Leijona talvella

I have always had a weakness for historical dramas full of schemers and brimming with plenty of dialogue. The Lion in Winter could therefore only delight me. A great script based on an excellent play (the performance of which I was not particularly impressed by in the Pilsen theatre due to some very exaggerated, hysterical performances) was written by the author himself, the roles were taken on by top actors, the music was composed by the master J.B.... So what more do you want? (19.11.2011)

An award-winning historical drama, which does not rely on a grand budget - after all, it is a television film rather than a big-budget one. It does, however, have an excellent cast, and carefully elaborated script that does not deny its theatrical roots, as its structure uses the blueprint of traditional Shakespearean dramas. The story revolves around six important characters who deal with power issues in medieval England. The intrigues at the court of King Henry II are very dark and repulsive. The most beautiful parts are the dialogues between Henry II and his wife, which are full of emotions, love, and hatred at the same time, and manifest themselves in a cynical poisonous provocation. Because the royal couple was played by Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn, it is clear that they thoroughly enjoyed their lines and were able to deliver them to the audience with incredible charm. Overall impression: 90%. Although at the beginning of the film we see a knight's tournament and some sword-waving, the majority of screen time is spent in the stone interiors of one castle and with the presence of only a few actors in front of the camera. (21.08.2009)

A beautiful movie for Christmas about the values that count - yearning for power, hate, pretense, revenge and intrigue, that are to be found in each sentence, in each glance. Shakespeare couldn’t have written it better (hi there, King Lear). Polished dialogs polished on a knife’s edge that go heavy on acrimony and cynicism. Dismantling the myth around Royal Majesty (mainly around this Richard) and sophisticated, living characters who aren’t mere puppets in the hands of the authors. All this is more than enough to make up for the undeniable fact that more than a “movie world", we see a theatrical stage. (20.03.2009)

A high quality conversational drama, full of scheming, intrigue and twisted characters with a script is worthy of Shakespeare. It's just a shame that the theatrical setting sticks out more than it should, to the detriment of a full-fledged cinematic experience. And although I'm a big opponent of dubbing, I'll make a rare exception here and have to praise it. It was excellent, with the voices of the old cast, from the old days of K.M. Wallo, when Czech dubbing was among the best in the world. (20.07.2009)