VariousThe Lion in Winter

This is a very good movie. King Henry II was a tyrant who, for some misguided reason, thought John would be a good successor to the throne.

While not being vey true to history, this is a wonderful convergence of some of the best actors of two (maybe three) generations: Katharine Hepburn, Peter O'Toole (25 years her junior), Anthony Hopkins (in his first major role), and Timothy Dalton (in his very first film role) are all perfect in their roles, with John Castle, Jane Merrow, and Nigel Stock also perform admirably.But it is the writing that makes this so wonderful. I could quote almost as memorable lines from this film as I could from Casablanca.

This movie is simply timeless. It's old, but it's a classic!!!

This, Die Hard, and the Ref are the Christmas movies I watch every year. This year I wanted to have a Watch Party with remote friends so I paid to rent it. Everybody is amazing. Just forking amazing. The set feels lived in. The dialogue is top notch. Nobody can be trusted to mean what they say, there's always that one relative who insists on ruining your good time, there's feasting and laughing and crying. It's just like Christmas today."Of course he has a knife, he always has a knife, we all have knives! It's 1183 and we're barbarians!"

You can’t go wrong with Hepburn and O’Toole. The script is wonderfully funny.I am pleased to own a copy.

“In the year 1183, Henry the Second, King of England, and Eleanor of Aquitaine, his wife, held Christmas Court at their castle at Chignon. The occasion provided an opportunity for Henry to name a successor, to settle a dispute with the king of France, and spend some time with his family.”That very useful (and tongue-in-cheek) prologue is not heard at the start of the movie (previously a Broadway play). It’s from the theatrical trailer, included on the DVD. If a viewer had not seen the trailer, the film’s historical context might be confusing until much of it is slowly revealed in dialogue.King Henry II is played by Peter O’Toole. No stranger to the character, O’Toole played a younger version of the king in Becket (1964), for which he was nominated for an Oscar (losing to Rex Harrison in “My Fair Lady”). This time around, 1968, O’Toole was again nominated, but lost to Cliff Robertson in “Charly.” Henry is portrayed as a robust, earthy, larger-than-life bully used to getting his own way in all things. (O’Toole does so much bellowing that it’s a wonder he didn’t have a sore throat at the end of each day’s shooting. During a confrontation with King Philip of France (Timothy Dalton), Henry says, “When I bellow, bellow back!”)When his mistress, Alais (pronounced “Alice”), sister of the French king, says she fears losing him, Henry assures her no one else has ever caused him to love the way he loves her. Despite that, he tells her, “I’ll use you as I like,” even to giving her to the next king, preferably his son John, as a gift. Alais (Jane Merrow) is a bit chagrined: “I can’t be your mistress if I’m married to your son.” Henry: “Why can’t you? Johnny wouldn’t mind.” Which probably tells us all we need to know about John (Nigel Terry). As for Alais, she is likely a fictional character, a stand-in for all of Henry’s many, many paramours; he does not appear to have been of a monogamous mind.Henry has three sons by Eleanor of Aquitaine. (In reality, she supplied him with five sons and three daughters; the girls are never mentioned in the film, and only three surviving sons are part of the cast.) He needs to choose one as heir to the throne in order to keep his kingdom together after he’s gone. (He mentions “the legend” of King Lear, some 400 years before Shakespeare, wrote about him, seeing that tale as an example of what happens when a kingdom is divided.)King and Queen have been on the outs for some time. Henry refers to Eleanor as “the new Medusa.” He has had her “dungeoned” for ten years in Salisbury Tower. (It is not explained why: in reality, she had supported his sons in an unsuccessful uprising against him.) Henry is bringing Eleanor and his three rebellious sons to a Christmas Court in order to name a successor. He wants John, his youngest son, to have the throne while Eleanor favors Richard (Anthony Hopkins in his film debut, playing Richard as a gay but macho warrior).Once this dysfunctional family is all together, the plotting, scheming, and on-and-off alliances never cease. (When alone with his family in this Christmas season, Henry says to them, “What should we hang, the holly or each other?” Richard later says to Eleanor, “We could tangle spiders in the webs you weave.”) One needs a scorecard to keep all the machinations and lies straight.Eleanor is played to perfection by Katharine Hepburn, who won an Oscar as Best Actress, but she had to share it in a tie with Barbra Streisand (for “Funny Girl”). It was Hepburn’s second Oscar, 36 years after her first (for “Morning Glory,” 1932-33). Hepburn was no stranger to playing royalty: she starred in “Mary of Scotland” in 1936, playing Mary, Queen of Scots.Eleanor was once queen of France but couldn’t produce sons. So she was replaced, married Henry, and eventually became queen of England as well. That, she tells her sons, “is the role of sex in history.” She later says to Alais, “Henry’s bed is Henry’s province. He can people it with sheep for all I care. Which, on occasion, he has done.” Yet the one-on-one scenes between O’Toole and Hepburn show that these two bantering antagonists also have a bond of love between them even as they try to wound each other with words. (In a way, one is reminded of Liz Taylor and Richard Burton in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” only set in the twelfth century, especially when Eleanor goads Henry with rumors that she may have slept with Thomas Becket, and even with Henry’s father.)The third son in this menagerie of strong-willed people is Geoffrey (John Castle), who aspires to be the power behind the throne, whoever sits on it, and is willing to make deals even with the king of France for an all-out war if that’s what it takes. The scene where the sons are all hiding behind curtains in King Philip’s room is almost farcical. Honestly, it makes you wonder why people put up with royalty, and understand why there are revolts to overthrow them.Along with Hepburn’s shared Oscar, the Academy Award also went to James Goldman’s adapted script (from his own play), and to John Barry for Best Original Score (which contains a considerable amount of chanting). The film was up for Best Picture but lost to the musical “Oliver!” Anthony Harvey was nominated as Best Director but lost to Carol Reed for “Oliver!”.The DVD does not have English subtitles, yet there are subtitles for French and Spanish. Did the makers think that English speakers never have hearing problems?What is missing at the end of all this sound and fury is a much needed epilogue. Viewers are left wondering what happened afterwards, what became of all these devious, contentious people? The sons storm off at the end and Eleanor is returned to her tower. And then what? A closing crawl during the credits would have been apt! So, briefly, here’s how it all shook out, in a time where conspiracies and shifting alliances never seem to end:Henry finally released Eleanor in 1185. She died in 1204.Geoffrey died in Paris in 1186, still conspiring with the king of France against Henry.Henry died in 1189, which made Richard king of England (at the time, he and his siblings were plotting yet another uprising; such a loving and devoted family!).As king, Richard went off on the Third Crusade, becoming known to history’s myth-makers as Richard the Lion Heart. He was joined by France’s Philip II, who later turned on him and joined with John around the time Richard was taken prisoner and held for ransom in Austria. Once released, he had to battle both brother John and Philip before settling things with John (with Eleanor’s help). He was later killed in a battle.John, Henry’s youngest son, conspired with Philip of France to take the throne by force while Richard was off crusading. (In various tales of Robin Hood, the outlaw is always battling Prince John and his cohorts on behalf of imprisoned Richard.) Once released, Richard forgave John for his treachery but soon died, giving John what he wanted all along. John was excommunicated by Pope Innocent III but later allied with the pope to no avail against Philip. When his own barons rose against him, John was forced to sign the Magna Carta in 1215, though attempted to renege on it almost immediately. He died a year later, still battling the barons and France. (In “King John,” Shakespeare writes that he was poisoned by a monk. The actual cause of death is in dispute. While the possibility of poison has come up, some reports say the king just ate too many peaches.)

During the beginning the film, when Henry II played by Peter O'Toole and Eleanor of Aquitaine played by Katherine Hepburn, meet for the annual Christmas fête during which the queen is released from imprisonment for purely ceremonial purposes.The opening quips reveal the nature of their adversarial relationship and of things to come.Henry II: How was your crossing? Did the waters part for you?Eleanor: It went flat when I told it to; I did not think to ask for more. How dear of you to let me out of jail.This depiction is priceless and a perfect indicator of the events to come during this Yuletide family reunion; which to say the least, a graphic depiction of the power struggle between Eleanor and Henry.This is a simplified depiction based upon fact; however, the overwhelming complexities of the history of The Duchy of Aquitaine, which at one time made up a third of France cannot be told with any coherency in a single film.There are other films such as Beckett and A Man For All Seasons; just to name a few, which provide minuscule insights into the history of medieval French and English histories which are better left to learned scholars in academia.These films are filled with historical inaccuracies and typically portray the various players simplistically as either entirely villainous or victims with whom the audience is entirely sympathetic to.It is the same with The Lion in Winter which, as are the numerous other productions chronicling the events of that period, are nothing but elaborate stagings that are meant to showcase the considerable talents of extraordinarily gifted actors.While the depictions of verbal fencing and intrigues are oversimplified they are nonetheless imbued with an appreciable quality that make them highly entertaining and believable; provided you don't take them too seriously.Hepburn and O'Toole are consummate actors blessed with rare talent; they are intellectual equals as are the characters they portray.The scenes of Ms. Hepburn's interaction with her various offspring in an effort to curry their favor are impressively touching as they are harshly revealing of the complexities of a formidable woman attempting to assess and influence her children; each endowed with decidedly different traits, temperaments and ambitions.The portrayal of the children themselves as individuals or interacting with one another are well served by enhancements in the script which tend to overstate the qualities of the characters. As I previously indicated, this technique is vital to differentiating the personae of each character, making it easier for the viewer to understand and relate to the character.Each scene is depicted with flawlessly targeted precision and dispenses with any superfluous embellishments and contain carefully placed moments of humor that preclude the need for overstated scenarios of comic relief in the strict Shakespearian sense.Although the premise of this film is that of a period drama, the plot is presented in such a way as to portray the lives of Henry's family as a modern, highly dysfunctional family gathered for a Christmas holiday in crisis mode, which makes the subject matter easier for the audience to understand and relate to.Mr. O'Tooles' performance is nothing less then perfection that is augmented by his strong intuitive sense of understanding how to navigate the complexities of interpreting his character in a completely convincing manner that is finely synchronized with the sensibilities of the audience.For the most part, the plot deftly conveys the essence of the storyline and is thoroughly entertaining, making each scene an enticement to look deeper into the lives of these two pivotal characters.

The Lion In Winter was a wonderful DVD to watch with Peter O’Toole and Katherine Hepburn acting their best roles. They did a phenomenal job of Portraying the turmoil between King Henry ll and his Queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine around the year 1183 AD. If you enjoy wonderful acting an old movies, this is a great movie/DVD for you to buy and watch. Highly recommended.

Imprescindible. Aunque sólo por ver a Peter y Katherine ya merece la pena. Adaptación de una obra de teatro de Broadway de James Goldman (si, el autor de esa joya que es "Robin y Marian"), es una excelente película sobre el poder. Como curiosidad, uno de los hijos es interpretado por un joven Anthony Hopkins.

When I put it in the DVD player a notice comes up on the screen that it is the wrong code for my part of the world (Australia) so it is useless to me

Der Löwe im Winter (Originaltitel: The Lion in Winter) nach dem gleichnamigen Theaterstück von James Goldman mit Peter O'Toole, Katharine Hepurn und Timothy Dalton stammt aus dem Jahr 1968 und war eine britische Produktion. Doch gehen wir ein wenig auf das Familienglück von Henry II. ein.Weihnachten 1183 auf der französischen Burg Chinon. Der alte König Henry II. muss einen Nachfolger aus einen seiner drei Söhne bestimmen. Aber einer ist intriganter als der andere und ob sie wirklich ein Königreich führen können, misstraut er. Er hat zudem noch seine liebe Ehefrau Eleanor, mit der er eine Hassliebe verbindet, in der englischen Burg Old Sarum eingesperrt und holt sie zu jedem Weihnachtsfest heraus. Dabei wird sie jedoch mit einer sehr jungen Geliebten ihres Ehemannes konfrontiert. Die Erkenntnis, dass sie alt und verbraucht wirkt trifft sie sehr. Eleanor will das ihr Lieblingssohn Richard an Macht gewinnt und die Krone einfordert. Und so entsteht wieder ein intrigantes Ränkespiel um die Nachfolge von Henry II. Doch nicht nur die Söhne wollen die Krone, auch der französische König Philipp II. von Frankreich streckt seine Finger nach der Krone aus.Der Film ist ein dialoglastiger Film ohne Action. Es ist ein Bühnenstück mit hervorragenden Schauspielern die mehr als gekonnt das Ränkespiel rüberbringen. Dazu noch die sehr intelligenten und teilweise sehr spitzen und spitzfindigen Texte die man selten so in einen Film zu hören bekommt. Und für die, die diesen Film lieben ist er einfach viel zu kurz. Und obwohl ich ihn schon unzählige Male gesehen habe, verfliegt der Film ein jedes Mal wie im Fluge. Dazu noch die Filmmusik von John Barry (allein schon die Titelmusik ist ein Hammer) unterstreicht die Filmszenen perfekt. Aber das alles wird sicher nicht jedem gefallen, denn Hass, Intrigen, Rachsucht, Machtgier erleben wir jeden Tag in jeglicher Form. Aber alles geballt auf über zwei Stunden ist wahrscheinlich schwer zu verdauen oder könnte für andere langweilig wirken, weil das mittlerweile in der Jetztzeit schon zu oft z.B. in TV-Serien gezeigt wurde und in der Literatur oft wiederkehrend ist. Doch damals 1968 war der Film in dieser Form fast ein Novum (auch wenn es ähnliches schon vorher gab).Der Film erhielt drei Oscars. Katharine Hepburn erhielt für ihre Darstellung ihren dritten Oscar von vier. John Barry, der Filmkomponist erhielt für seine Komposition ebenfalls einen Oscar und auch das Drehbuch erhielt einen. Peter O'Toole, Bester Film, beste Regie und Kostüme wurden zwar für den Oscar nominiert, konnten aber keinen einkassieren. Für einen nichtamerikanischen Film war das bemerkenswert. Es gab dann noch Auszeichnungen von Society of Film and Television Arts Awards für Katharine Hepburn und John Barry und den Golden Globe für Peter O'Toole und für den besten Film des Jahres.Laufzeit: 135 Minuten.Qualität der Blu-ray:Bildqualität: 1080/24p in 2:35.1 (breite Balken oben und unten). Das Bild ist einfach großartig. Das Bild ist scharf, die Kontraste gut, die Farben sind intensiv und die Bildkörnung fällt nur gering aus. Die Überarbeitung ist sehr gut gelungen und ein Umstieg von DVD auf Blu-ray zahlt sich aus.Tonqualität: Deutsch und Englisch in DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo. Die Dialoge sind gut verständlich.

Excellent acting and brilliant dialogue -leaves one hanging on to every word which can be unpredictable, making the movie most interesting to the very end.