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Sunday, June 19, 2005

Robert Bolt

Allow me to effuse about Robert Bolt for a minute. He wrote A Man for all Seasons, The Mission (yes, that great movie with R de Niro and J Irons was based on his novel -- there is lots more about the Rodrigo and his brother relationship in the book, if you're interested) and something else incredible that I can't remember here. Anyway, just make sure if you see the movie of A Man for all Seasons that it is the one with Paul Scofield (not C Heston -- I shudder even to contemplate it). Then sit back and feast your ears on the writing and acting, your heart on the profound moral integrity of its main character (Thomas Moore -- Samuel Johnson said of him "He was the person of the greatest virtue these islands ever produced") and your brain on the crackling wit and brilliance of the dialogue. Then go buy the play in book form, and die of joy all over again. 'Kay?

1 comment:

thomasw said...

well said. scofield is my favourite european actor -- and that is saying heaps; i am told he was very fine on a stage, and that he preferred theatre to film as an actor. i wish i had been able to see him in bolt's play prior to it going to film.