Sir Thomas More is remembered throughout history as a man who went through great efforts with the purpose of emphasizing his point of view and who stood by his principles even if they brought him death. Fred Zinnemann's 1966 motion picture "A Man for All Seasons" discusses More's tumultuous relationship with King Henry VIII of England. In spite of his appreciation of the King and of moral values, More cannot accept breaking away from the Catholic Church and follows his principles even with the fact that it gradually becomes obvious that Henry employs harsh attitudes toward individuals who stand in his way.
Sir Thomas More is remembered throughout history as a man who went through great efforts with the purpose of emphasizing his point-of-view and who stood by his principles even if they brought him death. Fred Zinnemann's 1966 motion picture "A Man for All Seasons" discusses More's tumultuous relationship with King Henry VIII of England. In spite of his appreciation of the King and of moral values, More cannot accept breaking away from the Catholic Church and follows his principles even with the fact that it gradually becomes obvious that Henry employs harsh attitudes toward individuals who stand in his way.
Even with the fact that many viewers are probable to consider that Zinnemann presents More from only one perspective, this character is particularly impressive when considering matters from a historical point-of-view. It is rather difficult to watch an individual being executed as a result of standing by his principles, especially when the reason for his execution is absurd (when considering matters from the point-of-view of a person living in the contemporary society).
Zinnemann presents a dramatic display of Thomas More's life and it is almost as if the film assists viewers in developing a personal relationship with the religious individual. The director devised a film that brought little to no innovation in the 1960s film environment, but that addressed an intense topic. This influenced viewers to feel that the film was especially impressive and the director was successful in focusing on a historic topic.
Viewers are practically transported into a world where religion was an extremely divisive topic and where modest individuals such as Thomas More needed to demonstrate that it was actually possible for a person to emphasize his or her beliefs in spite of the fact that this would involve facing great risks. Even with the fact that More was a rational individual, his attachment to the Catholic Church meant that he needed to act in accordance with its legislations before being able to focus on his role as Henry's subject. Zinnemann provides a complex picture of the feelings that More experiences as he struggles to reach common ground regarding Henry's tendency to impose his point-of-view regardless of circumstances.
Zinnemann used impressive costumes and decors throughout the motion picture, but he did not create scenes that would turn people's attention from the main attraction. "Thus in the scene in which Henry celebrates his marriage to Anne, Zinnemann downplays the pomp and circumstance of the festivities in favor of foregrounding the dramatic action. For example, he uses this scene to establish Henry's keen disappointment at More's absence from the wedding celebration, which is coupled with the king's determination that this slight will not be forgiven" (Phillips 166).
The moment when More acknowledges that "to be human at all perhaps we must stand fast a little, even at the risk of being heroes" is decisive in demonstrating that the character is well-acquainted with the risks that emerge as he goes through with supporting his thinking. More has little to no appreciation with regard to titles, as he believes that a person first needs to focus on his or her love of God before thinking of other matters. His opinion regarding such titles is revealed as he criticizes Richard Rich for the fact that he committed perjury in order to be appointed Attorney General of Wales. This makes it possible for viewers to understand that More would have never performed such an act in spite of the fact that his life would be threatened as a result of his behavior.
In comparison to other films meant to discuss historic personalities, A Man of All Seasons actually focuses on real facts and is meant to put across a realistic image regarding Thomas More. This motion picture provides a truthful depiction of history by focusing on creating an almost biographical account. In contrast, films such as Lincoln are primarily concentrated on entertaining viewers without actually relating to real live events that happened to the American president. Zinnemann apparently wanted society to understand that history could actually be intriguing and that people can actually watch historic films and learn a great deal of information concerning the past.
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