Becket
![]() | Directed by Peter Glenville Starring: Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole, John Gielgud, Gino Cervi, Paolo Stoppa MPI Home Video, 1964, DVD Customer Rating: 183 reviews Recommend |
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Henry II, King of England, tries to secure his throne by appointing his long-time wenching partner, Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury.
Made in 1964, but set in 12th-century England, this is the fact-based story of Henry II (Peter O'Toole) and his dear friend, the Archbishop of Canterbury (Richard Burton). When the king appoints his former drinking buddy to the high religious office, he believes he has placed an ally into power. Instead, he learns that Thomas very much takes his job to heart, prompting Henry to ask that fateful question — "Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?"
This won an Academy Award for Best Screenplay, and it is a strong example of finely tuned performances — both leading men received Academy Award nominations for their roles. There is much passion and rage on the screen, but the beauty of their performances is that we always know that love is there as well. The film, shot on location in England, is also visually appealing. Trivia buffs may be interested to know that Peter O'Toole played Henry II four years later in The Lion in Winter. — Rochelle O'Gorman
The primary bonus feature is a treat: a feature-length commentary by Peter O'Toole, accompanied by a moderator. With only occasional gaps of silence, the still sharp and well-spoken O'Toole recalls the making of the film, how he didn't research the historical King Henry ("The author has made the character; that's his job. My job is to play it."), and his memories of Richard Burton, both personal ("We found that we both enjoyed rugby, we both enjoyed songs, and we both enjoyed drinking, and got along very well.") and professional ("he had an astonishing presence on the stage"). There are also two archival interviews with Burton from 1967 and 1977 (26 minutes total), in which he doesn't discuss Becket, but he does say a lot about his life on stage, he recites some lines, and speaks candidly about his drinking problem.
Don't skip over the interviews with the film's editor Anne Coates and composer Laurence Rosenthal. Coates (7 minutes) has some good stories, and Rosenthal (12 minutes) discusses the influences on his Oscar-nominated score and how he had to teach Gregorian chant to Burton ("He was one of these people whom you really can't teach anything. He had this characteristic that you can only remind him of something he already knows. But he didn't know how to sing Gregorian chant."). In addition to a photo gallery and the four-and-a-half-minute theatrical trailer, MPI's long-delayed DVD looks better than many major-studio classics. — David Horiuchi
Beyond Becket
![]() Other Peter O'Toole Films | ![]() Other Richard Burton Films | ![]() More King Henrys on DVD |
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Title: Becket
Sales Rank: 2882 in DVD
Actor: Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole, John Gielgud, Gino Cervi, Paolo Stoppa
Director: Peter Glenville
Studio: MPI Home Video, 2007-05-15, Theatrical Release: 1964-03-11
Format: Color, Dolby, NTSC, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Acpect Ratio 2.35:1
Languages: English (Published), French (Published)
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region Code: 1
Running Time: 148 minutes
Item Dimensions: 0.28 pounds
Package Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches, 0.2 pounds
- BECKET
- I WAS LOOKING FOR THIS GREAT FILM FOR YEARS!!!...WONDERFUL THAT IT WAS REALEASED IN BLU RAY!!!THANKS ALSO FOR THE EXTRAS...GREAT!!! More reviews
- Terrific speeches
- King Henry II (Peter O'Toole) appoints his drinking buddy, Thomas Becket (Richard Burton), as Archbishop of Canterbury, believing that doing so will give him control of the Church. An awakening of conscience in his friend leads to conflict and tragedy.
O'Toole and Burton give magnificent speeches, but I never really believed their friendship. The whole affair seemed a little cold More reviews
- British English Classic!
- Its good not hearing any American slang for once! This true English classic is a must see for teenagers and adult family members. Good history, good ethical learning and excellent language usage!
Peter O'toole and Richard Burton have nailed it. More reviews
- Becket
- Extremely well done movie about a great Catholic saint. It is a very timely movie for this day and age where a Bishop of the Church is willing to defend the Catholic Faith and the rights of the Church against the political powers of the time even to the point of martyrdom.
Richard Burton is exceptional. The scene where he formally excommunicates Henry More reviews
- Two of England's Best
- O'Toole and Burton light up the screen and provide a truly entertaining view of English nobility. More reviews







