A wickedly funny, highly moving historical drama about power, deceit, and love
It’s been said many times that a great movie starts with a great script. If you hire the crème de la crème of movie actors to interpret it, you'll end up with magical entertainment, and that's the case with this week’s classic, “The Lion in Winter”. This historical drama’s razor-sharp dialogue, wickedly calculating characters, and underlying deep emotion are all brought to life by an electrifying cast headed by Peter O’Toole, Katharine Hepburn, and Anthony Hopkins, producing one of the most intriguingly humorous and satisfying movies about a family ever made.
"The Lion in Winter" won three Academy Awards out of seven nominations (including Best Picture), won two Golden Globe Awards (including Best Picture) out of seven nominations, won two BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Awards out of eight nominations, won the Best Film New York Critics Award, and makes me laugh, gasp, and cry whenever I watch it – and I could watch this spellbinding film over and over and over.
A riveting historical drama set at Christmas in Chinon Castle in 1183, "The Lion in Winter" is about the power struggles and familial conflicts between “King Henry II” of England, his wife “Eleanor of Aquitaine”, and their three willfully ambitious sons each vying to be the next king. So hold onto your seatbelts, for when this cunning crew collides, they relentlessly plot, scheme, make and break alliances, cry crocodile tears, and go to sometimes shocking lengths to get what they want. No one can be trusted, and no one trusts anyone as the prospective crown keeps shifting from son to son.
In lieu of a synopsis, I’ll give a rundown of the motley players involved to give you a sense of the story and intrigue. It all begins with “Henry II”, the current King of England. He's the greatest power in 1,000 years, with an empire of all of Britain and half of France, and a womanizing, rambunctious magnate who had four sons. But his eldest, “Henry”, who was in line for the crown, recently died. Now “King Henry” wants to ensure that when he dies, his favorite living son, “John”, inherits the throne.
But that doesn’t sit well with his wife “Eleanor of Aquitaine”, who “Henry” refers to as “the new Medusa”. Once a woman of great beauty who was married to “King Louis VII” of France and owned the richest province in the land, she dumped “Louis” for “Henry”, and they've been married for 31 years now, the last ten of which she's been locked away in a tower for trying to overthrow "Henry". He lets her out only once or twice a year for special occasions. She will do anything to make sure that her favorite son “Richard” becomes king.
The fierce warrior “Richard” is now their eldest son, and tells his brothers he's “a constant soldier, a sometimes poet, and I will be king”. At least he has his mother’s support.
“Geoffrey” is their ambitious, scheming, and overlooked middle child who tells “Eleanor”: "Never once can I remember anything from you or father warmer than indifference”. No one thinks about "Geoffrey" except “Geoffrey", who plans on “Geoffrey” becoming king.
Then there’s “John”, their weak, awkward, youngest son, who has "pimples and he smells of compost” and who “Richard” calls a “walking pustule”. The sneaky “John” tells his brothers, “I’m father’s favorite. That’s what counts”. He’s right, for both “Henry” and “John” want “John” to be king.
This is not your traditional family, and “Henry” lives with his mistress “Alais”, the daughter of “King Louis VII” of France”. “Henry” bargained for her when she was seven years old in order to obtain her dowry of valuable lands, in exchanged that she’d marry his eldest son and eventually become queen. Raised by “Eleanor”, "Alais" is devotedly in love with “Henry”, who loves her back. She pleads with him, "Henry, I can't be your mistress if I'm married to your son”. And she doesn’t like or want to marry “John”.
And lastly, there’s “Alais’” younger brother, “Philip II”, who is now King of France. “Philip” wants “Henry” to now deliver on his promise to have “Alais” wed the heir to his throne, and if not, give back her lands. “Henry” wants to keep “Alais” as his mistress and her lands, but now must appoint the next king.
Remember the saying, “Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive”? That’s mere child’s play when it comes to this crafty bunch. As devious as they can be (and they are), plenty of humor arises out of the startling words and actions that seem to make up just another ordinary day in the lives of these royals. Lines like “Hush dear, mother’s fighting” or “What family doesn’t have their ups and downs?” make this film addictively entertaining. Alongside the humor, their battles have such humanity, they spotlight the complex lengths people will go to for self-preservation.
At the center of it all are “Henry” and “Eleanor” who find immense pleasure in provoking one another, verbally jousting with brutal barbs. Even so, what becomes apparent is that underneath their dangerous duet, is love. And one finds themselves rooting for the two to find their way back to each other regardless of who becomes king, and that’s what makes “The Lion in Winter” so deliciously mischievous and enormously moving.
"The Lion in Winter” is a fictional Christmas day involving real life historical figures. It began as an unsuccessful 1966 Broadway play written by James Goldman which film producer Martin Poll loved, obtained the rights for, and hired Goldman to adapt into a screenplay. No one in Hollywood was interested except film distributor, financier, and producer Joseph E. Levine, but he was short of funds at the time, for he was currently making "The Graduate”, "The Producers", and was about to start production with Poll on a film called "The Ski Bum”, starring Peter O’Toole.
But when "The Ski Bum" suddenly fell apart, Levine immediately made a deal with Poll for “The Lion in Winter” and switched productions, transferring O’Toole and some key technical personnel and crew from “The Ski Bum” to “The Lion in Winter”. As “The Lion in Winter's” producer, Poll earned a Best Picture Academy Award nomination.
In addition to its dramatically gripping conflicts, unexpected humor, and cast of explosive characters, Goldman’s screenplay contains what I consider the sharpest, most delightfully cutting, and entertaining adult banter in any film I’ve seen. For his sly and witty words, Goldman won a Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award, Writer's Guild of America and Writer's Guild of Great Britain Best Screenplay Awards, and BAFTA, Golden Globe, and New York Film Critics Circle Award nominations. This is one astutely thrilling screenplay, and it was Goldman's first.
Chicago-born James Goldman began his writing career as a playwright, starting with 1961's "Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole", and including "They Might Be Giants", and the books for the Stephen Sondheim musicals "Evening Primrose" and "Follies" (which earned Goldman a Best Book of a Musical Tony Award nomination). In his career, Goldman penned six screenplays (starting with “The Lion in Winter”), and over half dozen TV scripts (including a 2003 TV movie version of "The Lion in Winter" starring Glenn Close and Patrick Stewart). His other screenplays include "Nicholas and Alexandra", "Robin and Marian", and "White Nights”. He was married twice. His brother was legendary screenwriter William Goldman (who you can read about in my post on "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"). James Goldman died in 1998 at the age of 71.
When Poll, Levine, and O’Toole switched to making “The Lion in Winter”, O’Toole was given power to choose the film’s director and some of the cast. He had recently seen a 1966 black and white British film titled “Dutchman” directed by Anthony Harvey, and thought Harvey would be perfect to direct “The Lion in Winter”. On the weight of that film and O’Toole’s insisting, Harvey was hired. Harvey later said, “Peter O’Toole [brought] me onto this film. It was quite extraordinary. I owe him so much gratitude, that he had great trust in me. That he saw this little film I made in black and white and that he gave me this great chance. I owe everything to Peter O’Toole… he’s a great man and a great actor”. It was a perfect decision, for Harvey’s direction is sublime.
Harvey’s goal was to portray the unglamorous, primitive, and somewhat barbaric feeling of life back in the middle ages, and he did an exceptional job accomplishing this through gritty and somewhat sparse settings and a muted color palette. He also filmed on location in Wales and France, including inside medieval chapels and monasteries such as the Abbaye de Montmajour and Tarascon Castle, whose cold stone walls, plentiful tapestries, and dirt floors completely transport the viewer to medieval times.
Harvey’s other goal was to capture passion in the performances. He believed a film director should complement the actors, and he’d rehearse them, watch how they moved through the space, either redirect them or leave them alone, and then base his camera moves on their movements to best showcase them. He uses this approach throughout the entire film, making the action and conversations seamlessly flow in visually stirring ways.
A fine example is "Eleanor's" first scene with her sons, comprised of just three shots. It begins with a close-up on "Eleanor", and as the camera pulls back, it reveals each son before returning to a close-up of “Eleanor”. Harvey then cuts to a brief shot of them all leaving together, and then cuts to a far shot of them coming down some stairs towards the camera. The camera moves backwards as they walk, pauses by a doorway through which “Henry" joins them, and widens as "Henry" dons his robe and crown, ending with them all beginning to walk out of frame towards the camera.
During this brief sequence, there are from one to twelve people in the frame and Harvey allows the actors to inhabit the space while completely immersing the viewer in the story and performances. His astute direction earned Harvey a Best Director Academy Award, as well as BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations, and an Outstanding Directorial Achievement Directors Guild of America win. His direction is yet another reason this film is so fantastic.
London-born Anthony Harvey lost his father when he was young, after which his mother married character actor Morris Harvey. As a result, Harvey grew up around the movie business, became enchanted with theater, and appreciative of acting. He made his own acting debut at the age of 14 in the 1945 film "Caesar and Cleopatra” as Vivien Leigh's younger brother. After briefly studying acting and realizing it wasn't for him, he began working as an editor, quickly becoming highly respected, editing films such as "The Spy Who Came In From The Cold", "The L-Shaped Room", and Stanley Kubrick’s "Lolita" and "Dr. Strangelove". Kubrick encouraged Harvey to direct, and Harvey made his film directorial debut with “Dutchman", followed by "The Lion in Winter”. While filming “The Lion in Winter”, he and Hepburn became lifelong friends and worked together three more times. He directed eight films, others include "They Might Be Giants", "The Abdication", and his final, "Grace Quigley" (starring Hepburn). Harvey also directed five TV movies, including 1973’s "The Glass Menagerie” and 1994’s "This Can't Be Love” (both starring Hepburn), retiring after the latter. He never married. Anthony Harvey died in 2017 at the age of 87.
Starring as “Henry II”, King of England is Peter O’Toole in a bravura performance. He can be blisteringly boisterous (such as continually putting “Philip” in his place by calling him “boy”), scarily threatening (as when he tells “Eleanor” “If you oppose me, I’ll strike you down any way I can”), surprisingly tender and longingly loving (as in the way he looks at “Eleanor” during their scene in front of the Christmas tree and asks "How hard do you find living in your castle?”), or incredibly moving (as when filled with shock and despair after a visit to “Philip’s” room). “Henry” is an intimidating, larger than life, fiery force to which O’Toole adds a light dusting of sensitivity and fragility. It's a touching portrait that earned O’Toole Best Actor Oscar and New York Film Critics Circle Award nominations and a Best Actor Golden Globe win, and remains one of his greatest portrayals.
Before O'Toole was a star, while appearing in “The Long and the Short and the Tall” at the New Theatre in London in 1959, enthralled by his performance, Katharine Hepburn came back stage to introduce herself. They became friendly, stayed in touch, and she became his champion, boasting about his talents. Hepburn had starred in the 1955 film “Summertime”, directed by David Lean, and when Lean was looking to cast the title character in his upcoming film “Lawrence of Arabia”, O’Toole credits Hepburn with getting him the role, saying on “The Dick Cavett Show” in 1972, “[Hepburn] was, in fact, I think directly responsible for my getting the part in ‘Lawrence of Arabia’”. That film made O'Toole an international movie star. When “The Lion in Winter” came his way, O’Toole asked Hepburn if she wanted to play “Eleanor”. She accepted, telling O’Toole, “Do it before I die”. The two got along famously during filming, with O’Toole calling Hepburn “Nags” and she calling him “Pig”. They loved one another and loved working together, and their undeniable chemistry certainly bleeds onto the screen. He went on to tell Cavett, "I have a daughter called Kate, whom I named after Kate Hepburn”. Hepburn said of O’Toole in A. Scott Berg’s book “Kate Remembered”: “Sometimes utterly impossible, a real Irishman – too much charm and too much liquor. But I was used to that. And what an actor! Great voice. Great performance. Great fun”.
“The Lion in Winter” was the second film in which O’Toole played the real life Henry II, the first being 1964’s “Beckett”, which also earned him a Best Actor Oscar nomination. “The Lion in Winter” takes place when “Henry” is fifty years old, and the 36 year old O’Toole was worried he would look too young. But being such a fine actor, he managed to walk and move like a man of fifty, and with help from the makeup department and rubbing dirt on his face and hands, his “Henry” is completely believable as an older king and husband to “Eleanor” (Hepburn was 61 at the time). “The Lion in Winter” is among O’Toole’s greatest roles and films, and you can read more about the life and career of Peter O’Toole in my post on “Lawrence of Arabia”. Just click on the film title to open it.
Matching O’Toole’s vigor and strength every step of the way is Katharine Hepburn as “Eleanor of Aquitaine”, “Henry’s” estranged queen. “Eleanor” tells “Alais” from the start, “Fragile I am not”, and goes on to prove she is “Henry’s” only equal and perfect sparring partner, knowing exactly what to say to taunt him, such as mentioning his father, or bringing up the name “Thomas Beckett”. But “Eleanor” also tells “Richard”, "I scheme a lot I know. I plot and plan, that's how a queen in prison spends her time. But there is more to me than that”, and along with “Eleanor’s” deviousness and venom, Hepburn maintains a steady flow of humor and vulnerability, which sits at the heart of this film. We see it when she longingly and tearfully looks at “Henry” as he kisses “Alais”, and especially in her scene alone in her room, filled with sadness and sarcasm while talking to herself and looking in a mirror. That’s when we get a glimpse at “Eleanor’s” unmasked pain and broken heart. Hepburn's layered performance is nothing short of extraordinary and wholly entertaining. It’s so stupendous that many reviewers called it the crowning achievement of her illustrious career, and it earned her Best Actress Oscar, BAFTA, and Laurel Awards, a Golden Globe Award nomination, and remains one of cinema’s finest acting achievements.
Hepburn’s Best Actress Oscar win for “The Lion in Winter" was unprecedented in several ways. For the first time in Oscar history, there was a point-to-point tie in an acting category, with Hepburn tying Barbra Streisand (who won for “Funny Girl”), each receiving the exact same number of votes (there was one previous tie in 1932 for Best Supporting Actor, but winners Fredric March and Wallace Beery came within three votes of one another and were deemed winners as per Oscar rules at the time). In addition, this was Hepburn’s eleventh Best Actress nomination – a record at the time for any actor. Her win was her third Best Actress Oscar (her first was for 1934's "Morning Glory", her second for 1967's "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?”), which at the time made her the only actor to earn three Best Actor or Actress Oscars (the next to match that was Daniel Day Lewis in 2013, winning his third Best Actor Oscar for 2012’s “Lincoln”). Walter Brennan had three Oscars at the time, but all for Best Supporting Actor. In 1982, Hepburn would win a fourth Best Actress Oscar for 1981’s “On Golden Pond”, giving her the most Oscar wins for acting, a record she still holds as of this writing.
Less than a year before “The Lion in Winter” began, Hepburn lost her dear friend and rumored lover Spencer Tracy. Not one to sit around and mope, she delved back into work with this film. In “Kate Remembered”, Hepburn explained her excitement over the story, saying “This wasn’t about pomp and circumstances but about a family, a wife trying to protect her dignity and a mother protecting her children”. She was additionally excited about working with Harvey after seeing “Dutchman” and learning Harvey was an editor, explaining, “nobody has the same love affair with film than cutters [editors] do. It’s a tactile medium for them”. Everyone who talks about working with Hepburn on this film sings her praises, saying how marvelous and professional she was, making everybody feel comfortable on the set. She even brought the crew chocolate and cookies from time to time. You can read more about the legendary Katharine Hepburn in my prior posts on “Bringing Up Baby”, “The Philadelphia Story”, “The African Queen”, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”, and "Stage Door". Be sure to check them out.
Making a dazzling feature film debut is Anthony Hopkins as “Henry” and “Eleanor’s” eldest surviving son, “Richard the Lionheart”. A tough soldier, we first meet him as he’s about to kill a man, but like his parents, “Richard’s” cast-iron exterior is just a covering for disappointment and pain, and Hopkins lets us see just that. This is a complex man filled with a mix of emotions and longings. He shows his no-nonsense armor when he greets “Eleanor” as she’s wrapping gifts, than can’t help become a sensitive little boy with her in the garden. And his confrontation with “Henry” in “Philip’s” room is riddled with heartbreak, sorrow, and yearning. Hopkins makes “Richard” ultra-interesting in a top-notch performance that earned him a Best Supporting Actor BAFTA nomination and began a prestigious career as one of cinema’s greatest actors.
A theater actor who always wanted to be in movies, Hopkins was thrilled when O’Toole wanted him for the part of “Richard”. Never having been on a film set before, he didn’t know anything about acting for the camera. He recalled his experience to Dick Cavett in 1978: “The first day on set with [Hepburn]... I did everything wrong. I fell over cables and got my cloak jammed in the door, and she asked me... if I liked the camera… I said 'yes, I suppose so', and she said ‘why do you play the whole scene with the back of your head to it?’, and then she proceeded to help me understand the camera”. She also said: “You've got a good face, you've got a good voice, you've got a good body. Don't act. You don't have to. Leave that to me. I act all over the place. Watch Spencer Tracy, watch the great American actors who never act but just do it. Speak the lines and show up”. Hopkins said, "I took that advice as the best advice you can be given as a film actor”. “The Lion in Winter” proved an exceptional experience, and he was in awe of his costars, adding, "They were both wonderful, really extraordinary, Peter and Katharine”.
Welsh actor Anthony Hopkins had an early interest in painting and playing the piano, intending to be a concert pianist. Inspired by Welsh actor Richard Burton, at eighteen, Hopkins joined a dramatic club, studied acting, and toured on stage before spending two years with the Royal Artillery. After his service, he moved to London and studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He made his London stage debut in a 1964 production of "Julius Caesar", and in 1965 was invited to join Laurence Olivier's National Theater company where he began gaining recognition for his powerful portrayals in August Strindberg’s "The Dance of Death" and Anton Chekhov’s "Three Sisters". Hopkins also began working on television in 1960, and appeared in two short films prior to "The Lion in Winter”, which begat steady film and TV work in films such as "Hamlet", "The Girl from Petrovka", "Juggernaut", "Audrey Rose", and "A Bridge Too Far", and TV shows that include 1972's "War & Peace” (which earned him a Best Actor BAFTA), and 1976's "The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case” (which earned him an Emmy Award). His film career began to gain momentum in 1978 with “Magic” (which earned him BAFTA and Golden Globe Best Actor nominations), and starring in the highly acclaimed "The Elephant Man” in 1980.
Hopkins’ big break came in 1991's "The Silence of the Lambs" in which he played one of the screen’s scariest villains, "Dr. Hannibal Lecter". This iconic role made him a top international movie star, earned him a Best Actor Academy Award and countless other awards, and remains the role with which he is most identified. He has since appeared in a wide range of films including "The Remains of the Day", "Titus", "The Two Popes", "Howard's End”, "Thor: Ragnarok”, “Hannibal" (reprising his role as "Hannibal Lecter”) and "The Father” (which earned him a second Best Actor Oscar). To date, Hopkins has appeared in nearly 150 films and TV shows and is still currently working. He’s also appeared on stage all throughout his career. His countless accolades include two Oscars (with six nominations), four BAFTAs (with with nine nominations) and their Lifetime Achievement award, two Emmy Awards (with six nominations), eight Golden Globe nominations and their Lifetime Achievement Award, was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1987, and knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1993. He struggled with alcohol, but has remained sober since 1975. He’s directed three films to date, and composed music for each. He also released the song “Distant Star” in 1986, and an album of classical music in 2012 called “Composer”. Hopkins also continues to paint, and has works at the Harte International Galleries in Maui, Hawaii. He's been married three times. As of this writing, Anthony Hopkins is 86 years old.
Also making his big screen debut in “The Lion in Winter” is Timothy Dalton as “Philip II”, King of France and “Alais’” younger brother. “Philip” is dangerous and intense, and Dalton keeps us guessing as to where his true alliances really are. It’s a very showy role that Dalton handles impeccably well, adding boyish energy and charm.
Timothy Dalton was born in Wales to an English father and an American mother. At 16, he left school to become and actor and toured with the National Youth Theater before beginning studies at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He started on television in the 1966 TV movie "Troilus and Cressida", and the next year became a series regular on "Sat'day While Sunday". O'Toole wanted Dalton to play “Philip” in "The Lion in Winter", which led Dalton to major roles in the films "Giuochi particolari" alongside Marcello Mastroianni, and starring as "Heathcliff" in "Wuthering Heights", both in 1970, He also worked on TV. His first American film was 1977's "Sextette", written by and starring Mae West. His most famous role came in 1987, playing "James Bond" in "The Living Daylights", reprising the role of "Bond" in 1989's "License to Kill". Dalton was supposed to play “Bond” a third time, but because of legal delays holding up production, he opted out when the time came to make the next film.
Known for his intensity and good looks, Dalton worked continually in theater and about 75 film and TV shows to date. His other films include "The Rocketeer", "Hot Fuzz", "Flash Gordon", "Agatha", "Mary, Queen of Scots", "Doctor Who: The End of Time", "Cromwell", and as the voice of "Mr. Pricklepants" in the classic Disney/Pixar animated films "Toy Story 3" and "Toy Story 4". His TV work includes playing "Rhett Butler" in the miniseries "Gone with the Wind", appearances on "Tales from the Crypt", "Doctor Who”, "The Crown", playing "Sir Malcolm Murray" on three seasons of "Penny Dreadful", "Donald Whitfield" on "1923", and his final role to date, as "The Chief, Niles Caulder" in "Doom Patrol". Never married, he had a fifteen year relationship with actresses Vanessa Redgrave, as well as relationships with Stefanie Powers, Whoopi Goldberg, and musician Oksana Grigorieva, with whom he has a son. As of this writing, Timothy Dalton is 78 years old.
Mention must be made of the stunning score by John Barry, who infuses hauntingly regal melodies with horns and choral voices, adding a perfectly fitting medieval-ish atmosphere to the film. His glorious work on “The Lion in Winter” earned Barry a Best Original Score Academy Award, along with the first BAFTA Award for Best Film Music.
Legendary British composer and conductor John Barry grew up with movies, as his father owned several local cinemas. After studying music, playing in bands, and forming his own band, he composed his first film score for the 1960 film "Never Let Go”, which began a distinguished career composing, conducting, and arranging music for film and TV. Known for his lush orchestrations, memorable melodies, and innovative instrumentations, he became immortal creating the “Bond sound”, composing the scores for eleven "James Bond" films such as "From Russia with Love", “Goldfinger", and "Diamonds Are Forever". He garnered seven Oscar nominations and won five Academy Awards (including wins for the score and title song of "Born Free", and Best Score for "Out of Africa" and "Dances with Wolves”). Other titles from his well over 100 film and TV scores include "Dutchman", "Midnight Cowboy", "The Ipcress File”, "The Dove", "Hanover Street”, "Walkabout", "The Deep", "Somewhere in Time", "Body Heat", and “Chaplin".
In addition to his Oscars, Barry earned four Grammy Awards (with eight nomination), one BAFTA (with three nominations) plus their Lifetime Achievement Award, one Golden Globe (out of eleven nominations, including one for "The Lion in Winter"), two Emmy nominations, and was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1999. He was married four times, including his marriage to actress and singer Jane Birkin. John Barry died in 2011 at the age of 77.
In addition to Oscar wins for Best Screenplay, Actress, and Original Score, and nominations for Best Picture, Director, and Actor, “The Lion in Winter” also earned Margaret Furse an Academy Award nomination for Best Costume Design.
This week’s film is one of my favorites. It transports the viewer to another place and time, has humorously biting dialogue, haunting music, and jaw-dropping performances. What more could you want from a movie? It's exceptional entertainment. Enjoy “The Lion in Winter”!
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