People are voting emotionally.

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

How wonderful it is to see this fine actress carry a film and carry it so beautifully.

It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

Although Paul Scofield's performance is Oscar-deserving, overall this one is not worthy of the "Best Picture" Academy Award it won. Some of the casting could have been better. Orson Welles appears drunk and does not play Wolsey nearly as well as Anthony Quayle in Anne of a Thousand Days. Leo McKern is not as convincing as Thomas Cromwell as was John Colicos in that movie. Robert Shaw gave a poor performance as Henry VIII - his spitting at the mouth during his loud ranting, and maniacal laughing at other times was over-the-top and made the ruthless but shrewd king appear to be insane. The comment at the end that Henry died of syphilis is not historically accurate. However, most of the rest of the cast (for example John Hurt) perform very well. History reveals Thomas More to be clever and pious, but also stubborn and self-righteous, so his portrayal in the movie is historically accurate. The movie is for the most part well- written and the cinematography is very good.

Sir Thomas More was Lord Chancellor of England in the early 1500s. He opposed King Henry VIII's decision to break off from the Catholic Church and divorce his wife. This story gets dramatized in "A Man for All Seasons", showing the moral dilemma that More faced. Paul Scofield plays More as a man who simply did what he thought was right in the face of insurmountable odds.To my knowledge, this was the second time that Fred Zinnemann had directed a movie about a person who is forced to follow his conscience in a desperate situation (the other was "High Noon"). Both are examples of some of the best that cinema has to offer. It's a shame that Zinnemann isn't a more well known director; he also gave us "From Here to Eternity" and "Julia". Even if you don't know much about England's history, this is still a fascinating story. Along with Scofield, we get outstanding performances from Robert Shaw as Henry, Leo McKern (the cult leader in "Help!") as Cromwell, and Susannah York as More's wife Margaret.And yes, I think that John Hurt's character looks like Ringo Starr.

Fred Zinnemann directs and Robert Bolt adapts the screenplay from his own play. It stars Paul Scofield, Wendy Hiller, Leo McKern, Robert Shaw, Orson Welles, Susannah York, Nigel Davenport and John Hurt. Music is by Georges Delerue and cinematography by Ted Moore. Plot has Scofield as Sir Thomas More, the man who refused to cede to the mighty machinations of King Henry VIII (Shaw).It's very much an actors movie, beautifully literate and costumed and photographed up to the nines. So not one for those more keen on the action orientated historical epic, then! The story is thriving on the anguish of Thomas More, who is torn between loyalty to his King and his own moral beliefs, the beliefs of his religion system and the potential damning of his soul. The political and religious machinations positively pulse throughout, vividly brought to life by a cast of great thespians (Scofield is as great as you have heard).Great credit has to go to Zinneman, one of the deserved recipients of the 6 Oscars the film garnered. He never lets the cast run away with things, no chewing the scenery or smell the fart acting, he keeps them in check and they respond by providing an utterly fascinating and compelling historical saga. But most of all, with all the royal pomp on show, it's the intelligence of the writing that shines brightest. The dialogue via the sharp script throws cloaks of suspicion over everything being played out. Religion and politics, huh, it's for the birds. Top film making. 8/10

A Man for All Seasons was an absolute joy of a film for me! There was nothing extraordinary about the film before I had seen it; I'm not sure if I had ever even given it a thought before I put it on the list of Best Picture winners I had not yet seen. The 1966 Best picture winner directed by Fred Zinnemann, starring Paul Scofield and Robert Shaw was an absolute treasure. Making 16th century England come to life, A Man for All Seasons was worthy of ever award the Academy awarded the 1966 film.A Man for All Seasons tells the story of King Henry VIII's (Robert Shaw) desire to divorce his first wife Catherine of Aragon. King Henry had already received an indulgence to marry Catherine. As the widow of his brother, the king was forbidden to marry her without special permission from the Pope. After receiving the dispensation, King Henry VIII wed Catherine, but she could not bear a child. With no heir to the throne, the King and the rest of royal England was becoming nervous. The King had been having an open secret of an affair with Anne Boleyn and wished to marry her, believing she would bear him an heir. The King went to Sir Thomas More (Paul Scofield), a devout Catholic who was soon to be named Chancellor. Despite all of the attempts by King Henry and his henchmen, More remains silent in his opposition to the divorce. Thomas More is a noble man who clings to his principles and the law and refuses any of them to be broken. Only willing to accept More's public endorsement, King Henry rigs a trial accusing Thomas of accepting a bribe. Under the promise of advancement, a former friend of Thomas's, Sir Richard Rich (John Hurt) perjures himself in court, leading to grave problems for Thomas.Paul Scofield turns in an incredible performance as Sir Thomas More. He subtly commands each scene he is in. When giving his powerful speech about the law, there is a wonderful close-up on Scofield who is exceptionally delivering the words. He played his noble character so well, the audience couldn't help but love him. Robert Shaw also plays the role of the unconventional King Henry VIII very well. King Henry VIII is so full of zany idiosyncrasies that embodying that character was surely a full-time job. Ted Moore was more than worthy of taking home the gold statuette for cinematography. The film was full of wonderful cinematography that got better and better as it progressed. The film opened with gorgeous shots, culminating with a glorious shot of sun behind the clouds. Another phenomenal aspect of the film was the incredible costuming. Elizabeth Haffenden and Joan Bridge won Oscar's top prize for costuming for the 1966 show. This award was more than deserved, as the period descript costumes throughout the film were exquisite. The film did not disappoint in at all, and holds up nicely despite aging 50 years.I would recommend this film to any fans of historical films as A Man for All Seasons brings to life regal England with ease. I would also recommend this film to any fans of Paul Scofield. I don't believe I have ever seen any films starring Paul Scofield, but after watching A Man for All Seasons, I plan on adjusting that. A Man for All Seasons proved to be quite a hidden treasure, one I will soon be adding to my home library!