Becket with Richard Burton: Blu-ray Cover
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Becket Director: Peter Glenville Cast: Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole, John Gielgud, Donald Wolfit

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  • Blu-ray Release Date: 11/25/2008
  • Original Release: 1964
  • Rating: Rated PG13
  • Sales Rank: 27,589

Viewer Rating: (13 ratings)

Detailed Rating: "Performances" See All

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DVD - Wide Screen$24.99

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Scenes

Features

Commentary with Peter O'Toole; Theatrical Trailer; Still Gallery; Interviews with Editor Anne V. Coates and Composer Laurence Rosenthal; TV Spot

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Editorial Reviews

A high-class costume drama with a substantive historical basis, Becket is the true story of the friendship between King Henry II (Peter O'Toole) and Thomas à Becket (Richard Burton), a royal courtier and confidant whom Henry appoints as Archbishop of Canterbury. As Becket takes his duties with the Church seriously, he finds himself increasingly at odds with the King, who finally orders the death of his once-close companion when he continues to defy the throne. Burton is very good and O'Toole is even better: both men were nominated for the Best Actor Oscar, while Edward Anhalt's screenplay, based on the stageplay by Jean Anouilh, won for Best Adapted Screenplay. The basic theme of separation of church and state still reverberates today, while the top-notch production values ensure Becket's place as one of Britain's better historical epics. Don Kaye, All Movie Guide

Customer Reviews

THE SECRET BEHIND BECKETby Mary_T

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November 11, 2009: This is the great thing about DVD special editions - Special Features! This DVD includes an audio commentary with the incomparable Peter O'Toole. And what a wealth of information, knowledge, wit and anecdotes he is! From O'Toole we learn that the film is based upon a successful London play of the same name. No big suprise there. But then he explains that the play was not supposed to be about Henry II and Thomas Becket at all! The relationship depicted between two friends with passionate differences is really about two British actors who fell out after a fiery dispute about the artistic direction of the London stage company to which they both belonged. The author simply used the historic schism between Henry and Becket as a framework to hold this completely different story about two completely different men. This explains the many glaring historical inaccuracies in the film script.... it was not originally written as historical fiction at all.

This is just another example of the great wealth of information made available to us since movies moved from VHS to DVD. There are lots of other vintage films making it to DVD with added features. I've discovered many gems such as these upon repurchasing DVD versions of several of my long-time favorite VHS films. Three Faces of Eve, Rebecca, Laura, the Adventures of Robin Hood and many more. It's a delight to learn more about a film that's been a favorite friend for so many years.

If you want to see Peter O'Toole portray Henry again (when both Peter and Henry are quite a bit older) watch The Lion in Winter. Katherine Hepburn and O'Toole set the story on fire with truly brilliant acting. You'll also enjoy the early performances of a young Anthony Hopkins (Silence of the Lambs), Timothy Dalton (James Bond) and Nigel Terry (Excalibur).

This review was written about the DVD Wide Screen edition.

I Also Recommend: The Adventures of Robin Hood, Laura, The Three Faces of Eve, Lion In Winter, Rebecca.

Finally....by Anonymous

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May 13, 2007: Outstanding drama, acting and subject matter. No one else could deliver the line,"Where lies Becket's honor?" like Burton.

This review was written about the DVD Wide Screen edition.


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