Wonkette Movie Night: The Lion In Winter
'Of course he has a knife, he always has a knife, we all have knives! It's 1183 and we're barbarians!'
Just another family gathering together for the holidays. A husband and wife with their three sons. Plus the husband’s mistress (pledged to marry one of his sons) as well as King Philip II of France, numerous soldiers, servants and big dogs. With all of that, it’s surprising there’s still room for the voluminous and luscious dialogue. The Lion In Winter is an imagined tale of a real family, the Plantagenets. Some of the history is accurate and some, like that in 1183 there was a Christmas Court at Chinon, is movie magic.
King Henry II is no longer a young man at the age of 50, and his sons are in a battle to assume the throne when he dies. His wife, Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, has been brought from her tower, where she has been imprisoned for leading a rebellion against him. But even with that Henry can’t seem to quit Eleanor. He keeps her as his possession, bringing her around for holidays and state events like a favored toy.
But Eleanor is no toy. She is a fierce and determined woman who can use her words to cut as deeply as the broadsword wielded by Henry as he tries to train his youngest son, John, to become the next king. John is his choice, but Eleanor prefers their oldest, Richard, while the middle brother, Geoffrey, is content to play both sides in his own quest for power.
In this family the only thing they seem to truly love is power. Their joy in life is in the gamesmanship and psychological battles used to gain that true love. These are not nice people. They have everything a human could possibly want or need and it is not enough. Sound familiar? Seems this kind of thing has been around for a very, very long time.
The Lion In Winter has incredible acting by the two leads that will have have you mesmerized. The stunning dialogue in these masters’ hands is pure art. For me, Katharine Hepburn IS this movie, with lines from Eleanor that weaken Henry like Kryptonite against Superman.
“I could peel you like a pear and God himself would call it justice.”
The Lion In Winter stars Peter O’Toole, Katharine Hepburn, Anthony Hopkins, Timothy Dalton, Nigel Terry, Jane Merrow, and John Castle. Directed by Anthony Harvey.
The Lion In Winter is available with a library card on Kanopy. $3.99 in the usual places.
To make requests, see the movie lists and schedules go to WonkMovie.
The animated short is Lift You Up by Kim McMahon, with an ending you won’t see coming.
Find me on Bluesky as ziggywiggy.
Thanks everyone!
We have a special event coming up. 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫'𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞: 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝟒𝐩𝐦 𝐄𝐓 as recommended by Rebecca! https://open.substack.com/pub/ziggywiggy/p/new-years-day-wonkette-movie-matinee?r=2knfuc&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Followed up on 𝐉𝐚𝐧. 𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐞 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐡 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.
𝐁𝐎𝐍𝐔𝐒 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐀:
Katharine Hepburn and Peter O'Toole had met several years earlier, and she was a great admirer of his work, but she had no intention of putting up with the behavior he often exhibited on his productions. "You're known to be late", she told him on the first day of work. "I intend for you to be on time. I hear you stay out at night. You'd better be rested in the morning if you're going to work with me." Peter O'Toole was known to be something of a tyrant on most of his shoots, Hepburn made it clear from the beginning who was in charge, O'Toole meekly obliged, when she told him, "Peter, stop towering over me. Come and sit down and try to look respectable." O'Toole readily admitted in her presence that she reduced him "to a shadow of my former gay-dog self. She is terrifying. It is sheer masochism working with her. She has been sent by some dark fate to nag and torment me." Her reply: "Don't be so silly. We are going to get on very well. You are Irish, and you make me laugh. In any case, I am on to you, and you to me."