A Man for All Seasons

On the philosophical level this is no more profound or thought-provoking than Batman. However -- and this is a big however -- A Man for All Seasons is a good film, competently made and extremely well acted.

Paul Scofield's More, at once spritely and deadly serious, is a beautifully consistent study, generally low-pitched but always capable of an effective show of strength.

The satisfactions to be gained from the film are preeminently quiet, civilized. But they are none the less real.

It is a timeless tale, told in a timeless manner, by an author concerned with the human condition, devoted to his craft, and blessed with a gift for the English language.

Such a film as A Man For All Seasons makes the silly efforts of avant-garde and "new" picture directors look raw and hideous. This film combines so many qualities of excellence that it stands alone as an example of what a motion picture can be.

[A Man for All Seasons] has so many virtues it comes pretty close to perfection. It is so consummate a work of movie art that it is the first two-hour film I can recall that seems to run only half that time.

A Man For All Seasons is another British history lesson...often buttoned up too tightly with overstuffed pageantry and an exhausting air of elitism

In an era of muddled motives and nihilism, Sir Thomas satisfies our nostalgia not only for nobility but also for an age when a man, if he dared risk his head, knew exactly what he was risking it for.

For me the only thing wrong with the film, in fact, is the secret ingredient that it is inoffensively and sweetly boring.

Its translation from stage to screen not only adds a lot of visual beauty but does not mar the drama. And it adds a stronger sense of period.