Becket
Directed by Peter Glenville
Ah, subtext! That hidden meaning Method actors emphasized is brought out into the open by British actors Peter O’Toole and Richard Burton in the 1964 film Becket. Ostensibly the story of King Henry II appointing his confident Thomas à Becket to be Archbishop of Canterbury and then reneging on his bequest—a decision that historically split England’s religious affiliation—Becket is mostly fascinating as a love story between two men. Jean Anoulih’s stage play is strengthened by the conflict of worldly affection and spiritual devotion when Becket’s born-again allegiance to God takes precedent over his fealty to Henry. This movie version is deeper than anything the makers of Brokeback Mountain could ever conceive—or admit to.
Reseeing Becket (Film Forum presents its first theatrical engagement in almost 40 years) in light of the recent so-called breakthrough for gay film subjects makes one realize how advanced mainstream filmmaking used to be. O’Toole’s Henry and Burton’s Becket profess their regard for each other with bold openness and extravagant anguish. Precisely because this affection remains Becket’s subtext, it is never treated as a self-congratulatory end in itself. O’Toole and Burton are artistically free to fully vent their characters’ emotions.
Becket was directed by Peter Glenville, a ’60s stage maven noted for bringing several theater works to the screen like his 1961 film of Tennessee Williams’ Summer and Smoke. (His best film may be his 1966 adaptation of Graham Greene’s The Comedians.) It is a mistake to think that Glenville’s very proper, sometimes stodgy filmmaking style was evidence of repression or was overly discreet. In Becket, Glenville’s discretion is a sign of intelligence. He helps O’Toole and Burton get to their characters’ essence which is not their sexuality but a realization of their spiritual longing—the same knowledge Tennesee Williams conveyed in everyday circumstances with common characters, a sympathy that may have been lost post-Stonewall.
The radical expression of gay desire in a film like avant-gardist Derek Jarman’s 1992 Edward II looks anemic next to Becket. It is ironic that Jarman’s necessary and often vibrant political audacity and formal experimentation sacrificed the emotional articulation seen in this conventionally-made film from an earlier era. One reason has to do with the contemporary faithlessness that Jarman’s generation claimed. Truth is, the scenes where Becket transforms his secular passions into spiritual commitment are breathtaking. He eloquently pronounces what it is that truly quickens heartbeat and mind. As Burton embodies this subtext it is also always handsome and sensual—complex.
Glenville subtly encodes this historical epic with sexual intimations: Henry and Becket’s tandem escapades, phallic candles, bareback horseriding, etc. But he takes a dry approach to the complications of lost-love and how these legendary leaders deprived themselves—Becket through an excess of religious fervor, opposing the King’s edict out of personal arrogance; Henry through unchecked emotionalism and personal vengeance. This psychological depth gives Becket an edge over the other ’60s dramas about the Plantagent rulers (A Man for All Seasons, The Lion in Winter, Anne of the Thousand Days) and puts it close to the sophistication of Lawrence of Arabia and, yes, My Own Private Idaho.
It is striking to recall how extraordinary O’Toole was (in his first role after Lawrence) creating another revolutionary masculine portrait that has yet to receive it due. Henry’s lovesick, power-mad king contrasts the still depths of Burton’s Becket; both performances are thrilling but O’Toole’s awesome vocal pitch has unexpected wit and holds up better than Burton’s sometimes over rich pronunciation. However, these two characterizations remain grand and revealing. In this era of stunt performances, Becket resurrects the artistry of acting. It’s amazing to see O’Toole and Burton use subtext to convey the depths of conscience. Charlize Theron, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ryan Gosling, Cate Blanchett and Judi Dench had better get in line at Film Forum and learn something.
