A Man For All Seasons - Clip "Give The Devil Benefit Of Law"

[MrMaxTruth]

I think we love this film in particular this scene because its point is still so valid today. We like to think we have come so far in the past 400 years but when we look at Britain with its ant-terrorism laws that allow anyone to be arbitraraly arrested and held without trial and the recent debate in America over the "need' to torture, one has to wonder. The truth is the moment we tear down the law the devil will always be there ready to devour the innocent.

[Dictator300]

It was this film that returned me respect of Britain. I had lost respect because of a few issues in the past, like the mistreatment of the people of Ireland, Scotland and a few other things, like the recent favoring of Islam over Christianity. This movie was so excellent that it made me love England again. I just hope England stops from getting me to hate it again.

England had better stand up for Christianity, or England will cease to have heroes.

[mercian7]

@England/Great Britain/the UK does not need you to love it.

[Dictator300]

@mercian7 Yes, because England deserves to be hated, right?

[HortonEggHatcher]

The most elegant and concise statement on the importance of the Rule of Law ever written.

[harlingtonstraker]

This scene should be shown to all those who support Control Orders in the UK. Without Rule of Law, the State has no legitimacy, and becomes a racket.

[thoughtadventure]

This movie, and this scene in particular, provoked a lot of thinking for me when I was a teenager. I am grateful for that.

[mercian7]

mgayford of course you are correct.Perhaps I got carried away.

 My first comment is better than my second.

Today of many days is important as Li xiaobo has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Law must be paramount- fair laws of course.

The title of this clip illustrates rates the power of the law although it did not help Sir Thomas More, effectively murdered by one of the worst English Kings.

[10Adnan01]

I dont know why but I see this character in Ron Pual.

[pjr79]

@10Adnan01 Perhaps I can articulate one reason why. Ron Paul respects the Constitution which is the supreme law of this land. Paul prefers to say - "I haven't the authority to do so and so" whereas other politicians ignore their oath to uphold the Constitution and pretend they have the authority to do what suits them. The similarities don't end there...

[pedrohqb]

That clip shows clearly a thomist influence over the concept of Law, which is not concerned directly with morality, but with justitia. That influence may come because by that time Law applied by More was Roman Law, not Common Law. Wonderful.

[mercian7]

that mans bad!

there's no law against that!

there is , Gods law!

THEN GOD CAN ARREST HIM!

Absolutely awesome.

Sir Thomas More- a Saint, did not speak these words but - i like to think he would of.

I am a believer in him and ...

[mgayford]

@mercian7 I'm not saying that the real More did not have great integrity, but you have to remember that he did oversee the burning of 'heretics' for the 'crime' of owning a Bible written in English. One must make the distinction between Robert Bolt's moral paragon, the real, conflicted, and in some senses criminal man the character is roughly based upon, and the worthless and one dimensional saintly caricature the Church promotes.

[svenakin777]

THE most impressive scene/dialogue about - and speaking for - law and righteousness ive ever seen in a movie or a play (this is both in some way since its originally a play..)!

[mercian7]

This is one of the most profound clips on you tube. Everyone should view and understand the last few moments of this scene delivered by the great Paul Scofield. The perfect actor for this part.

[ajacqx]

@mercian7

I've seen it at least 25 times and it still gives me goose bumps each and every time!

[silenceseaandsky]

@mercian7  Yes, a gem of a clip

[Erazmus72]

Great scene, great dialog, and great insight.

[MunozSoccerUSA]

wtf

[ajacqx]

@MunozSoccerUSA

...use it in a complete sentence and I swear I'll help you.... 'cause it certainly would appear as though you need help.... with this.

[MrMaxTruth]

This last scene refering to allowing the devil the benefit of the law reminds me of our current situation with Al-Quieda and the terrorists the US holds. Should we torture them affording them no rights , should we incarserate them and send them to a closed trial without any defence as has been suggested. No, think that Sir Thomass Moore's statment of affording the devil the law for his own safteys sake is more true today than it has ever been.

[akosh33]

@MrMaxTruth Yes. For a great introduction to torture and to the tradeoff between torture and rights, see Jeremy Waldron's 2005 piece "Torture and Positive Law" in the Columbia Law Review.

[GingerBakersson]

This is a brilliant film. One of my favourites.

[dennis345]

I once quoted this whole scene to a jury in a drug trafficking case. The jury knew my client was otherwise a criminal, but he clearly was not guilty in the case at hand. I reminded them not to convict him just because he was "bad." They acquitted.

If we can give Nazi war criminals full due process of law (Nuremberg trials), we can do the same for al Qaeda criminals.

[papakilatube]

That was brilliant. Take that Lynn Cheney, Glen Beck and Fox News.

[Jane1620]

No, take that Obama who is trying to force health care on America

[papakilatube]

At least no one is going to be waterboarded or rendered to foreign dictatorships like Syria for "enhanced interrogation" to get it done. And listen to yourself. Force health care on Americans? Who can't afford it? Or do you mean force those who can pay for it to subsidize those who can't? And how is a majority vote in the Congress a use of force? Obama is using the legislative process. That's why it's so slooooow.

[Jane1620]

There is no place in the Constitution that guarantees health care. The American people do not want government health care. I don't give a damn what they do to terrorists,They attacked my country.Also, they are trying to force health care through by using reconcilation,not a majority.Obama's approval rating is tanking.

[papakilatube]

Watch the clip again. Substitute the word "terrorist" for the word "Devil". Rinse. Repeat. Now you're learning something!

[Sascopa]

@papakilatube Great comment :D

[nickmitsialis]

@papakilatube the only thing Syria is doing is sending THEIR jihadists to Iraq for US to kill rather than do it themselves; Assad's old man Hafez FLATTENED one of his OWN cities back in 82 & killed btw 20 & 40 thousand of it's citzens-a large portion of them Jihadis for sure but a sizeable number were civvies.

[pvuf431]

@Jane1620 no popery

[doctorpsycho1960]

My brother played young King Henry in a high school production of "A Man For All Seasons", and had a great time of it.

It is a beautiful play, although as other commenters have indicated, it is more about the time in which it was written rather than More's own day.

[swwaddell]

I'll reiterate that the author is not trying to give us a complete warts-and-all biography of More, so a historian not afflicted with excessive nerdiness would still be able to enjoy this play.

[philmoskowitz]

@swwaddell I hope we all understand this as a base call to personal morality.

[tubebeen]

Yes. I give the Devil benefit of law for my own safety's sake.

Wow , way to answer that

[soSUBURBIA]

Robert Shaw played a young King Henry VIII absolutely brilliantly. Maniacal. Passionate. Caring. Loyal.

Johnathan Rhys Meyers is equally as good, imo.

[SueEGenaris]

There's a wonderful documentary on Youtube about Scofield that was done by BBC's Arena documentary unit. It's got John Hurt, Vanessa Redgrave and others. It's strangely moving and can be found on Eurocine's channel.

[swwaddell]

Historians should not dislike this movie based on the supposed inaccuracy because the playwright is not trying to do history or present a biography of More. Rather, as an existentialist, the playwright's point is the primacy of conscience. Which actually is a basis for a real criticism of the play. That is, it's message is "decide what you are according to your conscience and be that thing to the fullest." But why shouldn't that apply to everything like, say, being a Klansman?

[DaniMajor]

Yes, of course, but people look at this kind of films and books as being historical accurates and they´re not. Sometimes even authors and writters do that. The best example is the winning of the book prize: Wolf Hall by H. Mantel. She writes a Thomas More (And a T. Cromwell for that matter) that has little to do with the reality, with who he really was. But she´s totally convincted she´s right. I´m not saying it was what happened to Bolt but sometimes writers are too full of themselves

[lennhart]

Historians write history. Playwrights and screenwriters write plays and movies. If I wish to know about More I read More himself or several excellent authors and scholars. If I wish to see a GREAT movie about More, I watch "A Man for All Seasons' which never fails to stimulate intellectually even as it entertains.

[DaniMajor]

@swwaddell The play is not meant to be History. The book I mentioned isn´t it either. But that´s how it is seen by most people. Take Da. Vinci Code. Many people are convinced that those theories are true. I have absolutely nothing against Historical plays or romances, on the contrary, but the authors must have the humility to admit that they aren´t writing history, they´re writing a story and some writers (not Bolt) don´t admit it.

[TimSPC]

Say what you want about the tenets of National Socialism, at least it's an ethos.

[papakilatube]

@TimSPC Shut up, WALTER!

[WithYouSir]

"I fell."

[Ajeel06]

my final has to do with this movie...i never watched the whole thing. i dunno what to do.

damn you bullshit movie

[Crazydog7]

Rent it maybe?

[0casteloencantado0]

BAD!

I couldn't watch the entire movie. It is so boring and has such a lack of any kind of passion that it's very hard to get through the coldness of it all. They just talk, talk, talk, talk. And I don't mind that, really. But the things they talk about are just not that interesting.

If someone hears the story, it looks juicy, but when you get to see the movie... well, it's a pointless bore that reveals no emotion.

I'll try it later.

[ers586]

This speech has even more meaning for us today than when the movie was made. Think about it.

[flamingVids]

I'm studying the play this year for year 12, I'm looking forward to it. One of the few texts that our school has put forward that is worth studying

[RJY4356]

I just did an analysis and a presentation on it in Literature class in graduate school- it was fun and the class really enjoyed this one more. It helps that it was an Oscar-winning movie and we have clips on You Tube that are easily accessible.

[flamingVids]

You know my teacher doesn't like the movie. she thinks its no big deal, i pointed this scene out to her and she doesn't think it's anything special.

There's something wrong there yes?

[RJY4356]

Definitely. Depends on what level this brilliant teacher is. In Master's level grad classes we LOVED it.

[beepandbop]

Your teacher is a retard. Not surprising considering she's a woman.

[pvuf431]

I love bizzare youtube vitriol

[DelendaEstCarthago1]

Your teacher is probably an anti-Christian bigot caught up in the madness of Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. No matter what brilliance comes out of his mouth, since he uses the word "devil", then he must be one of those primitive cave men.

[DaniMajor]

Many historians don´t like this movie/book because it is in some ways not representing of More´s personality. The most important thing is that this movie fails to show More´s darker side. This movie, though a great, is somehow misleading when one wants to judge seriously Thomas More. More was a very complex man and we could call him a man for all seasons but not using nowadays context and ideals but then time´s. Besides being a man for all seasons More was a man of his time

[LalalandHEY]

An idealization of a man to explore the importance of identity and retaining a 'sense of self'.

[mauerbluemchen0]

Great scene. I studied this for school last year; took me all year to understand the much finer points of Bolt's writing and I was still finding new things hours before the exam, but I did love it....much to my friends' amusement!

[swwaddell]

A great scene in a film rife with great scenes

[njcatholic]

Paul Scofield and St. Thomas Moore were great men, both are dearly missed.

[Alyosha253]

A great movie and a wonderful quote.

[invadersquee87]

A robust "me too" regarding the timeliness of the content. Dear God save us from this Administration, and give us the strength to fight for our descendants. A note re "Sir Paul" -- it's said he declined knighthood, lest his fellow actors be compelled to call him "Sir." John Hurt says his fellow actors all felt he was at least as noble as any knoght without the peerage.

[sherrilina]

Wow, I didn't even think of that, but SO true!

If only there were Sir Thomas Mores today, though with updated religious views to match the times of course...;)

[NearVSMello]

You commend Thomas's traditionalism, then say his views should go with the times?

[sherrilina]

Where did I say anything commending his traditionalism? What I commend and admire is his conscience/strong moral fiber/integrity, as well as his wit and keen intelligence. None of these things is traditionalism, and all of them can be updated to modern times!

[NearVSMello]

Oh ok then. In that case I'll just say that I believe the core of Thomas's virtue, as depicted in this movie, IS his traditionalism. You take that away then you take away his conscience, his strong moral fiber, and his integrity. His wit and keen intelligence are probably the only things that could remain. Of course I'm not insinuating that these assets neccessitate traditionalism, but in Thomas's case that is certainly where they seem to hang from.

[sherrilina]

But the point is that he is willing to die for his conscience and morals, not that his conscience and morals are traditional! I mean, plenty of people in less traditional movements have been similarly compelled by their conscience/moral compass/integrity in just as honorable and admirable a fashion.....

The core of his virtue is that he puts his conscience/integrity above all else, even his own life....unlike many of his peers who (being the nobility) were pretty traditional as well...

[Mechanized0]

His peers were traditional culturally. However, conservation of the self via politics obviously overrides their traditional upbringing. In other words, Thomas Moore believed it, the others payed little more than lip service to it.

[nickchilders]

This is one of the best parts of the movie ^_^

[alan2a1l]

An excellent actor. Glad he left a cinematic record of his artistry.

[thegorn68]

R.I.P. Paul Scofield.

[netimp]

Thanks to rabbitandcrow for posting one of the best scenes in one of the greatest films of all time. It's one of the best examples of Scofield's mastery of the craft. He will be sorely missed.

[Orricks]

This film gives a fine glimpse of why acting colleagues of the calibre of Burton, Olivier, and Geilgud always said Sir Paul Schofield was one of the greatest actors England every produced. A true man of the theatre he never cared for fame as such and privately always remained a wonderful, kind, and very clued-up gentleman. His family in spite of their grief at losing him must feel so very proud. I suspect that now he's made it home he and his friend Sir Thomas will have a lot to talk about.

[jonahansen]

Brilliant speech with applicability to the current state of the US government, where the ends have come to justify the means.

[ajacqx]

I have this movie in my collection and have seen it at least fifty times. This scene still gives me chills every time I see it. Great movie, great performance and one of the greatest speeches I've ever heard. I have patterned my management style after what I think Thomas More would have done. I've always fancied myself as being his incarnation and wanted to be him... right up to the point where he "looses his head" that is. Thanks for posting.

[coldcallinguk]

You might need to work on your humility.

[ajacqx]

maybe... but when I do-- if I do-- as I do... I shant require your assistance or prompting....

[mkwelbornjr]

Brilliant. Just saw the new Boleyn Girl movie and its garbage compared to this. I guess the average movie watcher these days wouldn't care anyway.

[subedeithemongol]

Well, in my view, this film shows the heights to which the art can aspire - it's wonderful.

[riothamus2]

God made the angels to show him splendor; the animals for their innocence and plants for their simplicity. But man he made to serve him wittily in the tangle of His mind. If God suffers us to such a case that there is no escaping, then we may stand fast to our tackle, and yes Meg, then we may clamor like champions - if we have the sipttle for it. But it's God's place and not our own to bring us to such a pass - our natural business lies in escaping. Oaths being made of words. . .

[riothamus2]

God made the angels to show him splendor; the animals for their innocence and plants for their simplicity. But man he made to serve him wittily in the tangle of His mind. If God suffers us to such a case that there is no escaping, then we may stand fast to our tackle, and yes Meg, then we may clamor like champions - if we have the spittle for it. But it's God's place and not our own to bring us to such a pass - our natural business lies in escaping. Oaths being made of words. . .

[HodjaIII]

RON PAUL 2008, INDEED!

On the other hand, if we would all share this with everyone we know; if we could make everyone in this country - even HALF of the population - understand what this means, we would not NEED a man like Ron Paul. Until at least half of the people in this country DO understand this, they will not elect a man like Ron Paul when they have the opportunity to do so. Every constituency regards every other as "the devil" and wants power over them. So much for the Constitution.

[Eudora74]

It is not very usual see movies or plays of historic situations well done, but this play of Bolt is brilliant, and the film of Zineman is wonderful, in every scene, in every moment.

[DarkLadyAthena1]

he wa such a peculiar man

[lovelyciel]

Thomas More is most admirable. I watched this in history class and absolutely loved it. For a movie done 40 years ago, this is beyond excellent. Paul Scofield was perfect for this role. I teared up in the end of the movie, and several kids in my class actually cried.

[ArchusForix]

sh- sorry I pressed the wrong one...

[beethovenfan3]

A powerful scene. And one, as you all have mentioned, that is still relevant today, and will continue to be revelvant as long as we have laws to govern us all. One can only hope that future administrations will put a stop to this abysmal clear-cutting of the Constitution. Thomas More would have been horrified.

[scati1971]

I agree, it was the same in Thomas Moores time. But its your Government, i think its time to start a revolution, so u can say to your children in the future, i tried, at leaset i tried. Be a great ancestor.

[NGS712]

scati: I'll get more involved once I'm old enough to vote.

[field17]

A film that stands as testament to conscience & truth. How much George W Bush and Tony Blair could learn from this film and this Thomas Moore's ethics. We are governed by self seeking charlatans, liars and cheats, but perhaps worst of all imbeciles.

[NGS712]

field: If they saw it they'd probably say, "Damn!, Why can't we see more of the King? I wish I could be like him!"

[englishsocrates]

I think all of the worlds politicians read Machiavellis Il Principe and not Mores Utopia.

[YeOldeTune]

I prefer Erasmo's work more than Utopia or Il Principe

[englishsocrates]

I think Encomium Moriae is in general prefered than Utopia or Il Principe. But each of these three men is extraordinary thinker.

[YeOldeTune]

And don't forget Il Cortigiano by Castiglione

[morgandrim]

! De aquerdo ! englishsocrates.

[morgandrim]

Why not read both ?

[DelendaEstCarthago1]

And look at the great mess we're all in because of it. Machiavelli's work is not only malevolent, but mad.

[beepandbop]

No it isn't, he's brilliant.

Most interesting thing about it: he was not writing seriously. Ironically enough he wrote such a manual in order to garner favor with the Medici family in Florence. Unfortunately for Machiavelli, the Medicis were not interested.

[DelendaEstCarthago1]

I am well aware it was a sort of resume, but that does not mean he wasn't serious.

As to an analysis of Machiavelli, I seriously recommend "Socrates meets Machiavelli" by Peter Kreeft, Professor of Philosophy. Machiavelli, like nearly all modern thinkers, errs in the most basic requirements of ontology and epistemology.

[rabbitandcrow]

It's just perfect, isn't it!

[YeOldeTune]

One of my fave scenes of the movie.

[scati1971]

The best agruement against what the Americans are how doing. They are cutting down every law to get information.

[NGS712]

scati: It's not the citizens, its our GD politicians.

[Orionshallrise]

Is this where I paste in "ron paul 2008" ?

Ya, principles are often inconvenient for the needs of the fleeting moment.

[NGS712]

Orions: Please don't. Not that I don't like Paul, but I've seen enough people write that as it is. It just comes across as annoying.

[Orionshallrise]

I hear ya, feel the same, thought it was funny because it came to my mind when I watched the clip. A Man for All Seasons is one of my all time favorite movies.

[NGS712]

Orion: Did you read the play?