'Becket'
A retrospective movie review by Walter Frith
How many times in film histroy have actors and actresses split the vote when it's time to vote for the Academy Award? Several. 1950. The Best Actress category. Anne Baxter and Bette Davis nominated for 'All About Eve'. Both lost to Judy Holliday for 'Born Yesterday'. 1953. The Best Actor category. Montgomery Clift and Burt Lancaster nominated for 'From Here to Eternity'. Both lost to William Holden for 'Stalag 17'. Want a more recent example? 1986. The Best Supporting Actor category. Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe nominated for 'Platoon'. Both lost to Michael Caine for 'Hannah and Her Sisters'. Last but not least, 1991. The Best Actress category. Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon nominated for 'Thelma and Louise'. Both lost to Jodie Foster for 'The Silence of the Lambs.' The point here is that sometimes when casting a ballot in deciding who the best really is, someone is bound to get left out.
Two of the finest actors to ever hit the motion picture screen never won an Academy Award. They are Richard Burton and Peter O'Toole. Burton died in 1984 and while Peter O'Toole is still around, he is hardly active in motion pictures anymore. His last nomination came in 1982 for 'My Favorite Year'. That film was an entertaining little farce but a cake walk for O'Toole. Of all his nominations he should have won for his motion picture debut in 1962 for 'Lawrence of Arabia' but lost to Gregory Peck for 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. Burton should have walked away with one for 'The Spy Who Came In from the Cold' in 1965 but lost to Lee Marvin for 'Cat Ballou'.
The two of them star in 1964's 'Becket' for which they were both nominated for Best Actor but lost to Rex Harrison for 'My Fair Lady'. 'Becket' is a towering example of movie making at its most subtle yet it still manages to overcome any hint of tedium as Burton and O'Toole endure loyalty to their characterizations practically unmatched by any other duo who have played screen adversaries. Set in th 11th century, the real story begins with King Henry II (O'Toole) visiting the tomb of his once best friend, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket (Burton). The film then shifts back in time to tell their story beginning early in their lives. As young men they are always together as best friends. O'Toole a future king of England and Burton a deeply religious man who will devote his life to God. As the film progresses there is the talk of war with France, the under handed dealings of the powerful and an eventual breakdown in their relationship when Burton is hand picked by O'Toole once he is king to make Burton the new Archbishop. O'Toole has it in his mind that Burton will do anything for him since they are friends but after Burton demonstrates that his loyalty is to the church over his king, things go terribly wrong.
Directed by Peter Glenville from a screenplay by Edward Anhalt (who won the Oscar) based on the play from Jean Anouilh, 'Becket' is not only a triumphant display of academics but has striking cinematography by Geoffrey Unsworth who filmed the entire piece in a manner similar to recalling old paintings which are displayed so prominently in some of the finest museums in the world. He captures details of expression and frankness splendidly. 'Becket' is a perfect film for that rainy weekend afternoon and is for those with a constructive mind in dealing with film while others will mistake it as being stiff and unappealing.
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