This is a historic drama. There are films that you like to watch the first time, but don't like that much looking them the second. There are films that you like to watch all the time. And very seldom you like the film better when you watch it for the second time than when you watched it for the first. This one belongs to the second category. But this is peculiar enough because usually I don't like historic films at all. It just proves that the quality of the film does not depend on its genre, there are just good films and bad films.
The Lion in Winter narrates the famous episode in the medieval history of England, it brings us to the times of Henry II Plantagenet. The story concerns the family life of Henry.
The film shows very well what kings do in their free time: intrigue. Their whole life is intrigues. And that's what Henry and his wife teaches their sons.
The story is the following. The English king Henry II keeps his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine in prizon and lets her out only once or twice a year for grand ceremonies such as Christmas and Easter. Meanwhile he has an affair with princess Alais who was brought up by Eleanor. According to the treaty with the French court Alais should marry Henry's son Richard (who later became known as Richard the Lionheart). Henry is reluctant to give her. At the beginning of the film the queen comes for Christmas reception and at the same time the French king Philip II comes to visit Henry and demand him to fulfil the conditions of the treaty. The rest of the film shows how all the character plot against each other, betray, in a word — make intrigues against each other. The story involves Henry, Eleanor, their three sons and Alais. The main fight has place between Henry and Eleanor. Each of the sons wants to be the king after Henry but Henry sees John as his successor and Eleanor wants to see Richard on the throne.
But it's difficult to describe the plot. You should see it to understand. What is really interesting is to see how all the characters act and intrigue, how they try to use each other and fail, how they invent plots and destroy them, try to deceive each other and, one can say, in spite of all still love each other.
Some scenes are just excellent. For example the scene in Philip's room when each of the brothers, and later, their father comes to see Philip in order to make him his ally. When the next person knocks at his door he hides the previous guest behind the curtain. It's all great theater performance and they all enjoy it but sometimes the true essence glimpses. Sometimes it's difficult to say when they are sincere and when it's just playing since they are acting all the time. It is obvious enough only with Richard. Indeed like Shakespare said "The life is stage and we're actors there". Or an episode in the prison when Henry is going to kill Richard. I like the expression of Richard showing that he still loves his father...
This film is worth seeing. It's enough to say that there is a brillian cast in this films: Peter O'Toole as Henry and Katharine Hepburn as Eleanor. Young actors are very good too, I just mention Anthony Hopkins as Richard and Timothy Dalton as Philip. But all the others play magnificently well too. Prince Geoffrey is shown like a sly clever fellow who is loved by nobody. Prince John is just an poor idiot who cannot intrigue but who is fascinated at the thought that he would be the king. Richard is an unhappy man torn by contrary passions. It's a wonderful actors' playing. Not mention Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn who are always brilliant, they are actors of high class. I think you will enjoy this film. This is more a psychological than just a historical drama.
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