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Becket

It has taken a goodly amount of time for the 1964 adaptation of Jean Anouilh's lyrical play about a turning point in British history, Becket, to be released upon DVD, but now that MPI Home Video has managed to so (UPC030306105390, $25), it turns out to be well worth the wait. The color transfer is a superb improvement over what was previously available on LD, and is in excellent condition. It is clear that the source material must have been in horrendous shape, and still, shadows are a little green and some sequences are a bit shaky, as if parts of frames have been removed or repeated, but if you see what the presentation was like before, with its many scratches, weak contrasts and bland colors, then the detail and texture of the DVD image will seem positively regal.

But that's just the start. Peter O'Toole supplies a commentary, not so much prompted as engaged by film critic Mark Kermode, and their conversation is a classic. O'Toole, quick-witted and jovial, shares amazing stories about co-stars Richard Burton, John Gielgud and others. He speaks probingly and fascinatingly about the art of acting. "We never talked about characters. If I even began to talk about 'character,' everything would disappear in a vapor. My job is to make words flesh." He embraces the modern practice of acting in front of green screens, comparing it to performing on a relatively empty stage, and he points out little realities that are glossed over by the drama. "Look at Richard smile, you see. He's trying to show that he's perfectly at ease on a horse." His deconstruction of what is going on in one particular scene where he appears with his former mentor, Donald Wolfit, is stunningly revelatory-no one who wants to understand the mystique of acting should miss it-and throughout the talk, he is forthright and clear spoken in his explanation of how performances are accomplished and what he hoped to achieve in every scene.

O'Toole is the 12th Century king, Henry II, and Burton is his advisor and friend, Thomas Becket, whose loyalty shifts to a higher power after being installed as the Archbishop of Canterbury. As O'Toole explains in the opening of the commentary, Anouilh wrote the play to explore the falling out between two famous French stage actors, and never intended to reflect historical accuracy. Not only are the events in the tale greatly altered from reality, but there are anachronisms in the dialog ('well-oiled machines' were rather hard to come by in the 1100s) and other conceits. Nevertheless, the lines are rich and bedazzling when read upon a page, and when voiced by the crown jewel cast, the words become a treasury of poetic insight and divine humanity. It is interesting how much of the film, especially in its second half, is given over to church rituals and other ceremonies, perhaps as a pause so that viewers can savor fully the dynamics of friendship and power that occur in between, which becomes progressively complex as the narrative advances. Directed by Peter Glenville, the film remains a compelling historical drama of the Twelfth Century, as well as a showcase of dazzling Twentieth Century performances.

The picture is presented in letterboxed format only, with an aspect ratio of about 2.35:1 and an accommodation for enhanced 16:9 playback. The music has been given a stately dimensionality on the remastered 5.1-channel Dolby Digital track. The 150-minute program comes with alternate French and Spanish tracks in standard stereo, optional English subtitles, two trailers, promotional and ad materials in still frame, a 7-minute interview with editor Anne V. Coates, a good 12-minute interview with composer Laurence Rosenthal, and two terrific archival interviews with Burton, running a total of 26 minutes. Burton doesn't talk about Becket, but he does discuss acting, his dislike of being touched while performing, his alcoholism, and his fellow first-tier thespians. He also recites lines from several of his favorite parts.


June 5, 2007

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- by Douglas Pratt

Douglas Pratt's DVD-Laser Disc Newsletter is published monthly.
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