--- title: "A Man for All Seasons: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/a-man-for-all-seasons/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/a-man-for-all-seasons" critics_score: 76 critics_reviews: 8 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # A Man for All Seasons (1966): what the critics said Critics' score 76 from 8 reviews: 7 positive, 0 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics admire it, and the praise gathers around two things: Paul Scofield’s Thomas More and Robert Bolt’s screenplay. The reviews from 1966 call it handsome, stirring and a faithful rendering of the play’s substance, with the English countryside doing a good deal of the work. Later critics find it wittier and quicker than its reputation suggests, with enough intrigue to keep it from becoming a history lesson. Scofield is singled out almost everywhere, and Robert Shaw’s Henry and Orson Welles’s Wolsey are noted as the livelier turns around him. The reservations are about pace and piety. The Guardian wants a less regal rhythm and a less saintly More, and the one outright dissent, from Time Out, finds the film respectable to the point of tedium, with only Welles’s cameo to relieve it. The spread is otherwise narrow, seven of eight positive, and the argument among critics is less about whether it is well made than about whether stateliness is a virtue. ## The New Yorker — Brendan Gill Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 10 December 1966. The film is a very good movie indeed and among the most beautiful ever made thanks to its use of the English countryside. Scofield delivers a performance of strength and delicacy that surpasses his stage work, supported by an excellent cast including Shaw as Henry. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1966/12/17/to-the-tower) ## The New York Times — Bosley Crowther Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 13 December 1966. The film succeeds in rendering the play's solid substance on screen as an inspiring view of moral conviction and steadfastness. Zinnemann and Scofield crystallize the drama's essence with pictorial vitality and excellence in a strong cast. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1966/12/13/archives/screen-a-sturdy-conscience-a-steadfast-hearta-man-for-all-seasons.html) ## Variety — A.D. Murphy Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 13 December 1966. Zinnemann has blended all filmmaking elements into an excellent, handsome and stirring film version of the play. Bolt's adaptation and the performances, led by Scofield, capture the timeless personal conflict with outstanding production values. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1966/film/reviews/a-man-for-all-seasons-1200421180/) ## Empire — Kim Newman Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2013. The critic praises this prestigious, well-turned-out British historical drama for its quality script and genuine intrigue and wit, which keep it from feeling like a mere history lesson. Adapted by Robert Bolt from his own play, it benefits from strong performances and avoids the clichés typical of the genre. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/man-seasons-review/) ## The Guardian Rating B / A–. 19 November 2009. The 1966 film is a top-quality historical drama that entertains and educates effectively. The critic singles out the elegant, witty screenplay for praise but complains that the film would benefit from a less regal pace and a less pious portrayal of More. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/nov/19/man-for-all-seasons) ## Time Out — TCh Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). The film is an agonisingly respectable, sincere adaptation of Robert Bolt's literate play. The cast is fine overall, but only Orson Welles' cameo as Cardinal Wolsey relieves the boredom. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/a-man-for-all-seasons-1) ## Collider — Jacob Slankard Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 25 October 2024. The critic praises the film as a fiendishly well-crafted and surprisingly fast-moving thriller of ideas that champions moral courage, intellectual curiosity, and accountability without descending into propaganda. They single out Paul Scofield's revered performance as Thomas More. [Read the review](https://collider.com/a-man-for-all-seasons-movie/) ## The Skinny — Lewis Porteous Rating ★★★★. 20 February 2017. The critic notes the film's stately formality and moral absolutism made it an anachronism in the swinging 60s but reassuringly successful then. Scofield delivers a sterling lead performance, complemented by scenery-chewing turns from Welles and Shaw; it offers glimpses of magic few films have harnessed since. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/dvd-reviews/a-man-for-all-seasons) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/a-man-for-all-seasons.md