Becket was released in 1964 and was nominated for 12 Oscars (it won only 1 for best adapted screenplay). It tells the story of St. Thomas Becket (played here by Richard Burton), an English archbishop who was martyred in 1170. For any who don't know about him it here's a brief summary:
Thomas Becket was initially a friend and ally of King Henry II (portrayed in the film by Peter O'Toole), serving as his Lord Chancellor. He was a worldly man and accustomed to luxury. At Henry's urging and despite Thomas' reluctance, Becket was ordained a priest and became the Archbishop of Canterbury, a position which made him the head of the church in England. Embracing his new post Becket began pursuing a life of asceticism and rejected his previous worldly lifestyle, resigning his post as chancellor. He also began to recover and extend the power of the church in England. This brought him into conflict with the King, particularly over the issue of whether or not secular courts had jurisdiction over the clergy. This came to a head when Henry issued the Constitutions of Clarendon, which reduced the independence of the Church in England and weakened its connection with Rome. Becket refused to sign these documents and was compelled to flee to France, where he lived in exile for two years. Pope Alexander III, who was sympathetic to Becket's cause, sent delegates to impose a solution to the dispute. Henry worked out a compromise, allowing Becket to return to England. But more trouble arose as Henry wished Becket to absolve two bishops he had previously excommunicated for assisting at the coronation of Henry's son, which had taken place in defiance of the Pope's instructions. Becket again refused to comply and the King, on hearing this, cried out in a fit of rage certain words which were translated by some present as a desire to have the Archbishop killed. These four knights confronted Becket at Canterbury and demanded that he capitulate to the King's commands. When he refused they murdered him inside his own Cathedral. This act created much outrage in England and four years later Henry was compelled to make public penance for his acts. A year prior to that, Thomas Becket was declared a saint.The film follows the actual events fairly closely, though with exceptions. There are two main conflicts in the film. The first is the internal conflict of Thomas Becket . Before becoming Archbishop he struggles with worldliness and, though he does show that he has a conscious, he only follows it when convenient. He is shown assisting Henry with his extra-marital romantic entanglements and at one point he even allows the King to sleep with his own mistress. (This particular aspect of Becket's early life is not, to my knowledge historically accurate) The reason his conscious tends to lose in this stage is, in his own words, because he has no love in his heart, he has no passion or conviction strong enough to counter his desire for worldly comfort and pleasure. This conflict is resolved when Becket becomes Archbishop. He is very reluctant to take this position, fearing that he will be compelled to give up his comfort and security, but the king insists and on taking the position, Becket discovers a love for God, which is more powerful than any previous passion he's known. Consequently he sells all his earthly goods, telling the Lord that it all seems too easy. In all this, Becket's inner struggle is made apparent through the dialogue, which is a bit too revealing for my tastes, and also through Burton's performance, which is excellent. He really sells Becket's initial apathy and subsequent zeal for the Church.
Becket's change of heart opens up the second, this time external, conflict, as Becket, no longer content to bend to Henry's often corrupt desire's, is placed in opposition to him. This makes Henry, who considers Thomas his only true friend, feel betrayed, and his love for Thomas is now mixed with a deep hatred. Like Burton, O'Toole rises to the occasion, giving an unforgettable performance and expressing, alternately, Henry's love for Thomas, his hatred of him, and his almost childish rage at not getting his own way. (Both Burton and O'Toole were nominated for best actor but lost to Rex Harrison for My Fair Lady) In addition to the magnificent performances and the complex exploration of its central conflicts, the film also boasts some wonderful locations, sets, and costumes, as well as stirring direction from Peter Glenville. Becket's martyrdom is particularly well shot and edited.
The film however is not without its flaws. As I mentioned, the dialogue is often a bit too analytical for my tastes and often lacks subtlety. This is really frustrating because, for the most part, I understand what the characters are going through without them having to say it. There are also historical inaccuracies. As I already stated Becket's lifestyle before he becomes Archbishop is portrayed as being much more questionable than in real life. Though this does serve to heighten his inner conflict it seems somewhat unnecessary and is troubling form an historical/faith perspective. Another major departure is the film's portrayal of Becket as a Saxon, which brings him much disdain from his Norman colleagues, while the real Thomas Becket was a Norman. Jean Anouilh, who wrote the play on which the film is based, wasn't made aware of this until after he had finished the play, so I don't mind it too much. There are other changes, but none of them are major and most serve to help the films pacing. The most glaring problem I had was with the score. Though the use of sacred chant was nice and fits the film quite well, the incidental music is often overly dramatic, which serves to decrease the tension rather than increase it.
That said, most of these flaws are easily overlooked, and overall I think Becket is an inspiring, well made and very well acted film.
Score: 9/10
Next weeks review: Mother Teresa (2003)
No comments:
Post a Comment