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THE LION IN WINTER (1968) Starring: Katharine Hepburn, Peter O'Toole,
Anthony Hopkins, John Castle, Timothy Dalton, Jane Merrow, and Nigel Terry
Directed by Anthony Harvey Nominated for seven Academy Awards:
Best Picture Best Director, Anthony Harvey Best Actress, Katharine Hepburn (win) Best Actor, Peter O'Toole Best Adapted Screenplay, James Goldman (win)
Best Costume Design Best Original Score, (win) Peter O'Toole, at one point during the film
says, When my life is written about, it will read better then it had lived.
He was right on the ball with that statement. THE LION IN WINTER
opened in 1968 to glowing reviews and audience favor, who went to see it in
droves and made it one of the years most successful films. It starred
Katharine Hepburn, with this her third movie during the 60's and showed that
not appearing in many films during a long duration of time certainly doesn't
have to affect your career (and the movie didn't come at a better time, being
that she just came off of the box-office success GUESS WHO'S COMING TO
DINER, which garnished her an Oscar). Peter O'Toole, at this time at the
very peak of his career, returned to the role of King Henry II (he also
played the younger King Henry II four years earlier in BECKET), and
led him to his third of seven Oscar nominations. The story was written by
James Goldman (adapting his own play), and weaves together a stylish and
sharp story of sweet revenge and double crossing all played out, in what
better fashion, during a family gathering during the Christmas season. King Henry II (O'Toole), gathers his family
together to celebrate the holidays. His wife, Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine
(Hepburn), has been kept in isolation in an elegant castle away from his
empire so she wouldn't involve herself in his business. Their three
sons are also along for the ride, with eldest son Prince Richard the
Lion-Hearted (Anthony Hopkins), middle son Prince Geoffrey (John Castle), and
the whining baby of the family, Prince John (Nigel Terry), all coming
together where sibling rivalries dominate their time together. The true
reason Henry has calls this colorful bunch of folks together is that he is
planning on announcing his successor. Eleanor favors Richard, but Richard
despises her and the entire kingdom that fate has put him in. Henry favors
young John who is his favorite son, despite the boy being an obnoxious moron
who, if hit in the head with a rock, wouldn't realize it until the following
day. Of course the middle son Geoffrey isn't to happy that he is rarely
discussed to be the successor, despite all signs suggest he would be the most
suitable for the job. Once everyone's stand point is made perfectly clear, a
war of words and mind games ensue as each play a masterful game of chess with
each other, using clever maneuvering and maniacal scheming to get what they
want. When some shocking revelations come up concerning some members of the
family, the game changes, and does so as time goes on. To describe the dialogue would be virtually
impossible, for the script is one of the wittiest and most enjoyable things
that Hollywood has ever produced. Jerry Goldman's dialogue is intelligent and
aware of itself, and is filled with an enormous amount if wit and satire.
People may watch the movie to closely observe if the film is historically
accurate, but they are robbing themselves of a unique experience. The film is
driven by the characters and all else plays second fiddle. People should
watch the movie as a sort of WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? set in
the twelfth century. The performances are like nothing you will ever
see, with Hepburn delivering that is without a doubt her most commanding
performance. She is equaled without hesitation by a gripping O'Toole, and
their scenes together sizzles with intensity, humor and, most importantly,
deception. Though all the key players do extraordinary jobs, they are always
at their best when they are in Hepburn and O'Toole's presence as the sparks
fly thanks to the brilliant dialogue (and again, it's the dialogue that makes
the movie what it is). The film deals with everything, from politics
to infidelity. From betrayal to tainted honesty. Pure hatred and twisted and
conniving love. It is essentially one big soap opera, but everything falls
together without flaw and the story so engaging that it's the words which
draw us into these people's lives and absurd situations. It all plays out and
we are obliged to engage in what we are seeing because the movie has its own
seducing charms (much like Hepburn in the film). Hepburn would win her third Oscar for her
performance, and it remains her most deserved. Composer John Barry won an
Oscar for his majestic score (he would also win an Oscar for OUT OF AFRICA,
and worked on several James Bond films), and writer James Goldman also won an
Oscar. Director Anthony Harvey helps firmly orchestrate this mad house and
does a taut job at that. I would highly recommend this film to anyone
who enjoys some great dialogue. Certainly a mini-classic, and when it all
ends, you can't help but smile during the final scene. My Grade: A |