Becket
Becket is the true story of the friendship between King Henry II and Thomas Becket , a royal courtier and confidant whom Henry appoints as Archbishop of Canterbury. As Becket takes his duties with the Church seriously, he finds himself increasingly at odds with the King, who finally orders the death of his once-close companion when he continues to defy the throne.
April 7, 1922 in Rochdale, Lancashire, England, UK
9 January 1913, Constantinople, Ottoman Empire [now Istanbul, Turkey]
8 July 1917, London, England, UK
October 11, 1912 in Budapest, Austria-Hungary [now Hungary]
May 16, 1943 in England, UK
7 January 1924, Leeds, Yorkshire, England, UK
2 August 1932, Hunslet, Leeds, Yorkshire, England, UK
2 September 1929, Cwm, Ebbw Vale, Gwent, Wales, UK
18 April 1929, Bristol, England, UK
8 February 1923, Paddington, London, England, UK
20 April 1902, New Balderton, Nottinghamshire, England, UK
20 July 1914, Birmingham, West Midlands, England, UK
31 July 1920, London, England, UK
1 January 1891, Liverpool, England, UK
28 August 1918, Oslo, Norway
14 December 1942, Frimley, Surrey, England, UK
22 March 1920, Tottenham, London, England, UK
28 July 1938, Norwood, London, England, UK
20 October 1939, West Boldon, County Durham, England, UK
December 15, 1939 in London, England, UK
21 September 1893, Dublin, Ireland
26 December 1921, Fairhill, England, UK
March 15, 1943 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland
1 June 1930, Croydon, Surrey, England, UK
21 July 1942, Montpellier, France
27 March 1932, Hadleigh, Suffolk, England, UK
December 14, 2008
it finds what's compelling about that history and, more importantly, what's compelling about the people in that history. And, just to be on the safe side, it throws in two of the greatest actors of the day.March 01, 2007
Becket may seem like a movie of yesteryear, but its timeliness brims over with rousing, meditative discourses between Henry and the church leaders on the separation of church and state.February 08, 2007
How could you hope for better casting than Peter O'Toole and his acting rival/drinking buddy Richard Burton playing opposite each other?August 02, 2007
The respectable but boring film is nevertheless worth watching for the robust performances of Richard Burton and Peter O'TooleOctober 14, 2011
Just as the characters' loyalties to one another are called into question, so, too are ours: Becket enters a moral grey area from which it never fully emerges.March 08, 2007
Ripe with homoerotic undercurrents -- which O'Toole mines with relish in his great hysterical performance, full of cunning, eloquence and mad outbursts.February 23, 2007
Everything that Doctor Strangelove is -- daring and inspired, vibrant and brilliantly staged -- Becket is not.September 06, 2010
Becket is a terrific example of the historical play or novel turned into a cinematic drama crackling with whip-smart dialogue. I imagine actors must go mad with delight when they read a script that has page after page of dialogue this good.April 20, 2007
Watching Becket is to see a form of stylized, epic moviemaking not practiced today.February 08, 2007
Burton is extraordinary in one of his rare good movie roles and O'Toole is regally madcap and larger than life.April 21, 2007
The material remains relevant, and the film as a whole is completely engrossing. (It may be nearly 2 1/2 hours long, but it doesn't feel like it.)February 15, 2007
The picture is being re-released in 30 cities around the country before finally appearing on DVD after years of online foment from fans.The DVD is due in May, but try to catch it in theaters first. It's worth it.