Becket (1964)

This was an epic film, starring Peter O’Toole and Richard Burton that garnered 14 academy award nominations when it came out.  The movie is a bit of a slow starter for me, getting good at about 90 minutes in, when Richard Burton’s character, Becket feuds with the King.  The King has much respect for Becket and loves him, sadly, the only person he loves.  Becket had found God, and refused to side with the King, which he saw as a betrayal.  The problem was that the King loved him too hard, so hard that he cannot bear the thought of Becket being alive anymore, with them feuding.  The only way to remove his pain, in his mind, is to kill Becket.  That makes this film a tragedy.  This film was largely about the divide between the church and state. It was well acted by Peter O’Toole and Richard Burton, both of whom were nominated for the best actor.

****

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