Medieval Film Critique

Goldman, James. The Lion in Winter. Directed by Anthony Harvey. 1968. London: Avco
Embassy Pictures.
The plot of The Lion in Winter revolves around the familial and political machinations of
the Angevin king Henry II, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, and his sons Richard, Geoffrey, and
John. Taking place at his primary residence of Chinon in 1183, Henry demands his family come
together to celebrate Christmas, the only time of year in which the highly volatile family is
brought together due to their evident dislike and distrust of each other and the discord it
produces. The source of this dislike and distrust are the characters desire for power, status, and
influence. Nearly all of the interactions the characters have with each otherboth as individuals
and as a familyconcern inheritances and obtaining what they feel is owed to them. Henry
attempts to broker deals in which all parties might be pleased to ensure the security of his power
and the endurance of his empire. Henrys plans to do so are significantly complicated by his
estranged wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, who is committed to seizing the opportunities presented by
the only brief period of freedom that she is allowed from an enforced imprisonment by Henry
after she plotted against him. The navigation of political intrigue between the various characters
and the interactions subsequently fostered by such posturing comprise the most compelling
aspects of the movie while acting as a vehicle through which the purpose of the movie is
conveyed.
Although the film features a depiction of the Middle Ages that is more accurate and
realistic than many of its contemporaries, these constructions are done more so in the interest of
characterization than in the interest of establishing a setting. The audience is introduced to
Richard after he has just bested an opponent in a jousting match. The film does not explore the
jousting match as a social and cultural event of the era, but instead uses it to characterize Richard

as a warrior who is proficient in battle. This differentiates Richard from his brother John who had
been first introduced losing a sparring match with his father, and from his brother Geoffrey who
is shown orchestrating a battle while atop a cliff and physically removed from the fighting. When
summoned together, these different personalities are very evident as the brothers scheme against
and with one another. Also evident is the role the castle plays in creating a theatre conducive to
the political scheming of its residents. Chinonas a medieval castle of a fledgling nation
would have been poorly lit and poorly heated. While providing an accurate depiction of the
domestic habitat of medieval English kings, such a depiction allows Henrys feeling of isolation
and misery after learning of his sons betrayal to be underscored by him wandering the dark,
damp halls alone; scenes of warmth and affection usually occur in front of a fireplace within
private, well-lit chambers. By tying medieval depictions so closely to the characters instead of
featuring depictions that exist solely independent of them, the film establishes the way it is most
concerned with portraying the eradialogue.
Through dialogue, the movie bestows humanity and personality on historical figures that
existed centuries ago. While some documents do exist written by the figures portrayed in the
movie, official documents preserved for posterity do not fully commute an individuals
personality and characteristics. How such people might have interacted with others in their life
does, and The Lion in Winter seeks to portray its characters in this way. With high levels of
intrigue taking place between the various family members at the heart of the movie, dialogue is
employed to explain the reason that such strained relationships plague Henry and his family.
Frequent mentions are made of Henry and Eleanors lovingly hateful relationship and the
pleasure which they derive from seeing the other hurt; it is obvious that Henry and Eleanor find
scheming against one another incredibly enjoyable. Not only has a proclivity for political
scheming damaged the relationship between the two parents, but it has filtered down to affect

their sons as well. Henry and Eleanor are very open about the favoritism they show toward their
children, and are not above using them as pawns. Both Richard and Geoffrey remember their
parents fighting since they were children, and are very aware of the nature and toxicity of their
relationshipYou don't care who wins. As long as Henry loses, you'll do anything. Not only
have Henry and Eleanor damaged familial cohesion through a willingness to use their sons as
pawns, but they have also encouraged their sons to partake in underhanded power politics. Henry
is aware his sons may snap at me and plot, but that makes them the kind of sons I want; doing
so ensures survival and prosperity when embroiled in court life. With political intrigue a family
affair, the rapport of the dialogueone of the best examples being I know. You know I know. I
know you know I know. We know Henry knows, and Henry knows we know itfunctions to
portray the skillful maneuvering of political intricacies that medieval court life demanded of its
participants if they wished to maintain their prestige and influence, even among their own
families. Alliances, compromises, and solutions are created in a few quick lines, and are then
struck down just as suddenly without warning for a variety of reasons from trivial to outright
betrayal. The portrayal of such monolithic medieval historical figures with the very human traits
of pettiness, envy, malice, and greed allows the audience to better grasp who these figures might
have been as people. However, a more realistic depiction does not necessarily mean a more
accurate one.
Considering the historical record of the dynasty, the Angevins were a highly
dysfunctional family. Despite the success of the dialogue in realistically characterizing court life
and how the Angevins operated within it, it also paradoxically creates a dissonance as a result of
the films exploration of the Angevins as a dysfunctional family. The dialogue that characterizes
this dysfunction is decidedly modern and self-aware, and at times resembles the acerbic wit of a
modern drama about a family gathered begrudgingly for Christmas. When Eleanor first arrives,

Henry greets her by saying, What shall we hang...the holly or each other? Juvenile sibling
bickering is present among the sons; John, lamenting his lack of favor among his family
members, remarks My god, if I went up in flames, there's not a living soul who'd pee on me to
put the fire out to which Richard responses Let's strike a flint and see. The biggest dissonance
comes from the self-aware aspects of the dialogue, best expressed by Eleanors comment, He
always has a knife. We all have knives! It's 1183, and we're barbarians. While accuracy is
sacrificed, the anachronistic and self-aware facets of the dialogue are not simply a flippant
disregard for historical record, but instead function to communicate both characterization and the
purpose of the movie.
In The Lion in Winter, the director aims to portray a drama that exists independently of
the time period. An examination of Henry and Eleanors relationship reveals circumstances that
did not exist solely in medieval history. Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine were politically savvy,
calculating individuals highly proficient in manipulating circumstances to best serve their
interestsessentially a medieval power couple. Theirs was a whirlwind marriage that took place
under unconventional circumstances. The Lion in Winter captures the truly tempestuous
relationship the two shared with the line He came down from the north to Paris with a mind like
Aristotle's and a form like mortal sin. We shattered the commandments on the spot. Although
capable of accomplishing great things together, their domineering and fiercely independent
personalities soon put them at odds with one another. Despite infidelity and various other
contentions, their relationship remained intact and was marked by relative indifference until
Eleanor sided with her sons in a rebellion against Henry. The initial love and subsequent enmity
they shared, as well as the influence and effect this had on the family, resembles the plot of a
dramatic narrative that would not be out of place in a modern setting nor out of place in an
earlier one.

In addition to anachronistic, self-aware dialogue communicating its modern aspects,

several references allude to its enduring nature as a drama. Henrys mention of the mythological
King Leir foreshadows what his scheming with Eleanor will truly cost him. Aspects of setting
and dialogue are reminiscent of Classical drama. Eleanor is characterized through comparison to
several Greek characters: Medusa for her destructive capabilities, Medea for her vindictive
nature, and Helen of Troy for her influence over men. The reveal of his children conspiring
against him is Henrys moment of anagnorisisa revelatory moment when the protagonist
realizes what his actions have truly caused. Henry is forced to disown his children and is left
without an heir to endorse, a punishment for his hubris in believing he could manipulate his own
family for his own benefit. During the scene in which Henry forsakes his children, he is gripped
by a passionate anguish and curses God. When faced with death, Richard evokes the Roman
tradition of virtus through his statement, When the fall is all there is, it matters. Such elements
of Classical drama are timeless and remain relevant regardless of setting or situation.
Combining past and present reminds the audience they are watching a drama not only
confined to the realm of medieval history, but also a drama that is using a medieval setting and
medieval historical figures to tell its story. It is a drama that seeks to explain the complicated,
fractious relationship of the Angevin dynasty while incorporating elements to tell a familial
tragedy unbound by time. Henry speculates his life, when it is written, will read better than it
lived, and The Lion in the Winter has this sentiment extend to when it is seen.