[Movie] Becket (60)

Five minutes into Becket I realize that .... oh no ... yes, that is an over-the-top monologue being delivered by Peter O'Toole. This isn't a movie; this is some ... play ... that has been marketed to me as a movie in some terrible prank. Becket, essentially a character study of King Henry II and Thomas Becket, is interesting, although a little talky, overacted, and generally play-like.

The 1964 film focuses nearly completely on the two main characters and their friendship-turned-rivalry in 12th century England. In short, the movie depicts the historical appointment of Thomas Becket as Archbishop, a position King Henry counts on to be in his pocket. Once appointed, old hunting-pal Becket realizes that, hey, maybe there is a loyalty greater than to a king, causing the pair to become at extreme odds. The story (and history) ultimately ends with the assassination of Becket, who becomes a Christian martyr.

Complaint 1: Overacting
As the movie begins, it's actually kind of funny to watch Peter O'Toole act completely over the top. It is the kind of acting that would be acceptable in live theater, but comes across as annoying on film. I am in no way discounting his acting talent; a good amount of the movie is enjoyable to watch him dominate the screen and other actors as if they were high school drama students in the same room as a legend. But, near the end of the movie, it started to get on my nerves.

(One of my favorite parts is when King Henry's bitter wife remarks that "we perform to the best of our abilities." It almost seems like a tongue-in-cheek remark about O'Toole's acting).

Complaint 2: Yadda yadda
Once a scene is set, the players are pretty much set... COMMENCE DIALOGUE. And a lot of it. Again, very play-like

No More Complaints
To be fair, the movie is over 40 years old. I'm not expecting awesome visuals and accompanying soundtrack. But, I do think that the movie could benefit from a faster pace and greater exploration of the rift developing between Becket and the king. It seems as though they are awesome friends for 45% of the movie and rivals for 45%, leaving only a tenth for their relationship to dissolve.

I should pause and note that while I keep talking about their relationship seemingly go from white to black, the actors do a superb job conveying that there are many, many levels to their characters' relationship. King Henry several times talks about how much he loves Thomas in the same sentence as when he talks about how much he hates him. In the same vein, the viewer sees Thomas torn between two loyalties.

Conclusion
I am a sucker for medieval anything, but it is difficult for me to recommend Becket unless you really know what you're getting into: a mildly interesting, talky play-film.

Interesting Side Note
One of my favorite books, The Pillars of the Earth, also deals with the assassination of Thomas Becket, from a much different viewpoint. Becket adds another dimension to the story -- to the point of making me want to re-read the book.


Becket Rating: 60 / 100

Other Ratings:
Acting: 8.5 / 10
Soundtrack: 3 / 10
Interest-Level: 6 / 10 at the beginning, waned to 3 / 10