Review of Becket

Introduction

When I was a foetus, my parents, as parents do, discussed prospective names. My mum liked Samuel, but they realised that that was a non-starter, as my school life would be plagued with jokes from teachers about Godot. Second on the list was Thomas, but that again was ruled out because of the inescapable association with a certain 12th century priest, so David it was. Anyway, enough with the mental wrestling of my parents and on to what was, and is still, considered one of the finest British films ever made.

The French playwright Jean Anouilh was considering writing a play based on the conflict between two of the finest actors in his company, but was unsure of how to adapt it into a play. On a visit to England, he visited Canterbury Cathedral, read a few lines about Thomas Becket and his quarrels with Henry II and wrote his play, which was then seen, in France, by Peter Glenville. Glenville was keen to make a film version of the play, producer Hal Wallis wanted a grand film for which he would be remembered and there was no shortage of actors wishing to be involved.

Nominated for an incredible 12 Academy Awards, `Becket` not only features Peter O`Toole, (relatively) fresh from `Lawrence of Arabia` and Richard Burton, but a tremendous company of actors including John Gielgud and Donald Wolfit.

Video

Shot almost entirely in Shepperton Studios, the sets are fantastic and it`s hard to believe that they are not filming in real castles and locations, Margaret Furse`s costumes are tremendous and the film as a whole is an amazing visual spectacle.

Fortunately, the film has a fine anamorphic 2.35:1 transfer, which looks fantastic, although there are some problems with colour shifts at around the two hour mark. Whether this is a fault with the transfer to DVD or with the film stock itself is known only to those who made the disc.

Audio

Both the Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo and 5.1 Surround mixes are very good, although the 5.1 is far superior, showcasing the dialogue and Laurence Rosenthal`s Oscar-nominated score beautifully.

Features

The audio commentary is moderated by Mark Kermode and he is joined by Peter O`Toole. O`Toole, if left to his own devices, would be perfectly happy watching the film, but Kermode knows what buttons to press, what questions to ask and the result is an enjoyable and informative commentary.

The interview with editor Anne V. Coates runs at just over seven minutes and is a brief but watchable and funny account of her experiences with `Becket`.

In `A Tapestry Of Music: Laurence Rosenthal On His Score For Becket`, Rosenthal explains how he developed the score, where his inspirations came from and is able to explore the music of the film for half an hour.

There is also a `Lobby Card Gallery` which has to be manually navigated, and the theatrical trailer.

Conclusion

Bringing stage actors to the screen is a tricky business - they can either be `stagey` and entirely unsuited to the medium, or the elements that made them such great thespians can work to the advantage of the film. In the case of `Becket`, the cast is full of men who have `trod the boards` and produce theatrical performances which, under the terrific direction of Peter Glenville, are powerful, gripping and perfect for the Oscar-winning screenplay.

As Peter O`Toole explains in the commentary, Henry II was such a great character that he could have happily played him for his whole career. Although he was the monarch that introduced trial by jury and only ever lost two battles - his first at age 12 and his last when he was killed - he is predominantly known for his dispute with Thomas Becket.

Some have been waiting for two decades for this film to become available for home viewing and Second Sight have produced a disc worth the wait. Historical inaccuracies aside, `Becket` is a terrific film and a DVD deserving of a place in anyone`s collection.