Absolute masterpiece of a scene. Another film with phenomenal acting and dialogue exchanges is 1964's BECKET starring the legendary actors Richard Burton and Peter O'Toole.
For once I'd like to see the unattractive weak/power hungry/evil etc character portrayed by a strikingly good looking actor, while the honest/straight-talking, courageous character portrayed by an obese or otherwise physically unappealing actor. Do you see how casting is manipulating your response to this and other drama?
This is my favorite movie of all time. It is excellently acted, filmed, etc. it is just the best; Paul Scofield was a very under appreciated actor. And the story is fantastic - it is a shame we have no statesmen like Thomas More today. “I am the king’s good servant, but God’s first”. This is a memorable sentence and one I’ll never forget. And the sentence, “Well, I think that when statesmen forsake their own private conscience for their public duties they lead their country on a short route to chaos.” is one our current politicians should take to heart!!!!!
@@SRV2013 Exactly ! Henry was so right, in getting rid of the Church, bad as he was , he was every bit as able to head a church as the pope was or is. We still have to suffer the catholic church and its unworkable policies.
@@SRV2013 It is said that King Henry VIII executed up to 70,000 people during his reign. Probably, more Protestants when he was a Fake Catholic, and more Catholics when he was a Fake Protestant, than anyone in History! Really a disgusting human being!
@@SRV2013England (and the rest of Europe) was Roman Catholic at the time. There was also the Inquisition in Spain going on at the time. Also happening in Europe: the Reformation (Martin Luther).
I love the little details. "I give you my word, there's no one here," he says, glancing directly at the door, knowing someone is eavesdropping on the other side...
In this scene like in most of this wonderful movie, we witness the English language being used with consummate finesse, with every word like a musical note conveying wisdom, wit and meaning. All great art conveys lasting impressions and makes one think if one is paying attention. In this brief dialogue, we hear in the space of a few minutes ideas and thoughts being imparted that have tested the conscience of serious-minded men and women throughout the ages.
A Man for All Seasons was my introduction to Paul Scofield. Some years later I saw a late night showing of Lear at an arts cinema. I will never forget my walk home afterwards trying to begin to comprehend what I had just seen.
@@michaelboyd4233 Thanks for sharing your experience. I also learned about Paul Scofield by watching A Man for All Seasons. "But for Wales." is perhaps one of the most beautifully spoken lines in that film. It was originally intended to be delivered as a snarky outburst ("But for WHALES!!????"), ridiculing Sir Richard Rich one last time for being such a dim-witted negotiator. However, Scofield, in a moment of improvisational brilliance, delivered those words completely differently. He spoke them with a delicate and soft cadence . . . going into a such a deep baritone register at the very end of the line that you can barely hear him say Wales. In doing so, Scofield transformed what would have been a forgettable punchline about Richard's desperation to be important into a profound expression of grief/pity (even pathos) for the tragic the loss of Richard's most prized possession--his soul. That line alone, deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as a late Rembrandt painting. ✌🏽
This is at Hampton Court, its such a wonderful place to visit , i have booked to go on November 29 , with my mother , we pack a beautiful picnic and sit in a tree lined tunnel🌳 , yes its cold but with our homemade sandwiches and cakes and hot coffee its great !!!!!!😊🇬🇧
A lesson for all politicians: 5:13 ..."WHEN STATESMEN FORSAKE THEIR OWN PRIVATE CONSCIENCE FOR THE SAKE OF THEIR PUBLIC DUTY, THEY LEAD THEIR COUNTRY BY A SHORT ROUTE TO CHAOS". Sir Thomas More 🏵️
Which explains the state of politics in America, to say the least. American politicians have been forsaking their own private consciences in the name of public duty and political expediency for decades now....and behold the carnage.
One of what should have been three oscars for Robert Bolt - arguably one of the greatest screenwriters that ever lived. A Man for All Seasons is brilliant from start to finish. The acting and story have few equals - except for maybe The Godfather.
The cinematography is so excellent here. At 0:20 just the scene of Wolsey sitting at his desk surrounded by official documents, lit softly as if by candlelight, looks so much like a Holbein portrait. Reminds me of the beautiful camera work in "Barry Lyndon" where Kubrick figured out how to use special cameras in order to actually shoot a movie using only candlelight.
LOLS. He's no doubt one of the best. But I don't think Scofield would care about getting any more accolades. I mean this is the man who rejected knighthoods thrice!
This movie was a life changer for me. I was 16 the 1st time I saw it. I'm 74 now and show this to every catechism/ formation class for adults wanting to be received/confirmed in the Anglican Church.
This was my very first introduction to Messrs. More, Wolsey, Cromwell and in the 60+ years since, how many more interpretations have we seen of this mad story? And it just remains a top story waiting for each generation's top acting talents.
Acting brilliance at its very best, one of my favourite films too .... from a time when great movies were still being made, unlike what we get portrayed as "great" today....
Today people babble incoherently, with unsound grammar and, well, weird sounds. No elocution, articulation, or projection. Can one imagine a public figure speaking with the measured cadence and literate delivery as Schofield does in his portrayal of Saint Thomas More. This English is lyrical. Like spoken music.
Finally i have one person to back me up. I mean a lot of people appreciate facial expression and body gestures while neglecting the most important aspect of acting which is the voice.
Everybody liked More, that's why they were so exasperated with him when he wouldn't bend. Even the tiniest bit of submission and they would have saved him, but he wouldn't
@@NYCZ31 Is this right, it has been some time... "And you a "Lawyer's Son", We are the Nobility! We are supposed to be the Proud Ones! I tell you man, it is Disproportionate." and as to saving him, I will never forget, "And if you are sent to Heaven for doing your conscience and I am sent to Hell for Not doing mine, will you come with me, for Fellowship's sake?" God bless.
@Art Ellis I was so looking forward to the part, "May I have more books?" But thank you from the bottom of my heart for loving this all as much as I do. My hands are crippled, but I will find a way to repay you. :) ("Somewhere, a bitch got over the wall!" - Norfolk swings as More intended.)
Rich wouldnt, he was far too ambitious. But Cromwell , in the play, does have a prick of conscienceabout More. and Cromwell, like Norfolk and Cranmer late,r give jim every opportunity to come round. It is not their fault he doesnt.
Orson wells incredible as always as cardinal wolsey . I have so much respect for it’s Orson WElls as he was offered Caligula with a huge pay cheque yet refused as he said it was appalling, he said I needed the money yet I refused to have anything to do with such a ludicrous project
Listening to Welles is like listening to a virtuoso playing. It is too riveting and complex to understand fully and easy for me to accept that I could never do that.
@@johnlewis9158”A Man for all Seasons “ is a brilliant film…with a wonderful cast and a very somewhat over the top performance by Robert Shaw and an understated performance by Paul Scofield…like I said one of my favorite films from that era…
This film should be shown in every Law School. The final scenes in the House of Commons is a testament to the brilliance of an exceptional lawyer, which Sir Thomas/ Saint Thomas was
This IS one of the greatest films of all-time. 1st time I saw this, I was just in awe ; what is there to say ? Flawless acting, a perfect script & story. a Classic British story, but it resonates all over our globe. The age old dilemma : to live with your conscience, or, your convenience. Today, in our America, it is more important, then ever. Who do we choose, to be ? As a man raised in the 50's & 60's, I STILL choose to be in the America of 2022 ! More diverse-------more freedoms------more basic rights-----more open-----& a guiding light, to the rest of this world, torn by war, hate, & the divisions of religion & politics. I Pray, we will endure. -------------------------------WolfSky9, 75 y/o
This has always been one of best films of all time. I well remember being bored to death when taken to see it by my school, and didn't see it again till my 40s. When I saw it after so long, it was a profound experience. Scofield has to be one of the greatest actors ever, in the UK.
All authentically cast..... great film and actors... unlike today's somewhat comedic castings and scripts for so-called historical dramas....how we've fallen..!!!!!!!
Haha Welles himself got irritated at a reporter who spelled it that way ...by the way that reporter was dawn Steele who would later run a movie studio ... @@ppuh6tfrz646
Thank you for uploading for us to enjoy! Magnificent film! Superb in every dept! I remember as a youngster watching it win six Oscars on the 1967 Academy Awards telecast (including Best Picture, Best Director for Fred Zinneman and Best Actor for Paul Scofield).
Two giants of the acting profession - Paul Scofield and Orson Welles, in a superb motion picture drama. Scofield played the role of Sir Thomas More on stage; then effortlessly made the transition to film.
scofield won an oscar for this....welles should have won the best supporting actor....but hatred and jalousie in hollywood has no equal...when i think of all those who won that award i want to quit watching hollywood films which i did years ago
(5:13) 'I think that when statesmen forsake their own private conscience for the sake of their public duties, they lead their country by a short route to chaos.'
@@jubalcalif9100 sarcasm noted. Need i explain the scene i admire purports to depict actual history ? Whereas anything with Frankenstein is either fiction or comedy. But of course you have the right to your opinion.
The writing for this film and play was of the highest order. More gives two speeches, one on the purpose of law and one on God's intention for creation which are the best accounts I have heard.
I found those two speeches: Listen, Meg. God made the angels to show Him splendour. As He made animals for innocence and plants for their simplicity. But Man He made to serve Him wittily, in the tangle of his mind. Cut a road through the law to get after the Devil? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned on you... where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country is planted with laws from coast to coast. Man's laws, not God's, and if you cut them down do you really think you could stand upright in the wind that would blow then?
Incredible! You know, So many years ago I could have seen Orson Welles portraying the role of Henry VII in his later years! It would have been phenomenal!
Believe it or not, I would like to have seen Welles play Father Christmas around the time he gave this interview: ruclips.net/video/a8B5lCOBUis/видео.html I think he would have found a new generation of fans and I'm sure he would have accepted the role if it had been offered to him.
Right on that the movie was selected as the best picture of the year for 1966. Paul Scofield and Orson Welles at their best in my estimation. Among the top five men in history whom I admire, Thomas More is among those five. I admire him for standing up for his beliefs, even though I disagree with some of the issues he believed in. Standing up for one's beliefs is something that can't be said when it came to the majority of those around him.
This film should be shown in schools as an important part of their education and understanding of great film making, great dialogue and great acting. It still annoys me that apart from Stanley Kubrick and a few others the majority of the film making industry was and still is so utterly bereft of talent.
@@philipchester7027 totally true if anyone who knows anything about screen acting was asked to list their top ten actors, Welles and Scofield would make the list.
@@ppuh6tfrz646 well you can come up with your counter suggestion which he could dismiss just as unpleasantly. It’s all highly subjective and the letters IMO should be used
Man I wish Orson could have played the Baron Harkonnen! He would have been perfect! I don't necessarily wish that the film be made by Jodorowsky, but man Orson would have been great as the Baron.
Indeed. Kenneth McMillan's portrayal of the Baron was definitely the weak link in David Lynch's Dune. The Baron in the novel is far more subtle and three dimensional. One of the key principles in acting or writing when portraying an evil character is that no one, not even the most wicked is pure evil. There is always some glimmer of goodness even in the worst of people. Otherwise, they're just cartoon characters.
@@RedSpartan32no, he's referring to Sarah the mother of isaac, to Hannah the mother of Samuel, and to Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist. All were well past childbearing age, and this is a reference to Katherine of Aragon's age. Mary wasn't
This scene takes place around the year 1527/8 which would make Katherine 42/3 ish. She was not barren because she’d had at least 6 pregnancies (and the son born in 1514 lived a few weeks) but by this stage she had aged quite badly and Henry who was 6 years younger and still fit, no longer desired her.
Welles needed the money for this and Casino Royale the following year. Still he managed to wind up and unnerve Peter Sellers who could not get the measure of Welles. Leo McKern was great as Cromwell.
Wolsey had a point as well, the dynastic "Wars Of The Roses," the House of York versus the House of Lancaster for the throne were only 30 or so years in the past. Henry VIII's father Henry VII was the winner. No-one wanted a repeat. As an aside, the author of what became "Game of Thrones" based his novel on the "Wars Of The Roses."
True, one of the greatest historical movies of all time. made in 1966. I preferred Carleton Heston's performance, though, Paul scofield, an Oscar for his. my favorite scene/line is"yes, I would give the Devil the benefit of the law, for m y own saftey's sake!"
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
The acting in this scene is off-the-scale brilliant. I keep watching it over and over in complete awe.
Me to
Of course it is; it's Orson Welles. Did you expect any less than brilliance?
Indeed! It's like watching an acting master's class!
Agreed.
I agree!
Two of the all time giants of acting playing off each other like a fiddle and a bow. Best scene ever? Perhaps. Ranks right up there.
Absolute masterpiece of a scene.
Another film with phenomenal acting and dialogue exchanges is 1964's BECKET starring the legendary actors Richard Burton and Peter O'Toole.
We couldn't agree more. This scene resonates through the decades.
ruclips.net/video/Rck5mtuceEk/видео.html
The dialogue, the acting, the plot - absolutely superb!
I agree, great scene. I wonder how much was scripted and how much was improv. Those two could have done the whole scene without a script.
Orson Welles as Wolsey is one of the great casting decisions of all time.
Yes, this is... sublime acting. Holy shit, he's awesome in this.
@@oneandy2 I had thought of a young OJ Simpson....but you are correct Sir! Welles was a triumph!
I heartily concur !
@@allybally0021obviously you misspelled Danny Devito.
For once I'd like to see the unattractive weak/power hungry/evil etc character portrayed by a strikingly good looking actor, while the honest/straight-talking, courageous character portrayed by an obese or otherwise physically unappealing actor.
Do you see how casting is manipulating your response to this and other drama?
This is my favorite movie of all time. It is excellently acted, filmed, etc. it is just the best; Paul Scofield was a very under appreciated actor. And the story is fantastic - it is a shame we have no statesmen like Thomas More today. “I am the king’s good servant, but God’s first”. This is a memorable sentence and one I’ll never forget. And the sentence, “Well, I think that when statesmen forsake their own private conscience for their public duties they lead their country on a short route to chaos.” is one our current politicians should take to heart!!!!!
i used to like this movie until I learned the true record of Thomas More who burned and tortured people who disagreed with him.
@@SRV2013 Exactly ! Henry was so right, in getting rid of the Church, bad as he was , he was every bit as able to head a church as the pope was or is. We still have to suffer the catholic church and its unworkable policies.
@@SRV2013 It is said that King Henry VIII executed up to 70,000 people during his reign. Probably, more Protestants when he was a Fake Catholic, and more Catholics when he was a Fake Protestant, than anyone in History! Really a disgusting human being!
@@SRV2013England (and the rest of Europe) was Roman Catholic at the time. There was also the Inquisition in Spain going on at the time.
Also happening in Europe: the Reformation (Martin Luther).
@@gidzmobug2323 I know this, and so what? What sort of saint burns people at the stake? And why does this film valorize More?
I love the little details. "I give you my word, there's no one here," he says, glancing directly at the door, knowing someone is eavesdropping on the other side...
But does Wolsey know that Cromwell is eavesdropping? Or More?
They both do silly
@@JemHadar422 There conversation even leads them to tell each other who it is who is eves dropping.
Even the candle flame in this scene hands in a great performance.
🤣🤣🤣 great observation.
Right?!
correct ; no other film scene can hold a candle to this.
Right On! And he only had to work on wick ends!
Wells's acting here is amazing.
ruclips.net/video/Rck5mtuceEk/видео.html
So true!
He is incapable of anything else
Orson Wells the greatest.
Shockingly succinct in everything. Not a single missed tone or inflection. The marriage of the writing and the acting is perfect.
And the cinematography makes every frame look like a painting.
Mwaaaah, the King! The King has always been celebrated for his potency.
You, sir, are a man of taste
😂
He says "You should have been a CLERIC." That's why it's so funny when More retorts "Like yourself, Your Grace?"
Many should be better clerics than they are today
The greatest screenplay ever spoken here by two of the greatest actors ever. It simply does not get any better than this
The only other screenplay that could rival this is Casablanca.
@@brandonallen3808 I agree another absolute gem
Agreed
It's no "The Ghost & Mr Chicken" (released in the same year of 1966), but "A Man for All Seasons" is indeed one true classic!
In this scene like in most of this wonderful movie, we witness the English language being used with consummate finesse, with every word like a musical note conveying wisdom, wit and meaning. All great art conveys lasting impressions and makes one think if one is paying attention. In this brief dialogue, we hear in the space of a few minutes ideas and thoughts being imparted that have tested the conscience of serious-minded men and women throughout the ages.
Welles is such a consummate actor . He holds his own with Paul scofield , no easy task...
A man for all Seasons is a Classical 🌟
Paul Scofield was one of the greatest Shakespearean actors of the 20th century. His work in King Lear was peerless.
A Man for All Seasons was my introduction to Paul Scofield. Some years later I saw a late night showing of Lear at an arts cinema. I will never forget my walk home afterwards trying to begin to comprehend what I had just seen.
@@michaelboyd4233 Thanks for sharing your experience. I also learned about Paul Scofield by watching A Man for All Seasons. "But for Wales." is perhaps one of the most beautifully spoken lines in that film. It was originally intended to be delivered as a snarky outburst ("But for WHALES!!????"), ridiculing Sir Richard Rich one last time for being such a dim-witted negotiator. However, Scofield, in a moment of improvisational brilliance, delivered those words completely differently. He spoke them with a delicate and soft cadence . . . going into a such a deep baritone register at the very end of the line that you can barely hear him say Wales. In doing so, Scofield transformed what would have been a forgettable punchline about Richard's desperation to be important into a profound expression of grief/pity (even pathos) for the tragic the loss of Richard's most prized possession--his soul. That line alone, deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as a late Rembrandt painting. ✌🏽
...also as the French King in Henry V.
@@BradBrassman Never seen it, that has to change 👍
There is some powerhouse acting here. It's always a pleasure to watch two experts
Orson Wells was a monster of an actor!!!
This is at Hampton Court, its such a wonderful place to visit , i have booked to go on November 29 , with my mother , we pack a beautiful picnic and sit in a tree lined tunnel🌳 , yes its cold but with our homemade sandwiches and cakes and hot coffee its great !!!!!!😊🇬🇧
Watching two fantastic actors together is really a treat .
Indeed. I haven't been this moved since I watched Huntz Hall & Leo Gorcey in "The Bowery Boys Break Wind".
Two master actors plying their craft. A great scene.
A lesson for all politicians: 5:13 ..."WHEN STATESMEN FORSAKE THEIR OWN PRIVATE CONSCIENCE FOR THE SAKE OF THEIR PUBLIC DUTY, THEY LEAD THEIR COUNTRY BY A SHORT ROUTE TO CHAOS". Sir Thomas More 🏵️
Now western politicians forsake their personal consciences for the filthy lucre hosed over them by corporate globalists.
Well he's not wrong.
private conscience should inform public duty.
Which explains the state of politics in America, to say the least. American politicians have been forsaking their own private consciences in the name of public duty and political expediency for decades now....and behold the carnage.
@@iainclark5964 this assumes that one HAS a conscience. modern politicians often lack one.
OMG! Orson Welles and Paul Scofield were both brilliant here but Welles so totally *_nailed_* it! as Wolsey!
Yes and a first class attempt at an English accent too. Great performance.
Every moment and movement of his eyes and jowls was magnificent.
@@chariotreign yes, exactly
He so totally pulls off the cleric quietly desperate to fulfill the will of his King. Magnificent job by Wells.
@@georgeorwell4534 Yes, absolutely amazing performance of Welles.
Possibly my favourite film. And Welles is wonderful here.
One of what should have been three oscars for Robert Bolt - arguably one of the greatest screenwriters that ever lived. A Man for All Seasons is brilliant from start to finish. The acting and story have few equals - except for maybe The Godfather.
You were correct to begin - it has no equal!
Perhaps the most brilliantly written and acted scene of all times. Every word, every glance, and every gesture is significant.
The cinematography is so excellent here. At 0:20 just the scene of Wolsey sitting at his desk surrounded by official documents, lit softly as if by candlelight, looks so much like a Holbein portrait. Reminds me of the beautiful camera work in "Barry Lyndon" where Kubrick figured out how to use special cameras in order to actually shoot a movie using only candlelight.
Two words: Red Room.
@@gregoryjenkins8645 An allusion to Bergman?
It's why I got a used D4 a low light Ninja. $1000.
When new it was $6000
For impeccable cinematography: Polanski's "MacBeth".
Photography by Ted Moore, South Africa's first Oscar winner 😊🇿🇦
Cardinal Wolsey was a great man too. This was such a masterpiece of a movie - putting the wills of these great men against each other.
Wolsey had many at Court who hated him. Many of those were of the nobility--including the Duke of Norfolk (uncle to Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard).
@@gidzmobug2323 As he says to Cromwell in Wolf Hall, "You may be the only man here more lowly born than myself."
I first saw this in junior high. In school! Outstanding then, now and forever. Paul Schofield should get an Oscar of the Century.
The film won an amazing six Academy Awards, including best picture, while Scofield took the award for Best Actor.
Scofield*
LOLS. He's no doubt one of the best. But I don't think Scofield would care about getting any more accolades. I mean this is the man who rejected knighthoods thrice!
This movie was a life changer for me. I was 16 the 1st time I saw it. I'm 74 now and show this to every catechism/ formation class for adults wanting to be received/confirmed in the Anglican Church.
No other Anglicans are converts to Catholic
This was my very first introduction to Messrs. More, Wolsey, Cromwell and in the 60+ years since, how many more interpretations have we seen of this mad story? And it just remains a top story waiting for each generation's top acting talents.
This film (and play) throws fireballs. Scintillating dialog etc.! Kudos to Robert Bolt.
That parting shot at the end..that was pure burn 🔥
St. Thomas More was a savage 👊💙
Orson could command the whole screen and the entire scene of any performance. Love him!
Paul Newman said every scene he was in with Orson was Orsons scene …
Every scene was orsons scene …Paul Newman
Acting brilliance at its very best, one of my favourite films too .... from a time when great movies were still being made, unlike what we get portrayed as "great" today....
Writer writing, actors acting. This makes for greatness. And a contrast with too many movies now
An age when actors must have Voices. Makes today's entertainers seem like to children.
The 1930s “Age of Radio” established solid foundation for future movies & TV.
Today people babble incoherently, with unsound grammar and, well, weird sounds. No elocution, articulation, or projection. Can one imagine a public figure speaking with the measured cadence and literate delivery as Schofield does in his portrayal of Saint Thomas More. This English is lyrical. Like spoken music.
Finally i have one person to back me up. I mean a lot of people appreciate facial expression and body gestures while neglecting the most important aspect of acting which is the voice.
In the age before green screens, effects and hand picked beauty pageants. There was stage actors.
True! Today's actors are fluff and no substance, looks and no brains, being political socialists instead of being thespians.
Despite their differences, you can tell that Wolsey likes Thomas More.
Everybody liked More, that's why they were so exasperated with him when he wouldn't bend. Even the tiniest bit of submission and they would have saved him, but he wouldn't
@@NYCZ31 Cromwell and Rich wouldn't have saved More.
@@NYCZ31 Is this right, it has been some time... "And you a "Lawyer's Son", We are the Nobility! We are supposed to be the Proud Ones! I tell you man, it is Disproportionate." and as to saving him, I will never forget, "And if you are sent to Heaven for doing your conscience and I am sent to Hell for Not doing mine, will you come with me, for Fellowship's sake?"
God bless.
@Art Ellis I was so looking forward to the part, "May I have more books?" But thank you from the bottom of my heart for loving this all as much as I do. My hands are crippled, but I will find a way to repay you. :) ("Somewhere, a bitch got over the wall!" - Norfolk swings as More intended.)
Rich wouldnt, he was far too ambitious. But Cromwell , in the play, does have a prick of conscienceabout More. and Cromwell, like Norfolk and Cranmer late,r give jim every opportunity to come round. It is not their fault he doesnt.
Orson wells incredible as always as cardinal wolsey . I have so much respect for it’s Orson WElls as he was offered Caligula with a huge pay cheque yet refused as he said it was appalling, he said I needed the money yet I refused to have anything to do with such a ludicrous project
Listening to Welles is like listening to a virtuoso playing. It is too riveting and complex to understand fully and easy for me to accept that I could never do that.
Mute the sound and watch and it's still a perfect silent picture scene, or, turn off the picture and listen and it's a riveting radio drama.
One of a number of my favorite films of that period including “A Lion in Winter “..
A bit of trivia, A man for all seasons, was John Wayne's favourite film
@@johnlewis9158”A Man for all Seasons “ is a brilliant film…with a wonderful cast and a very somewhat over the top performance by Robert Shaw and an understated performance by Paul Scofield…like I said one of my favorite films from that era…
Orson Welles is one of the greatest, as a director and performer
This film should be shown in every Law School. The final scenes in the House of Commons is a testament to the brilliance of an exceptional lawyer, which Sir Thomas/ Saint Thomas was
Actually in Westminster Hall but close enough :) There is a plaque on the ground there almost exactly on the spot he stood to be tried.
This scene is fermented in the bottle, like all the best scenes.
0:19. Beautifully shot, and resembles a great painting. What a wonderful film.
This IS one of the greatest films of all-time. 1st time I saw this, I was just in awe ; what is there to say ? Flawless acting, a perfect script & story. a Classic British story, but it resonates all over our globe. The age old dilemma : to live with your conscience, or, your convenience. Today, in our America, it is more important, then ever. Who do we choose, to be ? As a man raised in the 50's & 60's, I STILL choose to be in the America of 2022 ! More diverse-------more freedoms------more basic rights-----more open-----& a guiding light, to the rest of this world, torn by war, hate, & the divisions of religion & politics. I Pray, we will endure. -------------------------------WolfSky9, 75 y/o
a classic British story.......met thinks not , as Britain did not exist at this time in history.
Hey, future-man here. Richard Rich won and we got our heads cut off.
A Masterclass in acting .. and Masterpice of a film.
Such a great film.
Orson Wells a master!
This has always been one of best films of all time. I well remember being bored to death when taken to see it by my school, and didn't see it again till my 40s. When I saw it after so long, it was a profound experience. Scofield has to be one of the greatest actors ever, in the UK.
The best movie of 1966. I can imagine the st. Thoma's real personality through Paul Scofield's great interpretation.
Only 1966?
The movie John Ford wished he had made and his favorite film.
The good the bad and the ugly?
This short scene has more meaning than all of the Hollywood production in the past 20 years, at least.
All authentically cast..... great film and actors... unlike today's somewhat comedic castings and scripts for so-called historical dramas....how we've fallen..!!!!!!!
Yes it was and is a great movie, and deservingly so. It's a moving portrayal of an ancient story that so much rings down to now.
An excellent film. I suggest people watch it.
whoa Wells looks like a late renaissance painting here
A total tribute to Hans Holbein the Younger. You can feast your eyes on his portrait of St. Thomas More at the Frick in NYC.
Welles*
Haha Welles himself got irritated at a reporter who spelled it that way ...by the way that reporter was dawn Steele who would later run a movie studio ... @@ppuh6tfrz646
Thinking the same!
Man for all aeons!
This movie is the G.O.A.T.
Orson Welles, he was a big man who had a big presence.
A giant.
Thank you for uploading for us to enjoy! Magnificent film! Superb in every dept! I remember as a youngster watching it win six Oscars on the 1967 Academy Awards telecast (including Best Picture, Best Director for Fred Zinneman and Best Actor for Paul Scofield).
Two giants of the acting profession - Paul Scofield and Orson Welles, in a superb motion picture drama.
Scofield played the role of Sir Thomas More on stage; then effortlessly made the transition to film.
Their every sentence has a deep meaning! Great play, great players.
scofield won an oscar for this....welles should have won the best supporting actor....but hatred and jalousie in hollywood has no equal...when i think of all those who won that award i want to quit watching hollywood films which i did years ago
"More, You should have been a Cleric." - Cardinal Woolsey "Like yourself, your Grace?" - Sir Thomas More
There are no more Mores, what a great man!
(5:13) 'I think that when statesmen forsake their own private conscience for the sake of their public duties, they lead their country by a short route to chaos.'
One of the best scenes in recent cinematic history.
Indubitably. I rank it right up there with "Jesse James Meets Frankenstein" (1966).
@@jubalcalif9100 sarcasm noted. Need i explain the scene i admire purports to depict actual history ? Whereas anything with Frankenstein is either fiction or comedy. But of course you have the right to your opinion.
Welles was born to play this role.
The writing for this film and play was of the highest order. More gives two speeches, one on the purpose of law and one on God's intention for creation which are the best accounts I have heard.
I found those two speeches:
Listen, Meg. God made the angels to show Him splendour. As He made animals for innocence and plants for their simplicity. But Man He made to serve Him wittily, in the tangle of his mind.
Cut a road through the law to get after the Devil? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned on you... where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country is planted with laws from coast to coast. Man's laws, not God's, and if you cut them down do you really think you could stand upright in the wind that would blow then?
Incredible! You know, So many years ago I could have seen Orson Welles portraying the role of Henry VII in his later years! It would have been phenomenal!
Except it wouldn't have been in A Man For All Seasons...
@@califgirl101 Sorry, I was being deliberately pedantic.
I'm sure it was just a typo when you mentioned Henry VII.
Believe it or not, I would like to have seen Welles play Father Christmas around the time he gave this interview:
ruclips.net/video/a8B5lCOBUis/видео.html
I think he would have found a new generation of fans and I'm sure he would have accepted the role if it had been offered to him.
Orson serves up the look of death on his face at the end.
Put so many great actors in one place and you get great theater!
Ever seen Casino Royale?
@@johnsrabe yes
Right on that the movie was selected as the best picture of the year for 1966. Paul Scofield and Orson Welles at their best in my estimation. Among the top five men in history whom I admire, Thomas More is among those five. I admire him for standing up for his beliefs, even though I disagree with some of the issues he believed in. Standing up for one's beliefs is something that can't be said when it came to the majority of those around him.
More you should have been a cleric. - Like yourself your Grace. Great writing.
Two giants! Oh what a fantastic scene!
Really doesn’t get any better then this.
one of the best movies ever made
This film should be shown in schools as an important part of their education and understanding of great film making, great dialogue and great acting. It still annoys me that apart from Stanley Kubrick and a few others the majority of the film making industry was and still is so utterly bereft of talent.
“Like yourself, your Grace?” Two barbs in one retort. Brilliant.
A great scene, to be sure - but this movie is chock full of great scenes and witty lines, from beginning to end.
Great scene.
The best ever game of table tennis between two gigantic comedians
Excellent film 🎥 !!!!!!😊🇬🇧
Paul Scofield and Orson Welles two under-rated actors both giving a superb performance in this short scene.
Odd comment. Underrated by whom? Everyone knows they are two of the greatest ever
@@profaneangel0842 'Underrated' is the most overused and misused term on the internet.
They weren’t remotely underrated. They were renowned stars of their time!
@@philipchester7027 totally true if anyone who knows anything about screen acting was asked to list their top ten actors, Welles and Scofield would make the list.
Outstanding performance, 🎉 🎉🎉
The way his chain of office binds him.
The single greatest scene ever committed to film.
A rich interplay of two Thespian Titans..
It's a very good scene but the greatest scene ever?
Bullshit.
@@ppuh6tfrz646 well you can come up with your counter suggestion which he could dismiss just as unpleasantly. It’s all highly subjective and the letters IMO should be used
@@gerardmackay8909 Tell the OP to use IMO then.
#sanctimonioushypocrite
@@ppuh6tfrz646 full of sunshine and smiles aren’t you 😂
Orson's Captain Quinlan is a Shakespearean character. And his performance was oscar worthy.
Man I wish Orson could have played the Baron Harkonnen! He would have been perfect! I don't necessarily wish that the film be made by Jodorowsky, but man Orson would have been great as the Baron.
Or leo mckern!
Indeed. Kenneth McMillan's portrayal of the Baron was definitely the weak link in David Lynch's Dune. The Baron in the novel is far more subtle and three dimensional. One of the key principles in acting or writing when portraying an evil character is that no one, not even the most wicked is pure evil. There is always some glimmer of goodness even in the worst of people. Otherwise, they're just cartoon characters.
@@golden-63that’s a problem with the new dune as well. All the bad guys are just moustache twirlers who only exist to get put in the ground
Absolutely fascinating exchange, with Boult's inimitable dialogue.
Bolt*
@6:00 this was a pivotal moment in English history as only church men had been chancellor (King's conscience) prior to Cromwell.
"There are precedents." True, but rare. Eleanor of Aquitaine had King John when she was 46.
I think he’s referring to the Virgin Mary.
@@RedSpartan32no, he's referring to Sarah the mother of isaac, to Hannah the mother of Samuel, and to Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist. All were well past childbearing age, and this is a reference to Katherine of Aragon's age.
Mary wasn't
This scene takes place around the year 1527/8 which would make Katherine 42/3 ish. She was not barren because she’d had at least 6 pregnancies (and the son born in 1514 lived a few weeks) but by this stage she had aged quite badly and Henry who was 6 years younger and still fit, no longer desired her.
Welles needed the money for this and Casino Royale the following year. Still he managed to wind up and unnerve Peter Sellers who could not get the measure of Welles.
Leo McKern was great as Cromwell.
Then McKern started a eastern religious cult and was stopped by The Beatles
One of my fave movies!
What a pair of actors.
“If I had served my God half so well as I had served my king, then he would not have let me die in such a place.“
These were not actually Bolt's words but the real Wolsey's as he lay dying.
wonderful stuff
Thanks.
Modern Hollywood just cannot compare
Wolsey was right. No heir might mean war. Best screen play of all time.
Wolsey had a point as well, the dynastic "Wars Of The Roses," the House of York versus the House of Lancaster for the throne were only 30 or so years in the past. Henry VIII's father Henry VII was the winner. No-one wanted a repeat.
As an aside, the author of what became "Game of Thrones" based his novel on the "Wars Of The Roses."
True, one of the greatest historical movies of all time. made in 1966. I preferred Carleton Heston's performance, though, Paul scofield, an Oscar for his. my favorite scene/line is"yes, I would give the Devil the benefit of the law, for m y own saftey's sake!"