Tonight. 8:30 AEST. The Lion In Winter on Fox Classics. Oldie but goodie, with the older historical hoyden Eleanor of Aquitaine playing a key role (interpreted by Katharine Hepburn). Also Peter O’Toole, Anthony Hopkins, Nigel Terry and a very young Timothy Dalton. If you’ve never seen it, try and catch it.
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Excellent taste TigTog! I’ve seen a lot of copies (for $8) at target shops recently. Only problem is the lack of subtitles. It’s soooo much better than the Glenn Close and Patrick Stewart version done for US TV.
From someone who can say “I’m nearly 50, alive, and a plebean, all at the same time”
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I thoroughly enjoyed it, Dave.
I haven’t seen the Close/Stewart version. Even if it’s not as good, is it still worth catching in parts, or does it just not work at all?
My dad loves that movie, but I’ve never gotten around to watching it, in spite of the fact that I’m rather interested in the Plantagenets. I don’t have Fox though, so I’ll just have to wait until the next time I visit the folks (or until I see it selling for $8, whichever comes first).
The Stewart/Close version is a modified version done by the original playwright (thankfully), but aimed for US TV (Hallmark), and thus gives a bit of background history at the start, although the full armed rebellion with pitched battles against Henry by Eleanor and sons seems a bit over the top. Ah well, I don’t suppose many tanks know much about H,E,Richard and Beckett.
The performances by Stewart/Close are good enough, and although I prefer O’Toole/Hepburn (the wit in original is played more as dry, rather than the acid of the latter), but the supporting cast doesn’t compare to the original.
The 4/3 aspect of the US TV version is also a downer compared to the lush original. The background score is also weaker IMHO.
BTW 1: Have you seen “Beckett”, with O’Toole playing a younger Henry and Richard Burton as Beckett (the history is so-so, with Beckett denoted as a Saxon). It’s a good choice for a “double feature” in your loungeroom. Drat, I cannot remember the name of the French playwright for sure – was it Anouile?
BTW 2: The Plantagnets IMHO deserve more attention than the better known Tudors: (a) their social policy was more progressive for their day – compared to the centralist Tudors – Richard 3 particularly farming out decisions to the bourgoisie and (b) they’d probably have been more fun at a dinner party – although Lizzy’s wit would be fine given her skill at translating classics (I think she translated a large chunk of Plutarch over a single weekend)
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Richard 3 particularly farming out decisions to the bourgoisie
I LOVE Richard III. While I’ve reluctantly had to conclude that he probably did have the princes murdered (carbon dating on the two skeletons they found in the Tower showed that it was highly possible that they could have been killed during Richard’s reign, but not during Henry VII’s), he certainly did no worse than any of his predecessors or successors (Henry had a number of bastard children of the Plantagents killed off). And as you say, his social policy was more progressive, and well, I just feel that it’s a damn shame that he didn’t have longer on the throne.
Beppie – Have you been reading Kendall or Tey? I’ve been toying with the idea of putting a post on R3 and political reform.
Back to Eleanor:
My daughter became an Eleanor fan because of the movie, and I got her a copy of “Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life” (Alison Weir) which she enjoyed. Does anyone know a better one? I’m especially interested to know what anyone thinks of kiddies version “Queen Eleanor: Independent Spirit of the Medieval World” is like.
BTW: Eleanor fans will probably love another history book “Uppity Women of Ancient Times” (Vicki Leon), although there were a few GLARING omissions.
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It’s actually been ages since I’ve read up on anything to do with Richard III– it was actually a bit of a hobby of mine when I was fifteen/sixteen, over ten years ago now. I’m pretty sure that I’ve read the Josephine Tey novel, but I don’t know if I’ve read Kendall or not. I wasn’t online in those days, so my sources were whatever I could find in a rural public library, a highschool library that wasn’t particularly strong on medieval history, and some teaching resources from the 60s/70s that my history teachers kindly dug up for me. Maybe I’ll revisit it again when I finish my thesis.
Well, Young Henry definitely did ambush Henry at Limoges in 1183, with aid from troops belonging to Richard and Geoffrey. Eleanor was already imprisoned by then due to their previous efforts at revolt in 1173-4, but I’m sure that she would have been there if she could.
I don’t know that that stands. There’s no reason that Henry Tudor couldn’t have sent an assassin to the tower during Richard’s reign – it was far more in his interests to have them killed than Richard’s, seeing as Richard had already disinherited them and assumed the throne. Henry’s original rebellion was done in the name of the princes, and he would have had to cede the throne to them if he was successful. With them out of the way he could keep the throne for himself.
Hmm… good point– like I said, I need to brush up on this stuff, since I haven’t really spent much time looking into it since I was sixteen. And I’m all for more evidence to support Richard’s innocence. 🙂
Lion in Winter is my favourite movie of all time, and I too went through a mad keen Richard III phase as a teenager. The internet sure is an amazing way to discover that you are not alone, even on the things you always assumed made you a freak.
The joy of simply watching marvellous actors in medieval costume shout at each other is incomperable. Is anyone else with me on thinking John Castle is a smokin’ hottie as Geoffrey?
Oh yes. Have you seen johncastlegallery.com? He was fabulous as Postumus in I, Claudius too.
mr tog and I were wondering about whether the strong resemblance between several actors – John Castle, Oliver Tobias and Gareth Hunt – may have actually meant that they got less work individually.