A Man for All Seasons - Trial (1 of 3)

[InternetDickhead]

Wow, Richy Rich was called to the stand...

[drcgb]

I cannot praise this film highly enough; the acting, script and setting are beyond superb; it is powerful and deeply moving. And as others have already pointed out in so many words, can you imagine anything like this being made nowadays? This film is surely one of the best ever made in the English language, at least for those with the wit and soul to appreciate such things.

[umairalishah4127]

we perfomed a man for all seasons on the stage this year in edwardes collge peshawar each year we perform differen plays in 2008 we performed MACBETH in 2009 we perfomed DR FAUSTUS and this year we had the honour of performing a man for all seasons it was a memorible moment of my life while wearing a cosutume 200 years old

[adriancombe]

@UKKid 'More' is the correct spelling.

[outtaker]

@UKkid19 because we're mostly American! :P

[CurtHowland]

Were this movie made today, it would have far grander costumes, to the point of absurdity. Furnishings and decoration again to the point of absurdity.

A focus not on character and story, but on sex and explosions.

Some movies should not, must not, be re-made.

They stand as tributes to those who put their lives on the line to make them.

This is one of those.

[xandy1959]

charlton geston had wanted the lead part.he would play it in a tv version in the 80s

[johnfoxbroncos]

May 19 is the birthday of Anne Boleyn, who played a major role in this incident. It's so fun being a historian, well I have much more to learn, but I keep my own personal journal and record my sports stats. Nice win by the Heat over the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals as well!

[kevinastraw]

At one point in the play More says to Norfolk, "What matters is not that it's true, but that I believe it; or no, not that I believe it, but that I believe it." (the second "I" is emphasised). That speech denies the possibiity of any argument counter to what More believed. It is the speech of an egotist.

[RichardLKentEsq]

@kevinastraw It is the speech of a man of morality. "I think that when statesmen forsake their own private conscience for the sake of their public duty they lead their country by a short route to chaos." You have utterly missed the point of this entire film.

[kevinastraw]

Before people get carried away - the real Sir Thomas More had William Tyndale—the father of the English Bible—arrested and burned alive for translating the Bible into English.

[mercian7]

@kevinastraw Then this is truly a tribute to a great actor and a great writer.

[Thinksheknowsit]

Well that sums up all youtube comments. Two guys arguing that they know more about Thomas More, whilst neither is capable of correctly spelling his name. Edifying and encouraging.

[tvdd1973]

I know Sir Thomas Moore was (and still is) an admired man. I know the quote about him being a 'Man for all Seasons' and I've acted in a production of the play (though not as Moore) so I've done a lot of reading both of biographies favourable to the man and those not so favourable. I have no doubt he was principled, honest, intelligent and admired. However, & here is where we obviously part way, his religious beliefs made him a zealot in my book and he certainly did have people burned alive.

[whitfieldmusic1]

I had to watch this movie in class today in my Political Science class and it was so awesome that I had to come back to it

[DavidisJjang1]

Eh.. had to do an essay on this movie. Bitch ass shit.

[shyman1]

Correct me if I'm mistaken but didn't Sir Thomas More burn a few people at the stake? I'm not fully sure of the validity of that since it was shown in The Tudors.

[KnightOwl2006]

Ha anyone else noticed the judges are all wearing Snuggies? (matching colors too, how adorable)

[AkhilleusWeeps]

Richard Rich - Dick of Dicks.

[benchwarmerbenji]

@AkhilleusWeeps I know I shouldn't laugh at your comment. I really shouldn't, but I did!

[susumu07]

Richard Rich? Like Richie Rich? Was this man actually a real person?

[mercian7]

Henry the Eighth- a truly awful King. I am a royalist but this demonstrates that democracy and especially the law should be paramount over the desires and personal weakness of dictators and kings.

[Shawndibo]

No you would not. You'd have Daniel Day Lewis and Kenneth Branagh. We're not that vulgar yet!

[Silverwire100]

I wish today's actors were as good!

[tvdd1973]

This film is beautiful; superbly directed, well-written (from the very fine play) and sublimely acted. HOWEVER it paints an entirely false picture of Sir Thomas More. He was a horrendous religious zealot of a man who had thousands of innocent people burned alive because he considered them 'heretics'. The suggestion that he was a man to be admired is, I'm afraid, a misguided one.

[pedrohqb]

@tvdd1973 They were truly heretic. Put your liberal position of cowardness to other people, sincerely. I agree with all points of St. Thomas More, as a defensor of Faith, and as real Catholic.

[tvdd1973]

@pedrohqb Most of them were burned because they wanted to read the Bible in ENGLISH, which was the only language they could read and understand. So, Mr Pedro, unless you read and speak fluent latin, you would've been burned to death as a heretic by the man you hold up as a hero of the Catholic faith.

[pedrohqb]

@tvdd1973 No, they were burned because they were heretics. And there were translations of the Bible before in common languages. German, for example.

[hammertapping]

@tvdd1973 you are ignorant. moore did not have "thousands of innocent people burned alive because he considered them 'heretics'"

don't spout your ignorant uneducated hate .

[tvdd1973]

@hammertapping Interesting that you should refer to ME as ignorant when you clearly haven't even scratched the surface of this brilliant, complex zealot of a man. Do some research on Sir Thomas Moore and at least have the good grace to admit that he was far from the stainless hero you wish him to be. People are very rarely 'black and white' and Moore is a fine example of a man that had many admirable qualities as well as some less than pleasant ones, mainly fuelled by his religious beliefs.

[hammertapping]

@tvdd1973 from your comments it is clear i do know more than you about thomas moore. i know real person was not stainless, i never claimed he was( why did you assume that mr/ms idiot?). however real person was/is admirable/admired person then and now(one eg among many see full source qoute from his contemporary for title of this play/movie).

and he did not have "thousands of innocent people burned alive because he considered them 'heretics'" as you ignorantly said. get educated fool.

[tommerrigan1956]

You understand incorrectly then. Some people have faith, some don't. It's not a matter of Aristotelian logic but, ultimately, a gift we choose or reject. i don't waste time arguing with people that my faith is warranted. The final self-validation for faith is personal experience. i am fortunate my experiences have confirmed my belief.

[joiesauvage]

this court must construe according to the law...

[hartmut1164]

@joiesauvage

No, it was Jury Trail. A jury is not per definition a guaranty for a fair trail, nor is any other system of justice. It depends on the people how pass justice and the political circumstances.

[blessOTMA]

This film is in my top 2. I have been watching it over 40 years...and it just gets better. Scofield is amazing. Thank goodness they had brains enough to put his performance on film .

[EuropeAwakening]

Brilliant acting. Can you imagine this being made today, it would have Bruce Willis or Tom Cruise or some other vapid Hollywood personality in it, ugh.

Thank you for posting.

[Milordvega]

"Qui tacit consentire videtur" is how we are taught it in law schools.

[morgandrim]

Clever chap, as was, St. Tom.

[oguzsaltik]

@Milordvega so what does that it mean? they have to have the consent of his silence. i don't get it.

[Milordvega]

It means that if you do not speak, your slience indicates that you consent to what is being said. That you agree with it.

His argument was, when he was "silent" about the proclamation, he argued that under law, he "approved" it.

[brckobhf]

anyone got any helpfull essay tips???

[mewoone]

I really like this film even though I am from different religion, and in our religion divorce is legal. What I like about this man is who he stood for what he believed ...

[Akito700]

what religion are you?

[ModernSurvivor]

That's why Robert Bolt wrote the play I believe.

[tvdd1973]

@stevevandien I think YOU'RE the one that has wires crossed, with all respect. This film is A Man for all Seasons and focuses on Sir Thomas More and his refusal to bow to King Henry VIII's desire to break from the Catholic Church so he could re-marry. The figure prosecuting him in this scene IS Thomas Cromwell (played by Leo McKern) but the film itself ISN'T Cromwell.

[stevevandien]

@tvdd1973 No, you're right; and I thought I'd cut my comments.  Wires were definitely crossed (never mind why:)). I've seen and admire both films. Thanks!

[bookishmuch]

Robert Bolt, who wrote the stage play and the script, was an atheist.

[ChildrenOfParadise]

Yes, you are correct. He was when he wrote "Man for All Seasons", but he later became a Catholic. And he eventually wrote the screenplay for "The Mission".

[peymaania]

Hopefully he was guided by logic and not by emotion. At the same time I do value the emotions of the heart. I also recognize that Organized Religion has nothing to do with emotions of the heart,

but exercise of raw brutal power politics.

[tommerrigan1956]

@peymaania He was guided neither by logic nor emotion, but faith.

[peymaania]

@tommerrigan1956 I have no idea what Faith is any more.

I understand Faith became outmoded by the efforts of 18th

century enlightenment.

[ethanessex]

They don't need to. Heresy was a civil crime that was punishable by the laws of the time. To commit heresy, and to lead others into such, was considered the same thing as murder. Murder kills the body, heresy kills the soul. This is how they thought back then. However, Thomas More was not convicted on him actually being a heretic, but rather not going along with the king's wishes. Common Law taught that silence implied assent, so it took the perjury of Rich to convict this innocent man.

[EverythingAustin]

I want to fling a mud pie at Rich's fancy schmancy new gown every time I see this movie . . . .

[rklem56]

Thomas More had dozens of men executed for heresy because they followed another church. The films doesn't even discuss that.

[tvdeje]

Pls can you tell me where did you read that?

[Ginatheroma]

St . Thomas is my favourite....

[CitizenJain666]

i just saw the video of "christian the lion", his excercise yard in london was once owned by sir Thomas Moore, how appropriate! Sir Thomas Moore was a courageous lion of a man if ever there was one.

[jakewelty1]

sir thomas moore can be considered the most honorable man of his time

[felixfaster]

this movie is nice, and the man was great, but in many ways. he was also a great persecutor of Martin Luther and the protestants.

[benchwarmerbenji]

@jakewelty1 Certainly a case could be made for that, yes.

[bigbossman999]

@jakewelty1 really? Even though thomas more had people burned at the stake during his reign as chancellor for being protestants or lutherans?