Henry VIII
Henry VIII
| 12 October 2003 (USA)
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Henry VIII is a two-part British television movie produced principally by Granada Television for ITV. It chronicles the life of Henry VIII of England from the disintegration of his first marriage to an aging Spanish princess until his death following a stroke in 1547, by which time he had married for the sixth time. Additional production funding was provided by WGBH Boston, Powercorp and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Reviews
Laikals The greatest movie ever made..!
Nayan Gough A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.
Phillida Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.
Kayden This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama
Armand not a good movie. not a bad film. only new occasion to discover a character, in new nuances and old colors. to remember a period, to search sense to a history page. to compare, create verdict, watch few scenes of fight and gestures of a fat English king. and rediscover Helena Bonham Carter as Anne Boleyn or David Suchet in skin of Wolsey. is it enough ? is it too much ? I do not know. important is fact that nothing is new. acting, atmosphere, cast - all pieces from a well - known cup. crumbs of theater and dramatization of a book, it is just occasion to discover Ray Winstone in Henry clothes. but after Richard Burton, Chris Larkin,Keith Mitchell,Jared Harris or young Rhys Meyers , his act is pretty good for a TV production. but not more.
annog I love Ray Winstone, but I did not like this TV series/movie. For starters, historical dramas do not create a good atmosphere when the actors have modern haircuts.The producers were not able to tell this very intense story without relying on heavy handed TV show type of pyrotechnics. It is obvious that they take the audience for fools.Ray's coarse accent is usually a blessing. But not here.In fact, almost none of the actors were commanding and compelling to watch.I could not finish it.
rose-249 I was a little uninterested in the idea that this film was a "waste of time". I found Peter Morgan's script to be finely executed. I think that many educated women would appreciate the dynamism of Anne Boleyn's predicament - blamed for producing "wrong" children only minutes after the births. The scene in which she is tried and condemned is streamlined so that issues of court corruption are obvious. At the same time, we are presented with a pathetically cornered Henry whose great desire is to legitimize his dynasty through the birth of a male heir. The production relies on the previous knowledge of its audience, so that when a little and perplexed Elizabeth acknowledges her mother's departure, the audience is presented with the ironic portrayal of a girl who is necessarily going to grow up fast. This is a postmodern take on the role of some women caught up in male power-play. Having said that, the film is not anti-male. The representation of the historically chronicled Thomas Cranmer, for instance, is very subtle. When asked by Henry why Anne did not accept an alternative to execution, Cranmer points out that Anne found it "unnecessary" to confess to charges of adultery. Those of us who have already seen the Burton/Bujold "Anne of a Thousand Days" or the Keith Michell "Henry VIII" or the many other representations of an intriguing Tudor court, will see the political understatement as well as human exploration in this production.
sexy_pisces_gal Ray Winstone leads an all-star cast in this tale of male dominance and religious importance. Henry VIII has been on the throne for fifteen years. He and his devoted Spanish wife, Catherine of Aragon, (Assumpta Serna) rule a rich and powerful England. But behind the happy smiling faces lie a couple deemed by tragedy. Henry is becoming impatient with his wife of fifteen years; her inability to produce a male heir has him worried. So when he meets the flighty young Anne Boleyn, (played to perfection by Helena Bonham Carter) his determination for a male heir becomes an obsession, convinced Anne will give him the heir he craves, he risks the wrath of his people and his catholic faith, to divorce his catholic Queen, and marry his protestant lover, which once again results with only a daughter. This failure was to cost the young Queen Anne her life, as she was executed on a trumped up charge of treason. Just as it seems life cant get any better for Henry with the birth of a third child, a healthy son (later Edward VII) with third wife Jane Seymour, (Emilia Fox) tragedy strikes, which was to ultimately lead to the downfall and eventual death of the tyrannical monarch. With an exceptional supporting cast including Mark Strong, Sean Bean, David Suchet, Charles Dance, and the up and coming Emily Blunt as Henrys fifth Queen, Catherine Howard. This tale brings history to life with Henrys determination for a male heir, and the belief that only a male monarch could rule England, without bringing the country to destruction.