Click on the FILM/DOCUMENTARY/SERIES picture for more information
Some of these films can been seen on my YouTube site: http://www.youtube.com/user/TudorWorld . I will indicate which of the below are on the YouTube site with a *
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*perfect for children to learn about Elizabeth & Henry VIII &the Tudor life
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Non Tudor Related Films/Series
A Man for All Seasons brings us the struggle between Sir Thomas More and his monarch (the lusty and hearty King Henry VIII superbly played by Robert Shaw), hinges on Henry's determination to break with Rome so he can divorce his current wife and wed again, and good Catholic More's inability to go along with such heresy. We are raised as children to understand there are three things for which we should be prepared to sacrifice our lives: Family, Nation and Religious Belief. What we are NOT told is: When weighed against each other, which takes precedence? This movie examines precisely that issue.
ReplyDeleteSir Thomas stands up for his beliefs in the face of execution. The last half hour is some of the most beautiful work ever in film. More's final moments are magnificent and to be treasured. The film conveys a powerful message of not bending to something you don't believe even if it means punishment. The most excellent, compelling, beautiful work of cinema ever made.
A truly great film, not to be missed especially for viewers who enjoy Renaissance and English history.
I thought "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" was definitely beautifully shot. The costumes were great with all the big hair to go along. The film was geared and aimed at a female audience, and so a lot of the energy is directed at that audience. The film tends to ignore the facts when they get in the way of the story. Elizabeth was 55 at the time of the Spanish Armada and she was never a looker. This queen is young and attractive. Parts of the film veer too much towards soap-opera. Sir Walter Raleigh and Bess Throckmorton get secretly married; Elizabeth becomes jealous and behaves badly. Later, when the film focuses on the political intrigues and the decisive destruction of the Spanish Armada, it shines. When it focuses on the love triangle, I thought it failed. Overall I enjoyed the film. I kept me entertained from beginning to end. Towards the end of the film Raleigh and Francis Drake are shown defeating the Spanish at sea. In reality Raleigh was looking after the coastal defenses in the South West of England and didn't marry Throckmorton until 1591. The real Raleigh was a brilliant man: soldier, explorer, writer, poet and courtier and probably deserves his own film.
ReplyDeleteDamon (Uses Erika's account),
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, you right with both blogs. I watched "A Man for All Seasons" a year or so ago and really liked it. The movie portrayed his character very well, as your comment indicates. He had very strong convictions and unfortunately, had to die for it. Then again, many of Henry VIII friends die during his realm; but that's a whole other topic. I'll post another comment about "Elizabeth: The Golden Age:"
Damon,
ReplyDeleteNow onto "Elizabeth: The Golden Age". Your comments about the screen shots and costumes are correct, they certainly were tastefully done. You did mention the movie being towards a female audience; I never looked at it that way, but you are definitely onto something. Yes, the movie takes many liberties, especially with how the Queen looked during the Spanish Armada. She was 55, as you suggested, however in the movie, she looks much younger. Like you, I enjoyed the movie but there have been better Tudor movies made. It was very much a Hollywood movie, so they wanted to grab the viewers attention, even if it meant the actual event/scene not being true. I, personally, until this movie did not know that she had a liking to Walter Raleigh. After some research, there is truth to that. He was one of her favorites. Was he favored as much as the Earl Leicester or Essex? In my opinion, not, but one never knows. It appears you have knowledge of Walter Raleigh. I am not fully educated about him. Why don't you write something about him and I can post it on the blog, sort of like a guest blog spot featuring you. Only if you want, no pressure. FYI: I will be blogging about the first Elizabeth movie with C. Blanchett in the next upcoming days. Feel free to comment.
From the main page, you can see that I added a youtube page for followers to watch these movies. Check out the youtube site to see which movies are on there (website above). There are more to come. Enjoy!
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