This is another of those movies that owe their prestige to the good offices of his interpreters. In this case,
Kate Hepburn and Peter O'Toole
, who embodied two historical characters, Eleanor of Aquitaine and King Henry II of England.
At Christmas of 1183, King Henry brings his family to decide which of his three sons succeed to the throne. For this event, sends for his lawful wife, Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, which is locked in a tower to promote a rebellion against him. The existence of a mistress, provoked the confrontation between Henry and Eleanor and since 1173, Eleanor encouraged the rebellion of three sons of the king against his father. After suppressing the revolt, the king imprisoned Eleanor.
King Henry is not willing to divide his kingdom in the style of King Lear and it must choose an heir to the throne among his three sons: Richard (Anthony Hopkins
), the future Richard the Lionheart, brave and ambitious, Geoffrey, Geoffrey II of Bretagne future
(John Castle) , which neither of his two parents are considered for the succession, cold and manipulative and John (Nigel Terry
) the future John I of England or John Lackland, an awkward teenager and humps, but also very ambitious.
prefers King Juan and Queen to Richard, his right eye. She raised him since childhood and hopes to return his beloved Aquitaine. "You keep
best of all " Henry says Leonor.
As if all this were not enough, come into play King Philip II of France (Timothy Dalton
) to solve the problem of his sister Alais, "Adela de France" (Jane Merrow
) fiancee and future wife who the next English king and current mistress of Henry II.
Alais does not marry anyone but King Henry II. This in turn, plans to annul his marriage with Eleanor and marry Alais to have new heirs. Leonor course is not willing to have their children and consequently itself, fall outside the estate. Henry can not stand to see another lover. Therefore, attempts a marriage between Alais and Richard, but Richard does not want to Alais, but his brother, King Felipe II.
With such an approach, it is better that the movie had a nimble writer, able to develop such a mess of power struggles, ambitions, strategies, jealousy, betrayal and resentment.
"
The Lion in Winter" originally is a play written by James Goldman
, and he himself was the screenwriter of the film that led
Anthony Harvey. Goldman strategies creates a labyrinth worthy of the best games of chess. The viewer must be aware of every movement, because the movie has many twists and turns of strategy. In addition, the characters are never what they seem. Each of them comes closer to the sun hotter.
There is no concept of family. It seems they had no children, but heirs. The children called "Eleanor" to his mother. Also understandable considering that the king has locked in a tower.
For Katharine Hepburn agreed to play the role of Eleanor in the film, Peter O'Toole did something he hated flying, to persuade her to accept the job. Spencer Tracy had died a short time and to Kate's work became a good therapy. Kate
agreed to work on the film with the condition that O'Toole oversee the casting for other roles in the movie.
Jane Merrow spoke with Charlotte Chandler (author of the latest biography of Katharine Hepburn) on the work of Kate in the movie:
"I was very nervous about it at first, as happened to us all, because who was ... But it turned out she was just as nervous as us. "
".... the most important thing he taught me was like being a professional actor ... I had worked in theater and thought it was pretty good about my approach ... "
" ... But I found that my approach was rather poor compared with hers. When we first got together to rehearse, Kate was known not only their sentences, but of all of us. None of us knew his lines at that time. It was a simple test, we had not started filming. So it was a bit shocking. That night, we all hurried away home to make sure that we learned our lines. " " We had a scene together, just her and me, and she said: "Bow to the front when I say my lines and I bow to the front when you say yours. Thus camera will catch us at the same time. " We work as a team, and that's what I loved about her. He was able to take care of every detail to work with you to do as it should be done. "
" ... His research, which focused on how work and concentration, everything was great. " 
maturity to Katharine Hepburn brought several dramatic roles: it film that we are discussing today, The Lion in Winter, but also "
Suddenly last summer", "Long Day's Journey Into Night" or "The Madwoman of Chaillot" Kate allowed women to play dark, far from record its most prolific youth comedy. If you wanted to prove he was capable of doing "what cast" Let it more than clear.
Many qualify this film as the best performance of his career. If you want my opinion, I think the drama is overrated and underrated comedy.
is often considered the best performance by an actress the most drama I've played in the movies.
course Kate interpretation as Eleanor of Aquitaine is superb and along with Peter O'Toole is the best of the movie. But forgive me I can not decide on one interpretation of Kate. It is very difficult and all too much respect I have for work.
On the other hand, it's funny, those who say that Eleanor of Aquitaine is a wicked woman, "perverse?, Have it locked in a tower for ten years ...
As she said about her character: "I was furious, but not as we would have been me getting married to a king who kept her locked away from me a house for ten years. Abominable."
The only I put sticks to the couple Hepburn, O'Toole is the apparent age difference between them. When I became interested, years ago, the career of Kate and I saw the trailer for this movie, I thought for a long time she played the role of the mother of Henry II and not your wife. Not surprisingly, Kate was 25 years older than Peter O'Toole. And Peter O'Toole was only 5 years older than his son in the film, Anthony Hopkins.
Anthony Hopkins also spoke to the writer Charlotte Chandler on his experience with Kate:
