This article is about the film. For the play by Jean Anouilh, see Becket.
Becket is a 1964 film adaptation
of the play Becket or the Honour of God by Jean
Anouilh made by Hal Wallis Productions and released by Paramount Pictures. It
was directed by Peter Glenville and produced by Hal B.
Wallis with Joseph H. Hazen as executive producer. The screenplay was written by
Edward Anhalt based on Anouilh's play. The music score was by Laurence Rosenthal, the cinematography by Geoffrey
Unsworth and the editing by Anne V. Coates.
The film stars Richard Burton as Becket and
Peter O'Toole as King Henry II with
John Gielgud, Donald Wolfit, Martita Hunt, Pamela Brown, Siân
Phillips, Felix Aylmer, Gino Cervi, Paolo
Stoppa, David Weston, and Wilfrid Lawson.
Newly restored prints of Becket are being re-released in 30 theaters in the U.S. in early 2007, following an extensive
restoration from the film's YCM separation protection masters. The film was released on DVD in May, 2007. The new film prints
carry a Dolby Digital soundtrack.
Background and production
The original French play on which the film is based was given its first performance in
Paris in 1959. It opened on Broadway with
Laurence Olivier as Becket and Anthony Quinn as
King Henry II in a production directed by Peter Glenville, who later went on to direct the film version. The play opened in
London in a production by Peter
Hall with Eric Porter and Christopher
Plummer.
The film was made at Shepperton Studios, England and on location at
Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle and Bamburgh
Beach in Northumberland.
Peter O'Toole went on to play Henry II once more in The Lion in
Winter (1968) with Katharine Hepburn
as Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. Siân Phillips, who plays Gwendolen, was Peter
O'Toole's wife at the time of filming.
The film enjoyed great popularity because of a stellar cast expertly directed and filmed with superb dialogue. Without being
overly pedantic, the story line effectively monitors the transformation of Thomas Becket (a Saxon protege and facilitator to the
carousing Norman king, Henry) from an opportunistic libertine into a truly religious Prince of the Church who, in spite of
himself, begins to be guided by honor, dignity and a new found sense of faith and duty. He does so to the great chagrin and ire
of King Henry, who elevated Becket to Archbishop of Canterbury in order to have a close confidante in this position that he could
completely control. Instead, Becket becomes a major thorn in his side in a jurisdictional dispute. Much of the plot concerns
Henry, the "perennial adolescent" as described by the Bishop of London, who finds his duties as king and his stale arranged
marriage to be oppressive. Early in the film, we see him escaping them through drunken forays onto the hunting grounds and local
brothels. He is increasingly dependent on Becket, a Saxon commoner, who arranges these debaucheries when he is not busy running
Henry's court. This foments great resentment on the part of Henry's Norman noblemen, who distrust and envy this Saxon upstart, as
well as the queen and queen mother, who see Becket as an unnatural and unseemly influence upon the royal personage.
Henry finds himself in continuous conflict with the elderly Archbishop of Canterbury, who opposes the taxation of Church
property in order to support Henry's military campaigns in France ("Bishop, I must hire the Swiss Guards to fight for me - and no
one has ever paid them off with good wishes and prayer!"). During one of his campaigns in coastal France, he receives word that
the old bishop has "gone to God's bosom". In a burst of inspiration, Henry exercises his prerogative to pick the next Archbishop
and informs an astonished Becket that he is the royal choice.
Shortly thereafter, Becket sides with the Church, throwing Henry into a fury. One of the main bones of contention is when
Thomas excommunicates Lord Gilbert, one of Henry's most loyal stalwarts, for seizing and inadvertently killing a priest who had
been accused of sexual indiscretions with a young girl. Gilbert then refuses to acknowledge his transgressions and seek
absolution.
The King has a dramatic secret meeting with the Bishop of London in his cathedral ("I have the Archbishop on my stomach, a big
hard lump"). He lays out his plan to remove the troublesome cleric through scandal and innuendo which the position-conscious
Bishop of London quickly agrees to (thus furthering Henry's already deep contempt for church higher ups). These attempts fall
flat when Becket, in full ecclesiastic garb, confronts his accusers outside the rectory and routes them causing Henry to laugh
and bitterly note the irony of it all, "Becket is the only intelligent man in my entire kingdom...and he is against me!" Becket
escapes to France where he encounters the conniving King Louis (played to the max by the great John Gielgud). King Louis sees in
Becket a means by which he can further his favorite pastime, tormenting the arrogant English. Becket gets to Rome, where he begs
the Holy Pontiff to allow him to renounce his position and retire to a monastery as an ordinary priest. The Vatican is a hotbed
of intrigue and political jockeying. The Pope reminds Becket that he has an obligation as a matter of principle to return to
England and take a stand against civil interference in Church matters. Becket yields to this decision and asks Louis to arrange a
meeting with Henry on the beaches at Normandy. A shaky truce is declared and Becket is allowed to return to England.
The remainder of the film shows Henry rapidly sinking into drunken fixation over Becket and his perceived betrayal. The barons
worsen his mood by pointing out that Becket has become a folk hero among the vanquished Saxons who are ever restive and resentful
of their Norman conquerors. There are comical fights between Henry and his frumpy consort, Eleanor of Aquitaine, his dimwitted
son/heir apparent, and his cold-blooded mother, who repeatedly reminds her son that his father would have quickly had someone
like Becket done away with for the sake of the realm. During one of his drunken rages he shouts out, "Can no one rid me of this
meddlesome priest?" His faithful barons hear this and proceed quickly to Canterbury, where they put Thomas and his Saxon deputy,
Brother John, to the sword. A badly shaken Henry then undergoes a penance by whipping at the hands of Saxon monks.
The film concludes with Henry publicly proclaiming Thomas Becket a saint and that the ones who had killed him will be justly
punished.
Awards and nominations
The film received 12 Academy Award nominations, including Best Actor for both Richard Burton and Peter O'Toole and Best Supporting Actor for John Gielgud. It won the Best Screenplay Award for Edward Anhalt.
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