Lion in Winter

[ivyfic]

I rewatched The Lion in Winter last night, and god I love that film. It's my favorite thing--political maneuvering, scheming, manipulation--with my other favorite thing--people wanting the love of someone who can't give it and they wouldn't even believe if they did.

I commented on Barbarians at the Gate, and how it flopped because it was all dialogue. Lion in Winter is all dialogue, but with this cast--dynamite. First time I watched it, I was all about Katherine Hepburn, and she is stunning. You never know whether Eleanor is earnest or angling for something, and it doesn't seem like she even knows herself. Even her moments alone are performances. And Peter O'Toole--god. I need more Peter O'Toole in my life.

Then there's the actor playing John, who manages to make him fantastically repulsive, just through the way he holds himself. Geoffrey, who was always my favorite (come on, doesn't he seem like the best choice for king?). Timothy Dalton as Philip I. And poor Richard (Anthony Hopkins), who just seems to go through the whole movie begging people to love him. Where's the fic of the doomed love between Richard and Philip? You'd think that would be fandom catnip--underage, dubcon, lies, betrayal--but I've checked. The only story I could find was fix-it (bleurgh).

I have the soundtrack from this film--it's 36 minutes long. And that is all the music in the film--they didn't leave any out. In fact, it's more music than in the film, since it includes several choral arrangements of songs Alais sings to herself. So that's a total of 25 minutes of music in a film 135 minutes long--and five minutes of that is the credits. And those 25 minutes won the Oscar for best score!

I first saw Lion in Winter as a production at my high school, and loved it despite the clunky high-school acting. (Okay, and Geoffrey was hot--sue me!) And this film adaptation is just the pinnacle of what you could do with that material. I tried to watch the 2003 Glenn Close/Patrick Stewart version and just, no. Even with her pronounced East Coast accent, no one could be more Eleanor of Aquitane than Katherine Hepburn.

Comments

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

I saw this for the first time a few years ago, and it was astonishing. I need to watch it three more times before I'll get half out what was being asked of whom, but the performances were sparkling and wonderful. And doesn't everyone need more Peter O'Toole in their lives?

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

When I first saw Lion in Winter, I didn't know much about that period of history, beyond what Robin Hood says about John and Richard. Now that I've been studying it, they're referring to this long history that provides a context for everything. Like, they refer to the fact that Eleanor was married to the King of France first, but don't give a whole lot of background. There's passing mention to the rebellions she led. And they keep referring to French territories--Poitou, Anjou. So much history!

I'm looking at O'Toole's filmography and trying to decide if him in musicals is a good idea or a really really bad one.

[jethrien.livejournal.com]

Didn't Henry banish Eleanor for a little while?

Eleanor of Aquitaine is awesome.

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

Have you not seen Lion in Winter? He imprisoned her for more than a decade. The action of this takes place in that time, when he's let her out for the Christmas Court. Their first son, Henry, has died, so now they're all vying for the succesion.

[jethrien.livejournal.com]

No, I haven't seen it. And most of the history I've read features her up until she goes to England, or Henry III and Eleanor of Provence which goes really quite differently.

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

How is it possible you haven't seen it???? *boggle*

[jethrien.livejournal.com]

It's on my "to watch" list. The thing is, I watch maybe ten movies a year, and eight of them are opening weekend superhero movies that Chuckro wants to see. I just don't consume all that much tv/movies.

[fairest.livejournal.com]

Whoa! I enjoy both Katharine Hepburn and Eleanor of Aquitaine. How have I never even heard of this film? My ignorance of movies is tragic.

Adding to the queue....

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

What is with you crazy people not having seen this movie? WATCH IT NOW. It's not possible to not enjoy it. Then watch Becket. Because you can't have too much of Peter O'Toole playing Henry II.

[wellgull.livejournal.com]

I really didn't appreciate this film the way I should've the one time I saw it.

Of course that was years n years ago, and I was watching it late at night and sort of falling asleep, which probably killed any hope. But man, I should rewatch this...

[mylodon.livejournal.com]

Brilliant film on all sorts of levels. Fantastic time in our history for characters and intrigue!