This is a new feature I’ll be doing on this blog called “Oldies Spin”. This is a section in which I’ll be taking a look back at some older films and give them their own reviews. Some of them I’ll quite enjoy, and others I might not have a great affection for. It’s also important to know that my definition of “oldies” might be a bit loose in certain areas, as I might review a movie that seems quite recent. Basically, the term means any movie that wasn’t released was already released before October 2007, when Oscar Obsessed went online. I hope you enjoy:
The Lion in Winter (1968)
There are a few films out there which, to me, I can watch at any moment. I mean that literally: no matter what time of day it is, no matter what I’m currently doing, no matter how far into the film it is, I can drop everything of concern for that moment and watch the movie. There aren’t many films that have that appeal for me. One would be Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard and the other is this. This is a classic film which boasts one of the finest casts ever put on film.
For those unfamiliar with the premise, the setup is around Christmas time in England, circa 1183. King Henry II, played by a burly and bearded Peter O’Toole, is getting older and must choose an heir to succeed him. But that isn’t quite such an easy task. He wants his youngest son John (Nigel Terry, from Excalibur) whose piggish and immature mannerism make him a foul presence but the loving recipient of his father’s unfiltered affection. However, his wife Eleanor, as played by the always delightful Katherine Hepburn, wants their eldest Richard (a young Anthony Hopkins) to take the crown, whose hard edge athleticism makes him a strong warrior. All the while, the middle son Geoffrey (John Castle), constantly left out of kingly decisions, plots against everyone, which includes his family and the peace negotiations between Henry and the King of France (an even younger Timothy Dalton).
I love this ensemble. If the Screen Actors Guild had been giving awards out during this time, this would definitely have been the winner for Best Ensemble. O’Toole commands the screen in every moment he’s in, constantly providing the huge outbursts as well as the cunning mindset that is required to be a king. O’Toole has yet to win an Academy Award, and out of all the great performances in his career, this should have been the one he’d have taken. Hepburn, on the other hand, did win an Oscar for this (she tied with Barbra Streisand for Funny Girl) and that was well deserved. Her sparring with O’Toole creates a loving tension spread throughout the film. She always knows how to say the right things when necessary and when to appear more vulnerable. The dynamic between the two of them is one of the greatest cinematic pairings I’ve seen, one that never becomes the product of diminishing returns.
Hopkins shows great talent in an early role here, and fills the archetype of the foolhardy, oldest sibling quite well. There’s also an intriguing twist on his character, and Hopkins manages to handle that in a grounded and realistic way. Terry as John, I will admit, feels a bit one note at times, but the way he captures the whiny and pouting slob is sublime. Even as King Arthur later in his career, he can still make me believe in this character a great deal. Of all the sons, though, Castle is the best. His Geoffrey is deceitful in every sense of the word but never is a true villain. He plays his family for a lark, but its common practice here. Every delivery of Castle’s is cold, sharp and calculated, letting you believe that with every word he says there’s a dozen different other plans going. All three of these actors deserved Oscar nominations, in my opinion, and Castle deserved to win.
There’s also good supporting turns from Dalton, who manages to walk that fine line of inexperienced ruler fueled by emotion and exquisite planner who’s five steps ahead of everyone else. I get so much joy in watching an actor I like doing so well in an early stage of his career, especially one who would eventually be part of my favorite film franchise as James Bond. There’s another good turn from Jane Merrow as Henry’s mistress who feels like a fly caught in the web of the family’s distaste for one another. She’s an innocent bystander in the bullets that fly across the family table, but soon enough her innocence is compromised and she handles her circumstances quite well.
Of course, all these great actors have a wonderful script to read from. James Goldman, who adapted from his own stage play, provides a wonderful mix of humor and drama. The words never fail to make me smirk at the sly wit of quick and insightful banter of insults, while at the same time make me believe in the tenderness and emotion that makes me believe that even under all the backstabbing, this family still loves each other. I’ll lament that maybe the direction from Anthony Harvey isn’t as flashy as it could have been, he still manages to reign in a lot of great talent and uses it to good effect.
I’ll refrain from saying this is a flawless film; a statement like that is untrue for any movie. However, it is definitely one that I love. The acting is superb and the script if fantastic. If you manage to flip by it on a lonely night on Turner Classic Movies, then stick with it. I find this to an amazing work of cinema that I can’t wait to drop everything and watch again.
A
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