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Anne Of The Thousand Days [VHS] [1969] starring: Richard Burton, Geneviève Bujold, Irene Papas, Anthony Quayle, John Colicos

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Average rating -

Rating: - Sunday Afternoon Classic

This film might take historical liberties but is magic to watch if you are a Richard Burton fan. The rest of the cast are excellent. I have a VHS copy waiting for a DVD to appear.

Rating: - top class entertainment

Whilst this film may not be historically accurate on all counts, it is nevertheless fantastic entertainment.All involved give great performances, however the interplay between Burton and Bujold is faultless,both delivering moving yet passionate performances.The scene near the end of the film,when Henry visits Anne in the Tower,offering her life if she denys Elizabeths claim to the throne, is one of the finest in film history. Having fallen in love with this film at the age of 13, to this day it remains one of my all time favourites, as it fantastically brings to life the pageantry, romance, and politics of the day. An absolute gem.

Rating: - Majestic!

Anne of the Thousand Days is the belated film adaptation of Maxwell Anderson's 1948 stage play. The story concentrates on the romance between Britain's King Henry VIII (Richard Burton) and his ill-fated second wife Anne Bolelyn (Genevieve Bujold).

After holding out for marriage rather than an illegitimate union, Anne marries Henry after he sheds himself of Katherine of Aragon causing a rift between the Crown and the Church in the process. Anne's inability to produce a male heir leads Henry to look about for other suitable mates. Henry's sinister right-hand man Cromwell (John Colicos) arranges for Anne to be condemned on a charge of adultery. She is beheaded, while Henry disconsolately sits in Windsor Castle, regretting this callous example of political expediency.

Bujold accents her portrayal with just enough tenacity to reveal something of the strong-willed child she would bear, Queen Elizabeth I. Richard Burton, in what must be his finest hour, ably portrays a ranting Henry obsessed with shedding his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, in order to bed Bolelyn and sire a male heir. The rustle and swirl of stunning period robes and gowns seasons the film with authenticity and atmosphere.

This film is exceedingly powerful and makes for very emotive viewing. It is also the best portrayal of Tudor England on the silver screen to date (you might want to look up "Lady Jane", another brilliant adaptation of the period).

My one and only (rather irrelevant) rant is WHY HAS THIS FILM NOT BEEN RELEASED ON DVD?

Rating: - Powerful and moving drama

This film is one of my all time favourites. While I would agree with the other comments above about some errors in historical accuracy, it is nevertheless a commanding performance from Burton and Bujold, and one can see why the writers chose to take some liberties with history in order to present an entertaining and emotionally powerful film.

Burton is almost Shakespearian in his first class performance as Henry VIII and Genevieve Bujold is extremely convincing as Anne Boleyn, and although the politics and sexual power and absolute male power of the period is somewhat underplayed and misinterpreted the story nevertheless unfolds as one of the most famous and tragic tales of history.

I would recommend this film to anyone interested in the era, although would stress that for historical accuracy some corners have been cut and factual liberties have been taken. However, for entertainment value this film is dateless.

Rating: - Good but historically not correct

I did really enjoy this film and as a film it is very good. However if you are looking for an accurate picture of this marriage then this film isn't the best to watch.

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