Jackson Booth-Millard I had remembered watching a tiny bit of this British film in secondary school when I was doing history, I knew that I had to see the whole thing at some point in the future, so when I got the opportunity I did. Basically set in Tudor England, King Henry VIII (Keith Michell) is on his deathbed, he reminisces on his long reign, and especially the crucial part his six wives played, without producing the male heir he desired to take his place and prevent civil wars. His first wife and queen was Spanish princess Katherine of Aragon (Frances Cuka), but all of the children she produced died, apart from daughter Mary, so he annulled the marriage and the divorced, this was his longest marriage, for 23 years. Henry's second wife was Anne Boleyn (Charlotte Rampling), while courting her she refused to sleep with Henry until they were married, she was a mysterious woman, with a sixth finger, so some believed her to be carrying out witchcraft, she also failed to produce a son, only daughter Elizabeth, they divorced, and she was later executed and beheaded for "infidelity", they were married for over 2 years. Henry's third wife was Jane Seymour (Jane Asher), who Henry met with the help of chief minister Thomas Cromwell (Donald Pleasence Donald Pleasence), protégé of Cardinal Wolsey (John Bryans), she does finally give Henry a son, Edward, but she dies soon after the birth, they were married for just over a year, and Edward later died aged 15 from tuberculosis. Henry's fourth wife, who he was advised to marry for diplomatic reasons, with Cromwell pushing for the lady, was German princess Anne of Cleves (Jenny Bos), Henry was initially shown a portrait of her, but was disappointed by her true appearance, he reluctantly marries her, but after only 6 months they divorce. Henry's fifth wife was Catherine Howard (Lynne Frederick), Anne Boleyn's young cousin, she was pressured to marry him by her uncle, but Archbishop Thomas Cranmer (Bernard Hepton) informs Henry she had liaisons before the marriage, he initially refuses to believe it, but Cranmer secures a confession, she also admits to an affair with Thomas Culpepper (Robin Sachs), she is beheaded, they were married for just over a year. Henry's sixth and final wife was Catherine Parr (Barbara Leigh- Hunt), he approached her while elderly, she is at first reluctant to marry, but Henry confesses to needing companionship, she becomes a loving stepmother to the royal children Mary, Elizabeth and Edward. After all the flashbacks have ended it returns to Henry VIII in his final moments of life, with Catherine Parr and Princess Mary by his side, Archbishop Cranmer is summoned to take his final confession, but while holding his hand, and before he can finish, Henry VIII finally dies from chronic heart failure. Also starring Michael Gough as Duke of Norfolk, Brian Blessed as Earl of Suffolk and Michael Goodliffe as Thomas More. Michell had previously played Henry VIII in the six-part television series The Six Wives of Henry VIII, obviously each episode focused on each of the six wives, he gives a standard performance, I agree Pleasance is more interesting as the devious Cromwell, and Cranmer gets his moments, as do all the supporting cast members, the costumes are good as well, I paid no attention at all to the political stuff, I just concentrated on the King with each wife, especially number 2, as an overall film, it's not a bad historical drama. Worth watching!

TheLittleSongbird Although I am no historian, I do take an interest in the subject and I loved learning about the Tudors even in primary school. Henry VIII and his Six Wives is for me one of the better films and such detailing of Henry VIII and his life and six wives. The story is compelling and well paced and the dialogue is intelligent and moving. For me, my only complaint really is the length, the events and details are compressed for just over two hours. For so many details and events, I couldn't help thinking it was too short and some of the events could have been expanded upon and some of the latter half less over-balanced perhaps. That fault aside, the film is splendidly directed, is reasonably true to history and maintains a strong emotional impact. David Munrow's music score is beautiful and evocative too. But two things especially stood out. One was the period detail and production values, the costumes and scenery are nothing short of splendid and the photography captures that beautifully. The other is the acting, which is wonderful from the entire cast. Keith Michell gives a textbook example of how to play Henry VIII, he doesn't play the famous king as a tyrant but his portrayal is a moving and somewhat more sympathetic one. Of his wives a stunning Charlotte Rampling and suitably vulnerable Lynne Frederick come off best, while Bernard Hepton is a fine Cramner and Donald Pleasance is a wonderfully devious Cromwell. In conclusion, a very good film. 8/10 Bethany Cox

sa013 **WARNING SPOILERS - for those of you unaquainted with English history**This is an excellent period drama with a good cast including Donald Pleasence (Thomas Cromwell), Charlotte Rampling (Anne Boleyn), Jane Asher (Jane Seymour), Lynne Frederick (Catherine Howard), Michael Gough (the Duke of Norfolk) and Brian Blessed (the Duke of Suffolk) and an excellent portrayal of King Henry VIII by Keith Michell.Michell is very good as Henry VIII, portraying the King from his youth, married to the Spanish Katherine of Aragon, to his old age with the wife who would out-live him, Catherine Parr. Over this period of time Michell undergoes a serious transformation from an energetic young king to an immense gout-ridden old man. However, Michell's transformation is not merely cosmetic and he manages to change his voice, posture, bearing and the whole character of the king.The story charts the six marriages of King Henry VIII. First his marriage to Katherine of Aragon (Frances Cuka), mother of the future Queen Mary "the Bloody", for whom he had genuine affection but whose inability to conceive a son resulted in Henry's divorcing her and the King's historic break with the Catholic Church and their "Bishop of Rome".A slightly weightier Henry indulges in a passionate love affair with Anne Boleyn (Rampling), mother of the future Elizabeth I "the Virgin Queen", which ended with the King's paranoia placing her head beneath the executioner's axe. Henry then moves on to Jane Seymour (Asher), the only one of his wives that Henry seems to have genuinely and enduringly loved and may well have stayed with had she not died giving birth to Henry's only son, the future Edward VI.After Jane's death the King is persuaded by Thomas Cromwell (Pleasence) to marry again and chooses the German Anne of Cleves (Jenny Bos) on the basis of a rather too flattering picture - this portion of the film is surprisingly funny, as the much older and fatter Henry is visibly distressed by Anne's grotesque appearance.Perhaps one of the most touching parts of the film is the marriage between Henry and Catherine Howard, like Anne Boleyn, a relative of the Duke of Norfolk, who would follow her to the block, played exceptionally well by the late Lynne Frederick. Frederick is beautiful and so much younger than the extremely overweight Henry that it makes her obviously genuine affection for the old King all the more touching. Unlike Anne Boleyn, the King was forced, very much against his will, to have Catherine be-headed and the scene where the King bursts into tears in front of the entire Privy Council is very moving.The film closes with Henry on his death-bed, surrounded by many of the same advisers who had made his life so difficult (I rest easy in the knowledge that most of them were later executed by the King's formidable daughter, Elizabeth) and his last wife, Catherine Parr (Barbara Leigh-Hunt). This is a film of epic proportions and, although not as good as the B.B.C. series (also starring Michell), it is excellent and the costumes and setting are divine.The good thing about this film is that it shows Henry as more caring than he is usually portrayed and reveals how he was the victim of many visissitudes at the hands of his most loyal lieutenants, especially Norfolk, Cromwell, Cranmer (Bernard Hepton), Gardiner (Garfield Morgan) and Wolsey (John Bryans). Watch out for the brilliant scene where Donald Pleasence's Cromwell is de-frocked by the entire Privy Council - it's movie magic.7/10

Blueboy-9 I saw this movie for the first time very recently, and was quite impressed. Henry the 8th and his six wives has a faultless cast, in particular Keith Mitchell, Jane Asher, Charlotte Rampling, Lynn Fredrick and Donald Plescence. We open on King Henry the 8th's death bed, and wittness him remeniscing about his various marriages, from Katherine of Aragon to Katherine Parr.Keith Mitchell does a splendid job as the man himself, as he does not portray the king as some brutal tyrant, but as a lonely old man just looking for love and an heir.Although it is not as good as the B.B.C'S Henry the 8th and his six wives (which also stars Keith Mitchell) it is a wonderful film, well worth a look, not least because it stars Jane Asher Charlotte Rampling and the late Lynn Fredrick as well as the wonderfull Donald Plescence.