7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Anne of the Thousand Days concentrates on the romance between Britain's King Henry VIII and his ill-fated second wife Anne Boleyn. After holding out for marriage rather than an illegitimate union, Anne marries Henry after he sheds himself of Katherine of Aragon, thus causing a rift between the Crown and the Catholic Church. Anne's inability to produce a male heir leads Henry to look about for other suitable mates. Henry's sinister right-hand man Cromwell arranges for Anne to be condemned on a charge of adultery,after which she is beheaded, while Henry disconsolately sits in Windsor Castle, regretting this callous example of political expediency.
Starring: Geneviève Bujold, Richard Burton, Irene Papas, Anthony Quayle, John ColicosBiography | 100% |
Coming of age | Insignificant |
Period | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
History | Insignificant |
Romance | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.36:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Music: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
None
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
As is discussed at least in passing in our Lost Horizon Blu-ray review, when that 1973 (perceived) debacle debuted to withering reviews and absolutely stagnant box office, a lot of the blame was placed on director Charles Jarrott, this despite the fact that even some of the musical’s most vociferous deriders mentioned that the first section of the remake was a virtual shot by shot recreation of Frank Capra’s iconic 1937 version of James Hilton’s legendary tale. What makes the disparagement of Jarrott perhaps even stranger is that he had at that point in his career relatively recently directed two films* which had garnered a bevy of Academy Award nominations, even if both of them had also been less than universally acclaimed by the critical class. In fact, Anne of the Thousand Days claimed the top spot in terms of number of Oscar nominations for films released in 1969, with a total of ten nods (They Shoot Horses, Don't They? came in second with nine, while Hello, Dolly!, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and eventual Best Picture winner Midnight Cowboy each scored “only” seven per film). Anne of the Thousand Days’ triumph with the nominating committees of the Academy evidently raised eyebrows even back in 1970, when the nominations were announced, with some claiming that Universal had literally wined and dined Academy members in order to help “persuade” them to vote for the film in various categories. As Oscar junkies may know, Anne of the Thousand Days only ended up bringing home one actual statuette, for Margaret Furse’s sumptuous costumes, but several of the other folks who garnered nominations for both performances and “below the line” technical contributions to the film certainly delivered professional, and perhaps even passionate, accountings of their work. Anne of the Thousand Days is a little stiff at times, and it certainly veers from the actual historical record, but Richard Burton tears into his portrayal of Henry VIII with some relish, and Genevieve Bujold, who won the Golden Globe that year in addition to receiving an Academy Award nomination, makes for a winsome if also incredibly steely Anne Boleyn.
Anne of the Thousand Days is presented on Blu-ray with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.36:1. Culled from the Universal catalog, this release sports a generally very pleasing appearance, with some excellent fine detail noticeable in things like the fur collar on Henry's outfits or some of the sumptuous brocaded finery that some of the women wear. The palette is arguably just a bit faded, but really still pops with some considerable energy throughout, though I personally thought some of the reds looked a tad on the orange side. There is a noticeable and nicely resolved grain field throughout the presentation. Occasional establishing shots can look a bit rough, even divorced from any extenuating circumstances like optical dissolves. As perhaps should be expected, the outdoor scenes probably pop the best, and it's many of these scenes that the palette really looks most vivid. Arthur Ibbetson received a deserved Academy Award nomination for his work here, and the use of so many authentic locations really adds to the overall feel of the film.
Anne of the Thousand Days features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mix which capably supports Georges Delerue's lovely Oscar nominated score (which interpolates some authentic era specific music along with his original creations), as well as providing clear and problem free rendering of dialogue. Several of the outdoor sequences also benefit from realistic sounding ambient environmental effects.
If and when Kino Lorber releases Sweet Charity on Blu-ray, I'll share yet another salient example of what a complete geek I am, but suffice it to say the Fosse film was the only other Universal release from 1969 to garner any Academy Award nominations (how I know that is the subject of my geek "infirmity"). Sweet Charity attempted to market itself as "the musical film of the 1970s", this despite the fact that it was released in 1969, but Anne of the Thousand Days is definitely a throwback of sorts to the big historical epics that had helped define the earlier years of the sixties, as perhaps is documented by the trailer included on this Blu-ray, where the film is marketed with a reference to Becket. Anne of the Thousand Days is handsome and at least somewhat literary, but it's also a bit staid. I personally have really loved the film from the first time I saw it, despite its arguable overlength and occasional sluggishness, and for any other fans of the film, this release offers nice video and audio, even if supplements are sparse. Recommended.
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