The Lion in Winter
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The Lion in Winter is a 1966 Broadway play by James Goldman. Goldman also adapted the play to a 1968 film directed by Anthony Harvey and a 2003 film by Andrei Konchalovsky.
Synopsis
The play is set during Christmas 1183 at Henry Plantagenet's château (castle) and primary residence in Chinon, Anjou, part of the Angevin Empire in present-day France. The play opens with the arrival of his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine from prison; the story immediately centres on the conflict and shifting alliances between the estranged couple and their adult sons and heirs to the throne: prince Richard the Lionhearted (the future King Richard I of England), Geoffrey Duke of Britanny, and prince John (the future King John or "bad King John"). Also present in the château and pursuing their own intrigues with the family are King Philip II of France, the son of Eleanor's ex-husband, and Philip's half-sister Alais (Alix, Alys), a daughter of Louis VII and his second wife.The story is a work of fiction: there was no Christmas Court at Chinon in 1183, although there had been a Christmas court at Caen in 1182 that brought family members together. None of the dialogue or actions is historic; however, the outcomes of the characters and the background of the story are historically accurate. The article on the Revolt of 1173-1174 describes the historical events leading up to the fictional events in the play.
1968 Film
The film debuted on October 30, 1968 (December 29, 1968 London premiere) starring Peter O'Toole (reprising his role from Becket) as King Henry II of England and Katharine Hepburn as his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine.Prince Richard the Lionhearted was played by Sir Anthony Hopkins in his film debut; prince John by Nigel Terry, and Geoffrey Duke of Britanny by John Castle. Timothy Dalton also debuts as King Philip II of France.
Hepburn won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role. The musical score by John Barry also won an Oscar, as did Goldman's adaptation of his play.
One unusual note of trivia regarding the movie was the longevity of its cast. The film was made in 1968 but it was thirty-five years before a major cast member died: Katharine Hepburn in 2003.
2003 Video
A television production of The Lion in Winter was first shown on 26 December 2003 in the U.K.. It starred Patrick Stewart and Glenn Close, and was directed by Andrei Konchalovsky.
Andrew Howard, John Light, and Rafe Spall played the warring brothers. Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Yuliya Vysotskaya played the king of France and his sister.
See also
External links
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