Heroic Conviction
The tales of heroes have always fascinated the minds of men. They have been known to leave their listener, upon hearing of such strength, feeling empowered to live heroically themselves. Perhaps learning of the stories of two martyrs, both by the name of Thomas—Thomas Becket and Thomas More—was what prompted Peter Glenville and Fred Zinnemann to use their God-given talents of creative vision and film making craftsmanship to bring to life and pass on the legacy of these valiant saints. Their lives had been written about before; Thomas More as the protagonist of the play A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt, and Thomas Becket the main character in T.S. Eliot’s play Murder in the Cathedral. Yet Glenville and Zinnemann were able, …show more content…
The name they share is not their only similarity, far from it. Indeed the parallels of their lives are eerily comparable. Both had occupied the position of Chancellor of England, yet through conflicts arising between the state and their consciences both were killed at the hands of King Henry, Becket by the second and More by the eighth, both in England, both in defense of the faith which guided their conscience and refused compromise even when such conviction threw their very lives into peril. Though time separated them by nearly four-hundred years, their plight is a timeless one and their fate the only end honorable enough for God’s faithful servants.
The film A Man for All Seasons truly brings the words off the page in its fantastic medley of 16th century landscape, costume, and musical score. The incredible depth of character that Robert Bolt was able to achieve in his play is not lost in the film version, but is further enhanced through the masterful acting of the cast. Though the play in itself is entertaining and enjoyable, the film is successful in capturing the subtleties and details impossible through one-dimensional …show more content…
Becket, though not directly following the same direction of Murder in the Cathedral, pairs well with the play. The abstract poetic style of T.S. Eliot properly befits the time, purpose, and subject of the work. Though superb in verse, such lofty technique often escapes the grasp of modern man. Murder in the Cathedral relates Thomas Becket’s intense agony concerning the conflict arising between loyalty to King Henry and to God. The four tempters, the antagonists of the work, assault Thomas with excuses and rationalizations of every kind. The film indeed captures Thomas’ anguish but not to such depth. The film provides the background that the play
The tales of heroes have always fascinated the minds of men. They have been known to leave their listener, upon hearing of such strength, feeling empowered to live heroically themselves. Perhaps learning of the stories of two martyrs, both by the name of Thomas—Thomas Becket and Thomas More—was what prompted Peter Glenville and Fred Zinnemann to use their God-given talents of creative vision and film making craftsmanship to bring to life and pass on the legacy of these valiant saints. Their lives had been written about before; Thomas More as the protagonist of the play A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt, and Thomas Becket the main character in T.S. Eliot’s play Murder in the Cathedral. Yet Glenville and Zinnemann were able, …show more content…
The name they share is not their only similarity, far from it. Indeed the parallels of their lives are eerily comparable. Both had occupied the position of Chancellor of England, yet through conflicts arising between the state and their consciences both were killed at the hands of King Henry, Becket by the second and More by the eighth, both in England, both in defense of the faith which guided their conscience and refused compromise even when such conviction threw their very lives into peril. Though time separated them by nearly four-hundred years, their plight is a timeless one and their fate the only end honorable enough for God’s faithful servants.
The film A Man for All Seasons truly brings the words off the page in its fantastic medley of 16th century landscape, costume, and musical score. The incredible depth of character that Robert Bolt was able to achieve in his play is not lost in the film version, but is further enhanced through the masterful acting of the cast. Though the play in itself is entertaining and enjoyable, the film is successful in capturing the subtleties and details impossible through one-dimensional …show more content…
Becket, though not directly following the same direction of Murder in the Cathedral, pairs well with the play. The abstract poetic style of T.S. Eliot properly befits the time, purpose, and subject of the work. Though superb in verse, such lofty technique often escapes the grasp of modern man. Murder in the Cathedral relates Thomas Becket’s intense agony concerning the conflict arising between loyalty to King Henry and to God. The four tempters, the antagonists of the work, assault Thomas with excuses and rationalizations of every kind. The film indeed captures Thomas’ anguish but not to such depth. The film provides the background that the play