History Film / Becket

Four years later O'Toole would play Henry II again as an older man in the film adaption of the play ''Film/TheLionInWinter'' with Creator/KatherineHepburn as his estranged wife Eleanor of Aquitaine.

''Becket'' is a 1964 film adaption of the French play ''Becket of the Honour of God'' by Jean Anouilh, starring Creator/PeterOToole as [[UsefulNotes/HenryTheSecond Henry II]] and Creator/RichardBurton as Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

* ATasteOfTheLash: Henry has his himself flogged by monks after [[spoiler: he orders the death of Becket]].

Four years later O'Toole would play Henry II again as an older man in the film adaption of the play ''TheLionInWinter'' with KatherineHepburn as his estranged wife Eleanor of Aquitaine.

* RequisiteRoyalRegalia: Henry II in this film. Averted when O'Toole plays him again in ''TheLionInWinter''.

''Becket'' is a 1964 film adaption of the French play ''Becket of the Honour of God'' by Jean Anouilh, starring Creator/PeterOToole as [[TheHouseOfPlantagenet Henry II]] and Creator/RichardBurton as Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

--->It has pleased you to make me archbishop and to set me like a solitary pawn face to face with the king on the chessboard.

* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler: Lady Gwendolen]]

* TheAtoner: Becket, once he's made Archbishop devotes himself completely to God to make up for his sins. Also by the end, Henry for ordering Becket's death.

* DysfunctionalFamily: When you see Henry's homelife you don't blame him for wanting to hang out with Becket.

* HoYay: Not even subtle. Henry directly compares his love for Becket to his relationship with his wife, with Becket coming out far ahead, even moaning his name at one point. His mother says he has a "obsession with this man that is unhealthy and unnatural" and he's behaving like a scorned lover. His wife says she can tolerate the King's mistresses, but will not tolerate his relationship with Becket. Interestingly this has no historical basis.

* RhetoricalRequestBlunder: "Will noone rid me of this meddlesome priest?!"

* WeUsedToBeFriends

1964 film adaption of the French play ''Becket of the Honour of God'' by Jean Anouilh starring Creator/PeterOToole as [[TheHouseOfPlantagenet Henry II]] and Creator/RichardBurton as Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

1964 film adaption of the French play ''Becket of the Honour of God'' by Jean Anouilh starring PeterOToole as [[TheHouseOfPlantagenet Henry II]] and RichardBurton as Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

* HoYay: Not even subtle. Henry explicitly compares his love for Becket to his relationship with his wife, with Becket coming out far ahead, describing Becket as "red-blooded, generous, and full of strength" before closing his eyes and moaning, "Oh, my Thomas!" His mother says he has a "obsession with this man that is unhealthy and unnatural" and he's behaving like a scorned lover. His wife says she can tolerate the King's mistresses, but will not tolerate his relationship with Becket, and so on. Interestingly this has no historical basis.

* HoYay: Not even subtle. Henry explicitly compares his love for Becket to his relationship with his wife, with Becket coming out far ahead, describing Becket as "red-blooded, generous, and full of strength" before closing his eyes and moaning, "Oh, my Thomas!" His mother says he has a "obsession with this man that is unhealthy and unnatural" and he's behaving like a scorned lover. His wife says she can tolerate the King's mistresses, but will not tolerate his relationship with Becket, and so on.

[[caption-width-right:350:some caption text]]

* ATasteOfTheLash: Henry has his himself flogged by monks after [[spoiler: he orders the death of Becket]].

* DysfunctionalFamily

* LargeHam: Peter O'Toole.