Becket

Locations
Call Number: DVD Drama Becket
On Shelf At: Downtown Library

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 1st Floor 1-week checkout	DVD Drama Becket	1-week checkout	On Shelf

Based on the Broadway play "Becket" by Jean Anouilh ; produced upon the stage by David Merrick.
Originally released as a motion picture in 1964.
"Restored by the Academy Film Archive Restoration Funding provided by The Film Foundation."
Special features: Commentary with Peter O'Toole; interviews with editor Anne V. Coates and composer Laurence Rosenthal; archival interviews with Richard Burton; theatrical trailer; still gallery; TV spot.
Peter O'Toole, Richard Burton, John Gielgud, Donald Wolfit, Martita Hunt, Pamela Brown.
Henry II surprises England by naming his fellow rogue and trusted confidant Thomas Becket as Chancellor. But when Henry next appoints him Archbishop of Canterbury, Becket shocks the world by openly defying the King with his newfound faith and compassion. Will a desperate ruler now destroy a beloved friend to save his splintering kingdom?
DVD, region 1, anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) presentation; Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo.
Contents: Becket.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

Library Journal Review

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

50 years later, it is still enjoyable to watch. submitted by Tassos on December 24, 2019, 8:54am Fine movie. See it.

Becket submitted by leighsprauer on February 27, 2024, 7:35am Becket is the true story (or at least I assume it is - I guess I don't know a lot about St. Thomas Becket, really) of the archbishop's defense of the church against King Henry II. Despite a misspent youth and being extremely self-centered and opportunistic, Becket undergoes a conversion when he, for purely political reasons, is named the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Although there are glimmers of a decent character before, his change into a defender of God's and the Church's honor comes quite suddenly and inexplicably in the movie. Luckily, Richard Burton is wonderful as Becket: he is able to convey Becket's conversion with only meaningful looks and a few heartfelt prayers - no angelic choirs or glowing lights from heaven necessary. Still, though, it seems very abrupt, as does the end of the movie. The tensions between the ruling-class Normans and the local Saxons is a major theme in the movie, but it's not adequately explained why Becket became such a hero to the Saxons. The focus of the movie is instead on Henry II's relationship with him, which is intense and odd.
All in all, it's not a bad movie, but not especially inspiring or moving.