An acting tour de force featuring an Oscar winning performance by Katherine Hepburn, 1968's THE LION IN WINTER is a literate, old school drama.
Peter O'Toole is King Henry II, facing a Christmas season of 1193 with plenty of family conflict.
All three of his sons would love to inherit the throne. The youngest, his favorite John (Nigel Terry of "Excalibur") is still immature and flighty, while his brother Geoffrey (John Castle of "Blow Up") seems more concerned with drinking and debauchery.
Richard (well played by a young Anthony Hopkins in his second film) wants the throne, seems perfect for it, but suffers by being the favorite of his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine (Hepburn) who the king keeps locked in a far away tower except for holidays.
O'Toole and Hepburn are at the top of their game, jousting with verbal weapons sharper than any sword. The aging married couple know each other all to well, and move their family and his mistress around like chess pieces within their castle.
Timothy Dalton (your 80's OO7) was barely 20 when he starred here in his first film as a very young French King, Phillip II. He's fantastic and steals every scene he's in.
This is an old fashioned sixties historical drama, with a great, Oscar winning John Barry score and a fantastic, Oscar winning, Shakespeare like screenplay by James Goldman (Robin and Marian, They Might Be Giants) based on his Broadway play.
Legend has it that Hepburn and O'Toole were polar opposites when arriving on set, but she soon had him sober and inline for every shoot. Their respect for each other shows and they are a hell of a lot of fun to watch.
Stately, mannered, deadly serious with sparks of verbal wit, this LION still roars 50 years after hit theatres and gets a solid B.
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