Anne of the Thousand Days / Mary, Queen of Scots

Anne of the Thousand Days / Mary, Queen of Scots
by Charles Jarrott

Anne of the Thousand Days / Mary, Queen of Scots
List Price: $19.98
Our Price: $14.99
You Save: $4.99 (25%)
Availability: Usually ships in 2 to 3 days
Buy Used: from $11.74 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD details


(Click here)
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada

DVD details

Actor: Genevi?ve Bujold, Glenda Jackson, Irene Papas, Richard Burton, Vanessa Redgrave
Director: Charles Jarrott
Brand: Universal
Cinematographer: Arthur Ibbetson
Producer: Hal B. Wallis
Producer: Richard McWhorter
Writer: Bridget Boland
Writer: John Hale
Writer: Maxwell Anderson
Writer: Richard Sokolove
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled)
Format: Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 278 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-09-18
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Universal Studios

DVD Reviews of Anne of the Thousand Days / Mary, Queen of Scots

DVD Review: Very entertaining
Summary: 5 Stars

The recent interest in the Tudors had me go back to see this classic, a wonderful performance by Vanessa Redgrave in the title role, with Glenda Jackson, Elizabeth I the rival queen, Timonty Dalton, her second husband, Patrick McGoohan, her scheming illegitimate brother, Nigel Davenport as the blunt Bothwell, her third husband, and a host of other British acting talent. Mary was misguided and not always the nicest person, but the performance is truly stunning. Great stuff!

Anne of A Thousand Days, a great performance by both leads, especially Burton, an you can see wher the Tudors staff got their ideas from with this film. She is a bit less than fascinating her and far more manipulative than they give her credit for in the miniseries, and the film does not explain why they went 'off the boil' so quickly, but Burton was a titan and the dialogue is very racy and compelling for a movie of the time.

DVD Review: Absolutely first rate set of historical films
Summary: 5 Stars

These two films, which I loved when I was beginning to get interested in history, have met the test of re-viewing as an adult. They blew me away, yet again. Anne1000 is perhaps the finer film (with 2 fabulous actors), but the duel between Eliz 1 and MQS makes for wonderful drama. Indeed, they are also complementary, as E 1 appears in both and you see her origin.

Anne1000 is about Anne Bolyne, who was one of the causes of the Reformation in England. Hungry for power, she played a dangerous game with Henry8, leading him on, seducing him for love, and then grasping for the queenship. Once there, she lost control, much because she was unlucky in the children to whom she gave birth. H8 then lost interest, passing on to others as he was bound to do, given his appetites and character. To be sure, Boleyn was naive and arrogant, paving the way for her annihilation by her political faults, but she is also sympathetic and strong, like a proto-feminist. We also see the atmosphere in which E1 had to survive, which may explain some of her political genius. It is very moving, beautifully shot, and psychologically real. The BEST.

MQScots is very different. E1 has a shakey hold on power, being a protestant while MQS is a Catholic allied to the superpower neighbor, France. In comparison to E1, who is wholly a creature of her office having suppressed any interfering human emotion to politics, MQS wants to live and follows her sentiment. MQS is seen as a rival to the English throne, making her a mortal enemy of E1 and clearly out of her political depth. The 2 engage in a terrible struggle for power that could only lead to death. The drama is wonderfully taut.

Warmly recommended. These films satisfy on every level: as history, as stimulation, as drama.

DVD Review: Historical Accuracy...uhhh, No
Summary: 3 Stars

"Anne of the Thousand Days" and "Mary, Queen of Scotts" (late '60s and early 70s) stand up very well in terms of filmmaking done today. The costuming is rich, the attention to detail is evident in the speech patterns, even the technical quality isn't sorely lacking. The fact that these 2 films are packaged together is a boon to the viewer; they are 2 stories on divergent paths with interweaving themes. The problems arise with some of the OTT acting and numerous historical inaccuracies spouted as gospel truth.

First up is "Anne of the Thousand Days" (ATD). Portrayed with a gayness and stiffer than one would think backbone, Genevieve Bujold has a grand time prancing, flirting and storming her way to the top of the food chain in Henry VIIIs heart (Richard Burton). The portrayal is a good one, the issue (especially on the heels of Natalie Dormer's spot-on characterization in televisions 'The Tudors') is a lack of the intellectual factor that Anne Boleyn was so noted for. Yes, she was playful, prone to jealous fits, and sometimes self-absorbed, but she was also fiercely proud of the fact that she could hold her own with anyone in the political or spiritual arena. "ATD" fails to bring that across. The fact that they have Henry VIII speak with Anne while she is imprisoned in the Tower is in bitter contradiction with what he ACTUALLY did. He didn't see her, contact her, nor spend anytime with their daughter, Elizabeth. Good King Hal was too busy becoming engaged to wife #3, Jane Seymour. Strong performances were given though, a 3.5 star effort.

The accompanying DVD, "Mary, Queen of Scots" is lucky to boast the woman synonymous with Elizabeth Is portrayal, Glenda Jackson. Vanessa Redgrave is beautiful as the doomed Queen of Scots, but her accent is all over the place, and she looks like a deer in the headlights for about 85% of the film. Once again the research teams romanticize a queen's relationships and volunteer that Mary left with the Earl of Bothwell willingly after the murder of her husband Lord Darnley. This contradicts historical evidence that in fact shows Mary was more than likely abducted and sexually assaulted by Bothwell, a fact the film ignores. Having the 2 queens meet is a popular piece of fiction (HBO's ELIZABETH, with Helen Mirren, did the same thing), but nothing could be farther from the truth. QE1 would NEVER meet Mary Stewart because she understood how that could compromise her throne.

"MQS" is a film that ends up all over the place, with no real foundation unless Glenda Jackson is onscreen. I'm unsure why Redgrave was nominated for an Oscar (unless 1971 was a really poor year for women's roles in films) as her portrayal fell very flat. One bonus was the late Patrick McGoohan as Mary's half-brother, James Stuart, Earl of Moray. A 2.5 star film.

Average for both-3 stars. Some quality acting in both films from Genevieve Bujold in "ATD" and Glenda Jackson and Patrick McGoohan in "MQS."

DVD Review: Anne Excellent - Mary Good
Summary: 4 Stars

Was very pleased with the purchase. A great value! Anne moved along briskly and was compelling. Costuming an d scenery was super. Mary plodded at times.

DVD Review: Two Historical Masterpieces From An Era of Masterpieces
Summary: 5 Stars

These magnificent films date from the late 1960s and early 1970s, a period which produced many historical movies with an attention to detail and accuracy which is rarely seen in these less patient times. Each film boasts a stellar cast, including Genevieve Bujold, Richard Burton, Vanessa Redgrave, and Glenda Jackson. The language is rich and the settings are beautiful. Those with limited attention spans may feel frustrated with some of the speeches and declamations, but bear with them for a truly dramatic experience.

Description of Anne of the Thousand Days / Mary, Queen of Scots

Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 09/18/2007
As costume dramas go, this is a passionate and feisty one, keyed by the ever-luminous Vanessa Redgrave in the title role and the sharp-edged Glenda Jackson as her jealous cousin, Queen Elizabeth?I (who knew a thing or two about palace intrigue). Mary, who was raised in France as a Catholic, claims the Scottish crown from her mother upon her death. But she runs up against religious prejudice, both from the Protestant Elizabeth (who had encountered anti-Protestant bias before she took the throne) and from Mary's Protestant half-brother James Stuart (Patrick McGoohan). Elizabeth, whose own reign is shaky (given a strong Catholic presence in her country), is nervous about her Catholic cousin--and made more so by Mary's seeming inability to appreciate the political niceties of the period. Redgrave received an Oscar nomination for her performance. --Marshall Fine

Genres DVDs

DVD Video
Bestsellers in Genres DVDs
Battlestar Galactica: Season 4.5 ImageBattlestar Galactica: Season 4.5
DVD
Best price: $31.99
Price in other shops: $49.98
Jillian Michaels: Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism ImageJillian Michaels: Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism
Lions Gate; Release date: 2009-02-03; DVD
Best price: $8.22
Price in other shops: $14.98
The Wrestler ImageThe Wrestler
Twentieth Century Fox; Release date: 2009-04-21; DVD
Best price: $11.49
Price in other shops: $29.98
The Concerts ImageThe Concerts
Release date: 2009-04-28; DVD
Best price: $26.49
Price in other shops: $34.98
Quantum of Solace ImageQuantum of Solace
Release date: 2009-03-24; DVD
Best price: $8.85
Price in other shops: $29.99
Marley and Me (Single-Disc Edition) ImageMarley and Me (Single-Disc Edition)
Twentieth Century Fox; Release date: 2009-03-31; DVD
Best price: $10.55
Price in other shops: $29.98
Caprica ImageCaprica
Universal; Release date: 2009-04-21; DVD
Best price: $13.50
Price in other shops: $26.98
Slumdog Millionaire ImageSlumdog Millionaire
Twentieth Century Fox; Release date: 2009-03-31; DVD
Best price: $10.40
Price in other shops: $29.98
Twilight (Two-Disc Special Edition) ImageTwilight (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Universal; Release date: 2009-03-21; DVD
Best price: $9.99
Price in other shops: $32.99
Jillian Michaels - 30 Day Shred ImageJillian Michaels - 30 Day Shred
Lions Gate; Release date: 2008-03-18; DVD
Best price: $7.57
Price in other shops: $14.98
Similar DVDs, VHS Video, Audio CDs
Elizabeth I ImageElizabeth I
Warner Brothers; Release date: 2006-08-22; DVD
Best price: $10.13
Price in other shops: $19.98
The Lion in Winter ImageThe Lion in Winter
Release date: 2001-06-19; DVD
Best price: $6.39
Price in other shops: $14.98
The Other Boleyn Girl ImageThe Other Boleyn Girl
Sony; Release date: 2008-06-10; DVD
Best price: $8.55
Price in other shops: $19.94
Becket ImageBecket
MPI; Release date: 2007-05-15; DVD
Best price: $13.52
Price in other shops: $24.98
Elizabeth (Spotlight Series) ImageElizabeth (Spotlight Series)
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAIN.; Release date: 2007-09-18; DVD
Best price: $5.84
Price in other shops: $12.98
Elizabeth - The Golden Age (Widescreen Edition) ImageElizabeth - The Golden Age (Widescreen Edition)
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAIN.; Release date: 2008-02-05; DVD
Best price: $5.74
Price in other shops: $14.98
A Man for All Seasons (Special Edition) ImageA Man for All Seasons (Special Edition)
Sony; Release date: 2007-02-20; DVD
Best price: $6.58
Price in other shops: $14.94
Lady Jane ImageLady Jane
Paramount; Release date: 2003-02-18; DVD
Best price: $7.74
Price in other shops: $14.98
The Tudors - The Complete Second Season ImageThe Tudors - The Complete Second Season
Paramount; Release date: 2009-01-06; DVD
Best price: $17.99
Price in other shops: $40.99
The Tudors - The Complete First Season ImageThe Tudors - The Complete First Season
Paramount; Release date: 2008-01-01; DVD
Best price: $19.98
Price in other shops: $42.99
Compare prices and read customer reviews for more than one million DVD titles.
Oscar 2005 Winners