Anne of the Thousand Days

Trying out a new approach to this thing. I'm writing some segments before I actually watch. Now you'll be able to see how little I know about some of these movies before seeing them, makes my tenses easier to work with in the "why I'm watching" portion, and hopefully will keep me honest. Let's see how it goes!

Why I'm watching:
1) Best Picture nom from the 60s I haven't seen with the most noms
2) I love media set in Tudor England (I debated a while on what word to use there. "Movies" wouldn't have covered books or TV shows, so I needed something more general. "Stuff" or "shit" seemed too colloquial. "Culture" too pretentious. "Media" seemed specific and detached enough)

What I know going in:
The 1969 movie is based on the play of the same name. It's about Anne Boleyn in some capacity; I'm gonna guess the titular 1000 days refers to how long she was queen. Cromwell is a character...at least he is in the play - my dad played the part in high school! For history buffs, this is Oliver Cromwell's ancestor.
I'm expecting great period costuming and art direction. I know that I'll recognize the lead actor when I see him - can't remember who plays him (Richard Burton?). I assume the lead male is Henry VIII.

Anne of the Thousand Days (1969)
Noms: Picture, Actor (Richard Burton), Actress (Genevieve Bujold), Supporting Actor (Anthony Quayle), Adapted Screenplay, Score, Cinematography, Sound Mixing, Costume Design, Art Direction
Win: Costume Design

So I remembered right, it is Richard Burton (go me!). And the above picture caught such an amazing expression, I had to pick it. That's not Anne Boleyn, but Catherine of Aragon by the way - who is fierce and has become one of my favorite historical characters. Irene Papas, who plays her here is awesome, but I first fell in love with the character on The Tudors where she is portrayed by Maria Doyle Kennedy.

I really enjoyed this one. The acting is great. The costume and production design is beautiful and lush; I especially loved the various blue gowns Anne Boleyn wore -wow! But the standout for me is the script. The way the characters speak is so wonderful: accessible, yet elevated. I learned after watching that, like the play, some of the film is in blank verse. How cool is that? And appropriate for the setting! Also, the most complete account of the Anne Boleyn story I've seen thus far. I'd seen most of the elements before, but not all in one package. Anne prior engagement to Percy (Amaranthine - a play by a fabulously talented friend). Henry's affair with Mary Boleyn (The Other Boleyn Girl). The Tudors had a lot of the rest, but I don't recall those two major elements.

I've already gushed over Richard Burton before, so seeing this just reinforced my perception of him. Genevieve Bujold, on the other hand, is a new discovery. She is fierce. She really shows off all the facet of the Anne Boleyn character that have made her such a fixture in our collection imagination. Bold, cunning, smart, girlish, proud, alluring, stubborn, mysterious, etc. Her shifts in the way she carries herself throughout the movie are impressive and awesome to watch.

Next up: Either Shine or Spirited Away probably....