Becket

Becket
by Peter Glenville

Becket

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DVD details

Actor: Gino Cervi, John Gielgud, Paolo Stoppa, Peter O'Toole, Richard Burton
Director: Peter Glenville
Brand: BURTON/O'TOOLE
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Published), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; French (Published), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 150 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-05-15
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: MPI Home Video

DVD Reviews of Becket

DVD Review: FASCINATING THAT THIS FILM WAS POPULAR THEN...
Summary: 4 Stars

I absolutely loved this film and it's pagentry and intrigue and dialogue...but how on earth with the crass competition of cleavage and Doris Day venue did ANYONE sit thru this compelling drama??? Were they just trying to impress their colleagues that they were interested in 11-12th century ENGLISH history??? This film is slow moving and you actually have to pay attention enough to appreciate the suffering of Henry II's love for Becket and hence, I continue to persue the venue of how this film succeeded in this era...I am impressed with those that were able to appreciate the path less taken and applaud anyone who comprehends the afflictions of kings and counterparts in history...

DVD Review: Very Good Movie Better on Blu-Ray
Summary: 4 Stars

I don't think this is a great movie, but it's a very good one.

With the elaborate costumes and sets, the movie really benefits from the hi-def treatment -- with only a couple exceptions, the Blu-ray looks far superior to the DVD. (The exceptions are places where enhanced clarity makes film tricks like matte paintings more obvious. I still prefer the hi-def image without reservation.)

I tend to imagine Peter O'Toole as too big a star to give his attention to DVD commentary tracks, but he does a commentary track here and is fully engaged, interesting and informative.

The Blu-ray supplements are missing two archival interviews with Richard Burton that appear on the DVD. (The interviews are interesting, but there is no mention of Becket in either of them.)

DVD Review: BECKETT
Summary: 5 Stars

I saw this movie back in the 60s when I lived in the UK. Then I thought Burton and O'Toole seemed unbeatable as actors, now I think they are even more so. For them not to BOTH share the Academy awards that year seems like a travesty, though I must admit I do not know who beat them out (whomever it was it must have been one helluva performance). Becket is a movie for all times and the performances of these two fine actors are just EVERGREEN. Reminds me of the Tudor series on Showtime....also fine performances.

DVD Review: Becket on Blu-ray -- A Masterpiece
Summary: 5 Stars

We waited years for this film to appear on DVD and when MPI finally released it on standard DVD I was delighted to see and hear it so well restored considering the film's apparently bumpy history. Then it seemed, before one could take a breath, out it came on Blu-ray. Since this is probably my favorite of all films, at least in this genre, I immediately ordered it. The beautiful rendering of sight and sound of this film brought tears to my eyes. I had difficulty believing that this forty-five year old movie could have been brought to this level of excellence. MPI must be given great credit for caring so much for this film.

The cast for this film is essentially a who's who of British acting excellence, many, of course, whom are no longer with us. Peter O'Toole's achievement in "Lawrence of Arabia" notwithstanding, his performance in "Becket" is, for me, his tour de force -- the epitome of screen acting. I think the most moving moment in the entire film is the final scene when he is looking down at the image of Becket on his sarcophagus, following his final lines: "Is the honor of God washed clean enough? Are you satisfied now, Thomas?" His face then, within a few seconds, conveys a series of expressions that I have difficulty describing -- from gladness (that Becket has now been finally canonized a saint) to grief (that the man he admired and loved is gone). But it was done with such subtlety! How O'Toole could have accomplished such a thing with a camera grinding a few feet away from him is something I can't fathom. But it is terribly moving.

Only a few years ago we couldn't have dreamt of having something like this disc sitting on a shelf ready to bring this and other classic films to life again whenever we wish it. If MGM still has the rights to "The Lion in Winter" it would be wonderful to see a similar restoration of that classic.

DVD Review: Becket -- DVD
Summary: 2 Stars

I remembered "Becket" from its movie release ('66?), recalling it as a wonderfully powerful film of conscience with robust contributions by Burton & O'Toole. When it came to DVD I immediately ordered it. However, I found that the film did not stand up to the memories of a 14 year old. Shot almost as a play -- though there are good location scenes -- it came across as overly dialogue-driven ... again, great theater but not-so-great cinema. Also, and unfortunately, the acting now seems over-the-top almost to the point of over-wrought hysteria, and this in more than a few places. So, some things age well like wine while others regrettably turn to vinegar.

Description of Becket

Henry II, King of England, tries to secure his throne by appointing his long-time wenching partner, Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: NR
Release Date: 15-MAY-2007
Media Type: DVD

Made in 1964, but set in 12th-century England, this is the fact-based story of Henry II (Peter O'Toole) and his dear friend, the Archbishop of Canterbury (Richard Burton). When the king appoints his former drinking buddy to the high religious office, he believes he has placed an ally into power. Instead, he learns that Thomas very much takes his job to heart, prompting Henry to ask that fateful question--"Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?"

This won an Academy Award for Best Screenplay, and it is a strong example of finely tuned performances--both leading men received Academy Award nominations for their roles. There is much passion and rage on the screen, but the beauty of their performances is that we always know that love is there as well. The film, shot on location in England, is also visually appealing. Trivia buffs may be interested to know that Peter O'Toole played Henry II four years later in The Lion in Winter. --Rochelle O'Gorman

The primary bonus feature is a treat: a feature-length commentary by Peter O'Toole, accompanied by a moderator. With only occasional gaps of silence, the still sharp and well-spoken O'Toole recalls the making of the film, how he didn't research the historical King Henry ("The author has made the character; that's his job. My job is to play it."), and his memories of Richard Burton, both personal ("We found that we both enjoyed rugby, we both enjoyed songs, and we both enjoyed drinking, and got along very well.") and professional ("he had an astonishing presence on the stage"). There are also two archival interviews with Burton from 1967 and 1977 (26 minutes total), in which he doesn't discuss Becket, but he does say a lot about his life on stage, he recites some lines, and speaks candidly about his drinking problem.

Don't skip over the interviews with the film's editor Anne Coates and composer Laurence Rosenthal. Coates (7 minutes) has some good stories, and Rosenthal (12 minutes) discusses the influences on his Oscar-nominated score and how he had to teach Gregorian chant to Burton ("He was one of these people whom you really can't teach anything. He had this characteristic that you can only remind him of something he already knows. But he didn't know how to sing Gregorian chant."). In addition to a photo gallery and the four-and-a-half-minute theatrical trailer, MPI's long-delayed DVD looks better than many major-studio classics. --David Horiuchi

Beyond Becket

Other Peter O'Toole Films
Other Richard Burton Films
More King Henrys on DVD

Stills from Becket (click for larger image)

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