Anne of the Thousand Days (1969)

Nominee

If we are listing some of the most overdone stories in mass culture the life of Henry the VIII is certainly up there. I mean there's a Shakespeare play, a TV show, and a ridiculous number of movies. In Best Picture history alone there are three separate films that talk about events revolving around Henry the VIII. (Besides this one we have A Man for All Seasons (1966) and The Private Life of Henry the VIII (1933)).  We, as a public, are simply fascinated with this passion ridden historical period. This rash man whose motivations and wants would change in a second. Yet what makes this story refreshing? Its not about him, in actuality it is about Anne Boleyn.

Anne Boleyn the reason Henry VIII separated from the church. The young girl who would mother one of the most prolific rulers in history. The wife who would lose favor with her erratic husband and in turn lost her head for it. This is what this movie looks to examine and to my surprise it did it exquisitely.

I honestly thought this film was going to drag its feet for a two and a half hour historical lesson. What I found instead were strong interesting characters placed into a vibrant world telling a story of passion and power. This world they establish relies mostly on three things the actors, the script and, believe it or not the costuming. These three things alone are able to make this movie worth the watch.

The script as a whole brings the right level of passion, and wit between our two main characters. It showed how they both hated each other and desired each other throughout the entire film. In addition it brings the moments of high drama where it is needed to keep the movies pace going.

The acting by Richard Burton is wonderful. He shows Henry's commanding unhinged personality, while also making him surprisingly relatable at times. Also Genevieve Bujold won the Oscar for best actress that year and I can see why. She goes through a tremendous character arc throughout this film. From hatred to love to jealousy to reflective, she plays all the roles that make up Anne Boleyn.

In addition, I would be in poor form if I did not say something about the costumes. They are detailed and beautiful. My femininity is showing, but at times I kept watching just to see what they would be wearing next, another well deserves Oscar win. They definately aid in placing these characters in their time period.

 My only real complaint is from a style perspective, and its less of a complaint and more just a personal preference. The film is primarily in the style of classical film, therefore having invisible style in order to not distract from the narration. Which is fine I love classical Hollywood, but I do also like when the shots give something more to the story.  I did like the few times they did become prominent stylisically, for example when she is being led to her execution we switch to POV shots (aka Point of View shots). This was a very effective use, making us sympathetic to Anne one more time before she is executed. Also I like the dialouge of Anne speaking over young Elizabeth walking in the end. It gives Anne the final victory in this game she played with Henry.

Overall: Are you a history buff? Do you like dramatic movies involving great characters in complex situations? Then you will like this film. Happy Watching.