To Kill a King [Region 2]
by Mike Barker
![To Kill a King [Region 2]](/images/To-Kill-a-King-Region-2-B0001FYQNQ-L.jpg)
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD Cover Information
Actor: Corin Redgrave, Dougray Scott, James Bolam, Olivia Williams, Tim RothDirector: Mike Barker
DVD: Region Code 2
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled)
Format: PAL
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Movie Reviews of To Kill a King [Region 2]
Movie Review: To Kill an Idea
Summary: 4 Stars
My copy of "To Kill a King" is flawed in that the language isn't distinct and I lost some of the drama of the film and this film is more about language than about sets and costumes. The film revolves around three major players, Oliver Cromwell, his friend, Sir Thomas Fairfax, and the King, Charles Stewart. The setting is immediately after the victory of the Parliamentary forces, led by Cromwell and General Fairfax, against the Royalist forces. The King is defeated but still the King. He refuses to compromise on important aspects of what he regards as his God-Given Authority--such as the authority to render arbitrary judgments. This, of course, sets him distinctly at odds with Cromwell. Parliament is bribed and cajoled to favor the King's position and Cromwell dissolves Parliament at the point of a gun.
By this time, Cromwell's old friend and buddy, Thomas, is getting uneasy. He has, after all, fought for the primacy of Parliament. Cromwell, realizing that his revolution is not complete until there is no King, holds a drumhead trial in which the King is convicted and condemned to die on the block. Now, Thomas is really uneasy and his squeamishness starts to affect his friendship with Cromwell.
The King is executed. Cromwell raises his hands, reddened with a King's own blood, and proclaims to the crowd, "See. His blood is red just like ours. You are your own masters now."
But England has been a monarchy for one thousand years and more. The people are uncomfortable with concepts like 'freedom' and 'republic'. They're even more uncomfortable with regicide. Cromwell, despite his elevation to 'Lord Protector' is the most hated man in England. Thomas, despite increasing dismay, sticks by the King but not for long. The friendship breaks like a rotten stick. Cromwell dies--some say by malaria--and the new English Republic dies along with him with the return of Charles II. Charles strings the bones of Cromwell up for public display. Thus with regicides.
I think this is a very good movie. I just wish I could have heard it better.
Ron Braithwaite author of novels--"Skull Rack" and "Hummingbird God"--on the Spanish Conquest of Mexico
Summary of To Kill a King [Region 2]
In Mike Barker's version of British history, Thomas Fairfax (Mission Impossible II's Dougray Scott) represents reason, while Oliver Cromwell (Tim Roth, taking on a role previously assumed by Richard Harris) embodies reform. As the lieutenant-general, who makes up in conviction what he lacks in charisma, declares, "Tom is our emblem. We are brutes without him." He could easily be referring to himself, since Cromwell would turn out to be one of England's more brutal reformers. Barker picks up their story in 1645 during the height of civil war. At the time, King Charles I (Rupert Everett, in fine fettle despite a few unfortunate ensembles) holds a tenuous grasp on the throne. Parliamentarians Fairfax and Cromwell enjoy cordial relations; though the latter's increasing fanaticism bodes poorly for the future. Further, the lord general's wife, Lady Fairfax (Rushmore's Olivia Williams), sympathizes with the king, putting her husband in an awkward position. In the end, Cromwell will decide the fate of the Crown, but many lives might have been spared if Parliament had heeded Fairfax's calls for leniency. Plagued by budgetary problems, Barker was forced to halt production on the film twice (the project was saved largely by actor/producer Scott, who paid crew members out of his own pocket). Consequently, the director opted to emphasize political intrigue over battlefield heroics. Though less satisfying than his underrated Oscar Wilde adaptation A Good Woman, To Kill a King (formerly Cromwell and Fairfax) features convincing performances and raises timely questions about the qualifications for leadership. --Kathleen C. FennessyDrama DVD Video
DVD Video
- Action & Adventure
- African American Cinema
- Animation
- Anime & Manga
- Art House & International
- Classics
- Comedy
- Cult Movies
- Documentary
- Drama
- Educational
- Fitness & Yoga
- Gay & Lesbian
- Horror
- Kids & Family
- Military & War
- Music Video & Concerts
- Musicals & Performing Arts
- Mystery & Suspense
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Special Interests
- Sports
- Television
- Westerns
Movies most talked about in Drama DVD Video
Smallville - The Complete Seventh SeasonRelease date: 2008-09-09; DVD
Best price: $34.97
Price in other shops:
The Unit - The Complete Third SeasonRelease date: 2008-10-14; DVD
Best price: $25.50
Price in other shops:
House, M.D. - Season FourHOUSE: SEASON FOUR (DVD MOVIE); Release date: 2008-08-19; DVD
Best price: $28.99
Price in other shops:
Dexter - The Complete Second SeasonPARAMOUNT PICTURES; Release date: 2008-08-19; DVD
Best price: $18.25
Price in other shops:
The L-Word: The Complete Fifth SeasonRelease date: 2008-10-28; DVD
Best price: $35.99
Price in other shops:
Grey's Anatomy: The Complete Fourth SeasonBuena Vista Home Video; Release date: 2008-09-09; DVD
Best price: $31.00
Price in other shops:
John Adams (HBO Miniseries)Warner Brothers; Release date: 2008-06-10; DVD
Best price: $30.96
Price in other shops:
The Dark Knight (Widescreen Single-Disc Edition)Release date: 2008-12-09; DVD
Best price: $16.99
Price in other shops:
The Dark Knight (Two-Disc Special Edition + Digital Copy)Release date: 2008-12-09; DVD
Best price: $22.99
Price in other shops:
![Iron Man (Ultimate Two-Disc Edition) [Blu-ray] Image](/images/Iron-Man-Ultimate-Two-Disc-Edition-Blu-ray-B001GAPC1K-X.jpg)
Iron Man (Ultimate Two-Disc Edition) [Blu-ray]Release date: 2008-09-30; DVD
Best price: $24.75
Price in other shops:
Similar DVD Movies
Vantage Point (Single-Disc Edition)Sony; Release date: 2008-07-01; DVD
Best price: $7.03
Price in other shops:
CloverfieldDVD; Release date: 2008-04-22; DVD
Best price: $6.72
Price in other shops:
I Am Legend (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition with Digital Copy)Release date: 2008-03-18; DVD
Best price: $7.83
Price in other shops:
National Treasure 2 - Book of Secrets (Widescreen)Buena Vista Home Video; Release date: 2008-05-20; DVD
Best price: $8.49
Price in other shops:
The Other Boleyn GirlDVD; Release date: 2008-06-10; DVD
Best price: $14.90
Price in other shops:
Elizabeth - The Golden Age (Widescreen Edition)UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAIN.; Release date: 2008-02-05; DVD
Best price: $12.47
Price in other shops:
BeowulfDVD; Release date: 2008-02-26; DVD
Best price: $7.88
Price in other shops:
JumperJumper; Release date: 2008-06-10; DVD
Best price: $7.38
Price in other shops:
10,000 B.C.DVD; Release date: 2008-06-24; DVD
Best price: $7.89
Price in other shops:
The Golden Compass (New Line Platinum Series Two-Disc Widescreen Edition)DVD; Release date: 2008-04-29; DVD
Best price: $15.08
Price in other shops: