Man For All Seasons, A

This dramatic depiction of the conflict between King Henry VIII and Sir Thomas More was nominated for eight Academy Awards® and won six, including Best Picture, Director (Fred Zinnemann), and Actor (Paul Scofield in arguably his finest performance on stage or screen.) Adapted from Robert Bolt's play, Scofield plays More, a Catholic statesman in 16th century England who rebelled against Henry VIII's self-proclaimed status as the head of the Church of England when he unsuccessfully seeks a divorce from the Catholic Church from Catharine in order to marry Anne Boleyn (played by young Vanessa Redgrave). Sir Thomas More refuses to renounce his faith and pays for it by being tried for treason and beheaded. Robert Shaw gives lusty life to his version of the King and Wendy Hiller is brilliant as More's stoic wife (both received Oscar® nominations for Supporting Actor and Actress). Orson Welles, Leo McKern, Susannah York and John Hurt give some of the finest performances of their careers. Zinnemann's masterly direction has created a near-perfect film and Scofield's steadfast conviction as More makes for a heart-rending ending.