Title: Becket
Title: BecketGeneral Category Drama
Genre: Film
Sub-genre: Biography
Nationality: - American / French
Time Period: 20th Century
First and Last Viewed: Spring 1996 // Spring 2002
Rated: - A+
Use: World Literature
Location: - Public Library of Knox County
Scripture that comes to mind:
Comments:
I first heard of St. Becket from this famous poem by Chaucer:
When that April with its showers sweet
the drought of March hath pierced to the root
and bathed every vine in sweet liquid,
which engendered has the flower.
When Zephyrus has, with his sweet breath
in every holt and heath, inspired the tender crops--
And the young sun has in the Ram half his course run--
And small birds make melody
that sleep all the night with open eye
so prinks nature in their [hearts] courages
Then long folk to go on Pilgrimages
and paramours to seek
strange strands and far halls.
And especially from every shire's end
to Canterbury they wend,
the holy blissful martyr there to seek
who had helped them when that they were sick.
(Modern Translation: Mine)
Thomas Becket was killed by soldiers
of king Henry and later sainted for his stand against the state and protection
of the church. This film made that event terribly and
vividly alive for
me. Officially his last words were:
| "For the name of Jesus and the protection of the church I am ready to embrace death." |
Rather different from "Poor Henry" as depicted in this film.
Here are the actors and their parts:
| Sian Phillips | Gwendolen Becket's kept woman. | |
| Peter O'Toole | King Henry II | |
| Edward Woodward | Clement | |
| John Gielgud | King Louis VII of France | |
| Richard Burton | Thomas Becket | |
| Victor Spinetti | French Tailor | |
| Felix Aylmer | Archbishop of Canterbury | |
| Edward Woodward | Clement | |
| Donald Wolfit | Gilbert Folliot Bishop of London | |
| David Weston | Brother John - "my little saxon." |
Links
Entertainment Nutz on Becket: An interesting web page because its review of this film considered by so many others as a fine piece of work is roundly defamed here.
Barns and Noble: Becket: Several positive reviews of the film now on sale at Barnes and Noble
Possible Test Questions:
True or False:
1. _____ Becket tells Gwendolen that she can always come back to him, but she kills herself because she feels she is tarnished by King Henry's advances.
2. _____ The film strongly suggests that Becket and King Henry's relationship is a homosexual one.
3. _____ The Bishop of London realizes that King Henry still loves Becket even while the two of them are plotting Becket's downfall.
Multiple Choice:
I. _____ Becket first meets Brother John when (A) his monsignor brings him before Becket for discipline, (B) Brother John tries to kill Becket, (C) Brother John tries to kill King Henry, (D) Brother John tries to help Gwendolen escape.
II. _____ What does Henry do to scorn Becket which even his mother warns him may come back to harm him more than it does Thomas? (A) Divorce his first wife and marry again, (B) make the Bishop of London the keeper of the royal seal, (C) have his son crowned king apparent before his own death, (D) all of the above.