The Lion in Winter
Few films capture the dirty dealings and petty behavior of royalty as the 1968 classic The Lion in Winter. Based on his stage play, James Goldman's script centers on Henry II and his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, in their declining years as they gather with their three sons for Christmas in 1183.
Predictably, each son wants to be king and acrimoniously asserts his ambitions. Their power struggles are complicated even further by their holiday guest, King Phillip of France. In due course, facades are lifted, loyalties betrayed, and hatreds disclosed, climaxing in a grim reckoning at the finale.
Peter O'Toole reprises the role of Henry II whom he played in Becket, but his portrayal here is far removed from the jittery, squeamish monarch of that film. This Henry is a rough-hewn and unflinchingly ruthless ox of a man with a sarcastic sense of humor. Matching O'Toole's King is Katharine Hepburn as Queen Eleanor (a role which won her an Academy Award) who is imprisoned by her husband in Salisbury Tower yet is able to taunt Henry in ways he is powerless to prevent.
Visually, The Lion in Winter is a long way from more glossy medieval films like Ivanhoe or even Becket, with their ornately-colored silks and velvets and relatively clean halls. This medieval world is gritty and crude, with a color scheme dominated by earthtones. Even the gentry live in earthy surroundings, in damp, hay-strewn castles with few creature comforts (witness Henry punching his fist through a layer of ice in order to use a wash basin).
One of The Lion in Winter's most rewarding elements is the choral-intensive score by John Barry, who utilizes both Gregorian and plain chant, blending them into a more modern orchestral setting. Colorful yet introspective, it is unquestionably Barry's finest work (and won him a well-deserved Oscar).
As a wide-screen film with an ensemble cast, previous video releases of the Lion in Winter were ruined by cropped "pan and scan" transfers, which resulted in half the cast being off camera most of the time. Fortunately, New Line Home Video's laserdisc has restored the film to its full wide-screen splendor.
Although not intended as a sequel to
Becket, both The Lion in Winter and Becket are historically continuous
and screening them back-to-back makes for a rewarding double
feature.
Paul Andrew MacLean
Shelton CT 06484 USA
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LadyJanet@RenaissanceMagazine.com