Becket (movie)

In the prologue of the film, we see King Henry II , who came to bow to the grave of Archbishop Thomas Becket. In front of the grave, the king takes off his crown, mantle and even a shirt, and then kneels in front of the archbishop’s sarcophagus ... Left alone, the king begins a mental dialogue with his old friend and enemy Thomas Becket ...

The plot returns the viewer to 20 years ago, in 1154 , when Henry Plantagenet ascends the English throne. Henry, power-hungry and ardent, with the same passion indulges in entertainment and public affairs. Thomas Becket becomes his confidante and assistant in everything. He compensates for his modest origin with his mind, resourcefulness and devotion. For this, Henry first elevates him to the nobility, then gives the title of knight, and eventually appoints him Chancellor of England and the keeper of the state seal ... This eminence is jealous of the Norman court ... But the cunning and masterful king rightly believes that the Saxon Becket will be wholly devoted only to his interests. Shocked by high honor, Thomas swears eternal allegiance to the king.

The first test for Becket is to support the king in the fight for the right to tax the land of the church. The Archbishop of Canterbury and other church hierarchs fiercely resist this decision, but Henry is planning a war with the French king and he needs to pay Swiss mercenaries, so he intends to achieve his goal. Becket helps his master, although he respects the stubbornness of the archbishop.

Then Becket again proves his allegiance to Henry, abandoning the woman he loves - the Saxon Gwendolyn, whom the king wants to make his next concubine for fun. However, Gwendolyn prefers death to the caresses of Henry ... Becket tries to drown out the pain. Moreover, after Gwendolyn’s death, he has no one left but the king: the Norman aristocracy hates him, and the Saxons consider him a traitor ...

Together with the king, Becket goes to France and seeks the most favorable end to the king's hostilities.

News comes to the theater of war that the Archbishop of Canterbury has died, and Henry decides to appoint Thomas Becket, who is not even a priest, as the new archbishop. Becket obeys. At the same time, he intends to conscientiously fulfill his duties as a church leader, and before taking up the dignity, he distributes all his property.

Soon Becket faced the inability to serve simultaneously two masters - the church and Henry. He returns the ring of the chancellor to the king, leaving only the ring of the archbishop ... Henry sees this as a betrayal. The king decides to break Becket, for which he undertakes a series of intrigues that Becket circumvents, thanks to his integrity and firmness. Before Henry, torn between admiration and anger, it is becoming increasingly clear the need to physically eliminate Thomas, who is gaining great popularity. Henry, conceited and selfish, only seems frivolous - in fact, he firmly follows the principle of strengthening his power, and therefore cannot allow anyone in his possessions to go against him. But the king is not in a position to give direct orders ... However, there are kindlings who want to please the king and readily pick up Henry's words, thrown into a moment of irritation: "Can no one save me from this intolerable priest?" Several knights from the king’s entourage perceive this as a guide to action and go to Canterbury, where Becket is killed right in the cathedral on January 29, 1170 ... With the words "Poor Henry," Becket gives off his breath.

... having passed flagellation and church repentance, Henry II announces to the crowd gathered near the Canterbury Cathedral that he received news from Rome about the canonization of Becket - the people greet this news with a joyful cry. Heinrich also announces with his amazed associates the intention to punish the murderers of the archbishop ... Then the king returns to the tomb of his friend and enemy and says: "The glory of God is restored, Thomas."

• 1964 - Award from the National Council of Film Critics of the United States for Best Film.
• 1964 - Award of the British Society of Cameramen (Jeffrey Unsworth).
• 1965 - Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (Edward Anholt), as well as 11 other nominations: Best Film (Hal Wallis), Best Director (Peter Glenville), Best Actor (Richard Burton and Peter O`Toole), Best Actor of the Second plan (John Gilgud), best cinematography in a color film (Jeffrey Unsworth), best editing (Anne Coates), best original music (Lawrence Rosenthal), best work of artists and decorators in a color film (John Bryan, Maurice Carter, Patrick McLaughlin, Robert Cartwright), best costumes in a color film (Margaret Förs), lou the best sound (John Cox).
• 1965 - 3 BAFTA awards : best cinematography in a British color film (Jeffrey Unsworth), best work of an artist in a British color film (John Bryan), best costumes in a British color film (Margaret Förs); as well as 4 nominations: best film, best British film, best British script (Edward Anholt), best British actor (Peter O`Toole).
• 1965 - 2 Golden Globe Awards for Best Drama Film and Best Actor in a Drama (Peter O`Toole), as well as 3 nominations: Best Director (Peter Glenville), Best Actor in a Drama (Richard Burton) and Best original music (Lawrence Rosenthal).
• 1965 - US Scriptwriters Guild Award for Best American Drama (Edward Anholt).
• 1965 - Nomination for the Directors Guild of America Award (Peter Glenville).

• Becket at the Internet Movie Database
• Becket (English) on allmovie