The Lion in Winter (1968)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Anthony Harvey

Writers:

James Goldman (play)
James Goldman (screenplay)

Release Date:

30 October 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History

Tagline:

The most significant reserved seat attraction of the year!

Plot:

1183 AD: King Henry II's three sons all want to inherit the throne, but he won't commit to a choice. They and his wife variously plot to force him.

Plot Keywords:

Christmas | Throne | Mistress | King Henry II | Queen

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 11 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

Peter O'Toole	...	Henry II
Katharine Hepburn	...	Eleanor of Aquitaine
Anthony Hopkins	...	Richard
John Castle	...	Geoffrey
Nigel Terry	...	John
Timothy Dalton	...	King Philip of France
Jane Merrow	...	Alais
Nigel Stock	...	Capt. William Marshall
Kenneth Ives	...	Queen Eleanor's guard
O.Z. Whitehead	...	Bishop of Durham
Fran Stafford	...	Lady in Waiting
Ella More	...	Lady in Waiting
Kenneth Griffith	...	Strolling player
Henry Woolf	...	Strolling player
Karol Hagar	...	Strolling player

Runtime:

134 min | UK:137 min (70 mm version)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Mono (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:PG | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Germany:16 | Portugal:M/12 (DVD rating) | Singapore:PG | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | UK:A (original rating) | UK:15 (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Abbaye de Montmajour, Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône, France

Company:

AVCO Embassy

Trivia:

Debut of Anthony Hopkins.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the movie Prince Richard (later King Richard I) is depicted as having a homosexual relationship with King Philip of France. Actually it was his brother Geoffery who was Philips lover.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Henry II: Come for me!

Movie Connections:

Version of The Lion in Winter (2003) (TV)

This film makes a great educational tool!

I am a high school history teacher, and I use this film to give students insight to the way Medieval kings, queens, and princes plotted and schemed with and against one another, how marriages were arranged with political motives, and how the relationships between these self-important royals shaped the history of the time. When I first introduced the films plot to my student, I was met with apathy and predisposed boredom, but they quickly were caught up in the intrigue and plot twists. At each major turn (an impromptu wedding, a surprise revelation about one of the character's sexuality, etc.), the students were often literally gasping.

As for the film itself, I can not think of a movie with more solid acting from the headliners (O'Toole and Hepburn) to the other principal players (Hopkins, Dalton, Terry, and especially Castle), and even the other characters are well cast (Merrow as Alais is not especially solid, but she is at least adequate in her portrayal as "the only pawn" in this game of kings, queens, and knights).

It is, of course, not to be seen as wholly accurate historically, as it would be near impossible to achieve such for events that took place 800 years ago, but the major themes are true to form, and the film is wonderfully engrossing. Highly recommended!