#Becket (1964)

[princesspierpaolo]

becket (1964) dir. peter glenville

[angevinyaoiz]

Henry II and Thomas Becket

[medievalandfantasymelee]

THE HOT MEDIEVAL & FANTASY MEN MELEE

QUALIFYING ROUND: 83rd Tilt

King Henry II Plantagenet, Becket (1964) VS. King Henry II Plantagenet, The Lion in Winter (1968)

Propaganda

King Henry II Plantagenet, Becket (1964) Portrayed by: Peter O'Toole

“Peter O'Toole was so hot. Some of the all-time most striking eyes of any actor ever. Also I think it would be funny if two *different* versions of Henry II both played by Peter O'Toole were in the tournament together”

King Henry II Plantagenet, The Lion in Winter (1968) Portrayed by: Peter O'Toole

“His second stint as this eminent king, he exhibits gravitas, anger, joy in equal parts manly hotness. Also, the chemistry with Katharine Hepburn's Eleanor of Aquitaine is off the charts.”

Additional Propaganda Under the Cut

Additional Propaganda

For Henry II (Becket):

For Henry II (The Lion in Winter):

[burtonandtaylor]

Richard Burton and Peter O’Toole during the filming of Peter Glenville’s ‘Becket,’ 1963.

[stephantom]

But I cheated my way, a twofold bastard, into the ranks, and found a place among the conquerors.

- Jean Anouilh, "Becket, Or The Honor of God" (1960)

[its-always-sunny-in-city17]

O'Tooles

[corpseflwr]

peter o'toole core

[marlocandeea]

It is the story of an impossible friendship between two men: one who loves, or says he loves, the other who doesn't, or says he can't. One tryrannizes but is always rebuffed; the other gives but never yields. [...] The erstwhile dissolute playboy turns into an earnest priest, and the anti-clerical monarch ends lonelier than a monk in an empty palace.

André Aciman in his preface to Becket by J. Anouilh

[maggiecheungs]

I would have gone to war with all England's might behind me, and even against England's interests, to defend you, Thomas. I would have given away my life laughingly for you. Only I loved you and you didn't love me. That's the difference.

Becket (1964) dir. Peter Glenville

[lupinedreaming]

Corporate wants you to find the difference between this picture and this picture

[junk-culture]

becket (1961)

[haveyouseenthismovie-poll]

[medievalandfantasymelee]

THE HOT MEDIEVAL & FANTASY MEN MELEE

QUALIFYING ROUND: 38th Tilt

Brother Cadfael, Cadfael (1994-1998) VS. Thomas Becket, Becket (1964)

Propaganda

Brother Cadfael, Cadfael (1994-1998) Portrayed by: Derek Jacobi

“His eyes. His kindness. And his penchant for giving everyone ridiculous amounts of drugs for everything from a stomach-ache to slight headache and sleeping badly. Cadfael is a Welsh ex-knight who fought in Jerusalem and came back as a healer monk. He has had several lovers, and he misses every single one of them and wishes sometimes life had gone differently. Also, Derek Jacobi has puppy eyes and I want to kiss him despite him being a monk.”

Thomas Becket, Becket (1964) Portrayed by: Richard Burton

“Ohhhh this hot smirky conscience-riven canon bisexual bastard. The chemistry between him and O'Toole's Henry is off the charts, and the amount of eye-fucking. Burton manages to do is truly impressive. Also: this is Richard Burton in his "Elizabeth Taylor said yes to ALL of THAT" era, and I need hardly say more. That dangerous Welsh baritone purr alone would be a lot, but there are also the hands. And the smirking. And the repressed smoldering. Also, this film gives us Becket both in Bit of Rough mode and Hot Priest mode. Becket, in this role, is also incredibly hot for making a principled decision and being just continually astonished by his own character development. Love that for him. "Forgive me, Lord, it's too easy." God (literally.) And the way he is kind to the angry, bitter idealist in whom he sees his younger self! Also, that final "Oh, Henry" lives in my head rent-free.”

Additional Propaganda Under the Cut

Additional Propaganda

For Cadfael:

(+ bonus Hugh Beringar)

For Thomas Becket:

(+ Bonus Henry II)

[angevinyaoiz]

finally watching the Becket (1964) commentary and Peter O'Toole and Mark Kermode cannot stop talking about the homosexual subtexts (and texts) of what's going on from the very beginning jfjff though interesting to corroborate that the "you have an obsession which is unhealthy and unnatural" line was indeed shoehorned in as "the only line not originally from Anouilh" meant to show the behavior and relationship/attachment as "unacceptable," but also paradoxically making the queerness in the film explicitly clear.

Other fun stuff discussed is of course O'Toole talking about his theater training and approach to acting, working with Richard Burton, him mentioning how being on site/location (or in his case, on a camel lol) "doesn't make you a better actor" and when the host brings up CGI and artificial sets he's like "please...put me in the fake SETS... I love SETS and a good SCRIPT" XD

Also he likes the different versions and characters of Henry II ("a man who says splendid things") mentions other plays that featured him of that era, a "Curtmantle" and "Eleanor and the Four Kings" and a Tennyson Becket play from the 1800s. Curious to check those out. He mentions being less concerned with being informed about strict historicity And "character" and more bringing the script and words to life in the present.

Mentions how playing Lawrence of Arabia was very much to him playing "against type'" (because Lawrence is more sensitive/effeminate implied?) vs the "snarling butch geezer" in Becket. Says David Lean saw "something" in him though (he saw the Omega Energy. Which comes thru in LOA and Becket no matter how "snarling" u get lol)

Overall a cool commentary--great seeing insight on a lot of the vintage actors and their approaches and interactions, esp for a movie like this. I've been wanting to listen to it for ages so glad I found it hehe

[stephantom]

Eleanor: You'd only just found Rosamund. Henry: Not her so damn particularly. I found other women. Eleanor: Countless others. Henry: What's your count?

+ bonus

[blondessgonewild]

Peter O'Toole and Steve McQueen interview in a Film Star magazine from July 2nd 1964 Yugoslavia