the end, in his pursuit of heretics he was one of the most ruthless, savagely bloodthirsty men of the 16th Century. This need not detract from the nobility he showed in the face of King Henry's illogical command, however. As portrayed in this movie (and I presume the stage play) Thomas More is a true model of inspiration. We need such examples in our day and age, where the very idea of scruple and conscience is questioned in favor of plurality and relativism, both of which merely serve to placate our own conscience when faced with issues of right and wrong. The burden of decision becomes less heavy when we are merely deciding what is 'politically acceptable' or 'culturally relevant', than when we are deciding whether what we are doing is intrinsically right or not. All around Thomas More are examples of people who adopted just such a stance, whether to save their lives or to be in the King's good graces (or both). Yet Thomas More himself has no delusions of sainthood, he is just as concerned with saving his own life as those around him are, but he recognizes that there are certain things worth more than life itself. Overall this is a truly excellent movie in every respect. Paul Scofield gives a nuanced, passionate performance that is truly Oscar-deserving, but all the other actors are equally competent and in their various roles serve to make More's predicament dramatically compelling. The direction is assured and visually impeccable, the music resonates with the time and the cinematography, again, is Oscar-deserving. We need more movies like this, that are technically brilliant as well as inspirational and instructive. |
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