The Lion in Winter (1968 film)

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The Lion in Winter

Original film poster
Directed by Anthony Harvey
Produced by Martin Poll
Written by James Goldman
Starring Peter O'Toole
Katharine Hepburn
Music by John Barry
Cinematography Douglas Slocombe
Editing by John Bloom
Distributed by AVCO Embassy
Release date(s) United States 30 October 1968
United Kingdom 29 December 1968
Running time 137 min. (DVD)
Language English
IMDb profile

The Lion in Winter is a 1968 historical costume drama made by Embassy Pictures, based on the Broadway play by James Goldman. It was directed by Anthony Harvey and produced by Martin Poll from Goldman's adaptation of his own play, The Lion in Winter. The music score was by John Barry and the cinematography by Douglas Slocombe.

The film stars Peter O'Toole (reprising his role from Becket) as King Henry II of England and Katharine Hepburn as his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine. Richard the Lionheart was played by Anthony Hopkins in his film début, John by Nigel Terry, and Geoffrey by John Castle. Timothy Dalton also made his film début as Philip. Nigel Stock played Captain William Marshall.

Contents

[edit] Background and production

The film debuted on October 30, 1968 (December 29, 1968 London premiere).

The film was shot at Ardmore Studios in Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland and on location in Ireland, Wales, and in France at Abbaye de Montmajour, Arles, Château de Tarascon, Tarascon, and Tavasson, Saône-et-Loire.

One unusual note of trivia regarding the film was the longevity of its cast. The film was made in 1968 but it was thirty-five years before a major cast member died: Katharine Hepburn in 2003. The film's director, Anthony Harvey (born 1931), and producer, Martin Poll (born 1922), are also still alive as of 2006.

Hepburn won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role. The musical score by John Barry also won an Oscar, as did Goldman's adaptation of his play.

[edit] Plot

The film is set during Christmas 1183 at Henry Plantagenet's château (castle) and primary residence in Chinon, Anjou, part of the Angevin Empire in France.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The film opens with the arrival of King Henry II's (Peter O'Toole) wife Eleanor of Aquitaine (Katharine Hepburn) from prison; the story immediately centres on the conflict and shifting alliances between the estranged couple and their adult sons and heirs to the throne: prince Richard the Lionheart (Anthony Hopkins) (the future King Richard I of England), Geoffrey Duke of Britanny (John Castle), and prince John (Nigel Terry) (the future King John I of England). Also present in the château and pursuing their own intrigues with the family are King Philip II of France (Timothy Dalton), the son of Eleanor's ex-husband, and Philip II's half-sister Alais (Jane Merrow), a daughter of Louis VII. Alys was betrothed to Richard I, but is in fact Henry II's mistress. In reality, Henry had many mistresses and many illegitimate children. The "Rosamund" mentioned in the film was Henry II's mistress until she died.

The story is a work of fiction: there was no Christmas Court at Chinon in 1183, although there had been a Christmas court at Caen in 1182 that brought family members together. None of the dialogue or actions is historic; however, the outcomes of the characters and the background of the story are historically accurate. The article on the Revolt of 1173-1174 describes the historical events leading up to the fictional events in the film.

[edit] Awards and nominations

[edit] Academy Awards

The film received seven nominations.

[edit] Wins

[edit] Nominations

[edit] BAFTA Awards

[edit] Wins

[edit] Nominations

[edit] Golden Globe Awards

[edit] Wins

[edit] Nominations

  • Best Actress - Katharine Hepburn
  • Best Motion Picture Director - Anthony Harvey
  • Best Original Score - John Barry
  • Best Screenplay - James Goldman
  • Best Supporting Actress - Jane Merrow

[edit] Other Awards

[edit] Wins

[edit] David di Donatello Awards

  • Best Foreign Production - Martin Poll

[edit] Directors Guild of America Awards

  • Outstanding Directorial Achievement - Anthony Harvey

[edit] Laurel Awards

  • Female Dramatic Performance - Katharine Hepburn

[edit] New York Film Critics Circle Awards

  • Best Film

[edit] Writers' Guild of Great Britain

  • Best British Screenplay - James Goldman

[edit] Writers Guild of America

  • Best Written American Drama - James Goldman

[edit] External links

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