Henry VIII
|
List Price: Our Price: $6.00 You Save: $3.98 (40%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $2.64 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of Henry VIII
Movie Review: Great but lacks luster.
Summary: 4 Stars
Henry VIII is a symbol of absolute despotism yet absolute grief. Let me be very clear, I am not condoning his actions but I am saying he is understandable. The man was a lover, fighter, mass murderer yet he was human. The obvious bias in favor of Henry VIII is so evident that it is laughable, and the attempts to create pathos for "Good King Harry" create more comedy than drama. Henry rapes and abuses Anne Boleyn yet the movie makers find it in their hearts to zoom in on his face and play sorrowful music to try and create sympathy for the abuser rather than the abused.The movie was saved by Henry VIII's wives, most notably his second, Anne Boleyn played in a masterful way by Helena Bonham Carter. In fact, the only reason I give this film four stars is because of Helena Bonham Carter and Emily Blunt (Katherine Howard). Both of these women gave stellar performances as did all the wives. Ray Winstone gave a good performance but did not opt for a regal accent. I strongly disbelieve that Henry VIII sounded like he came out of Cheapside.Movie Review: Great Henry VIII !
Summary: 4 Stars
Enjoyed this latest protrayal of Henry VIII. While nothing can match the chemistry between Anne and Henry from Anne of a Thousand Days....this was very good. I know a few people have commented about Ray Winstone's accent not being as refined as it should have been for his part , but I didn't mind. I was busy looking at a man trying to find love, yet could not be faithful himself and consumed with having a male heir to the point of destruction to himself and those around him. While his behavior as a ruler may appear to some as brutal this was the norm for the times. As someone else commented, enjoy the production for what it was. If you do, I think you will have enjoyed (once again) some of the best productions of historical drama as performed so ably by our British friends.Movie Review: A Guilty Pleasure
Summary: 4 Stars
I've read dozens of works on the Tudor era. I can't begin to tell you what's wrong with this film, historically.
That aside, I've grown to really enjoy the film. Think of it more like Tony Soprano as legitimate (more or less) King. It's fast paced, gorgeously lensed, stands on it's own.
Okay, okay, there are points where I wince in embarassment for the people involved. But Roy Winstone brings an animal ferocity worthy of the old tyrant nonetheless. And yes, cinematically it's derivative of Elizabeth, but still just darn fun.
Just don't mistake it for Dr. Starkey's superb documentary or the legendary Keith Mitchell work from the 1970's, and you might enjoy it, too.
Movie Review: Good, but tailor your expectations
Summary: 3 Stars
3 stars is perhaps a little generous, especially if one is basing her review on historical accuracy. and historically accurate it is not. aside from missing some key elements (namely: thomas moore, lady rochford's ultimate fate, and a large slice of anne of cleves), other aspects are just plain wrong - for instance, anne boleyn and katherine howard's executions on tower hill, not within the walls on tower green (come now, people), jane seymour is a little more assertive than sources would suggest, and katherine howard appears a bit reluctant to go, despite the substantiated offer that she admit to a precontract with dereham (also missing) and void her marriage to the king, thereby saving her life. other signature moves were also noticeably absent: anne boleyn's hair hangs down in her face for a majority of the movie and is not held back by the hallmark french hood, alas she also never says the wonderful, if not precisely corroborated "your wife i cannot be, your mistress i will not be" line - though she more or less conveys the notion. the nun of kent does not make an appearance and neither does anne askew. katherine parr and henry appear to have a rather placid arrangement towards the end - there is no threat to parr and henry is at least somewhat mobile toward the end of his life. also disappointing was the absence of katherine howard's famed run through hampton court, shouting after henry.
well, yes there is all that. but i do love tudor england and will watch just about anything produced on the subject. though heralded as "henry viii", this is really a movie about the king's relationships with his wives (and yes, his obsession for a son) and is not a film about the entirety of the king's reign. you miss all of the events preceeding the eviction of catherine of aragon.
i expected all of this and accommodated my expectations for such. it is an entertaining slice of time, which i am sure i will repeat, given the tudor-phile that i am. ray winstone gives a rather sympathetic portrayal of henry while still suddenly turning him into a raging madman. the actor who played norfolk was decent, probably from previous practice, as i swear i've seen him in this same role before. still, there are some irregularities that almost spoil the fun. sadly to say, even the costumes are not that spectacular. helena bonham carter unfortunately looks a little truncated and, well, boxy in her weirdly-done bodices. if you enjoy period pieces, especially tudor england and can forgive the historical atrocities, then i would recommend the netflix version of viewing.
Movie Review: An Interesting, But Not Historically Accurate, Perspective
Summary: 3 Stars
I've read all the other reviews and agree with them - by and large. If you know the history of the Tudor period, this program really ain't it - except in its sweeping overview of history.
What I thought was fascinating was that these people seemed more 'real' to me than in the other programs I've seen. Though it is infinitely better in terms of reporting history, Keith Michell's The Six Wives of Henry VIII seems antiseptic to me, like there's really nothing at stake.
While I agree with the others that Henry wasn't the kind of man who would personally treat his wives cruelly (raping, throwing them to the ground), this is the first rendition of him where I saw him as charismatic, a larger-than-life figure. I don't care that the actor playing him isn't the right height...
... I don't care that the wives don't have the right color hair. For the most part (Anne of Cleves the exception, she certainly wasn't on-screen for very long), the wives seemed more flesh and blood here than elsewhere. For once, I could see what Henry must have seen in Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. Even if her death scene was woefully written (Catherine didn't throw a tantrum before being beheaded), this actress playing her was both beautiful and conveyed a sexual knowledge far beyond her years.
The historical accuracy problems have been well documented - and are endless. But for my money, this series gives a good overview of how dangerous life was in the Tudor court, and the types of personalities that thrived within it.