This astonishing adaptation of T S Eliot's classic verse drama recounts the love-hate relationship between twelfth-century British monarch Henry II and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Beckett. Featuring a cast of mainly non-professional actors, the voice of Eliot himself, and music by the internationally renowned composer Làszló Lajtha, Hoellering's exquisitely realised film tells the story of Beckett's temptations before his murder in Canterbury Cathedral in 1170.
Alternative and deleted sequences (black and white, 50 mins): footage from the longer festival cut
Message from Canterbury (George Hoellering, 1944, 24 mins): documentary short in which the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr William Temple delivers his sermon
Shapes and Forms (George Hoellering, 1950, 21 mins): striking and expressive film in which examples of primitive and modern art are juxtaposed to reveal correspondences
Glasgow Orpheus Choir (George Hoellering, 1951, 13 mins): charming short made after the announcement of the retirement of the choir's conductor, Sir Hugh Roberton
BBFC:
Release Date:
23/11/2015
Run Time:
114 minutes
Languages:
English LPCM Mono
Subtitles:
English Hard of Hearing
Formats:
Pal
Aspect Ratio:
Full Screen 1.33:1 / 4:3
Colour:
B & W
BLU-RAY Regions:
B
Bonus:
Alternative festival cut (139 mins, black and white): longer version of Murder in the Cathedral
Message from Canterbury (George Hoellering, 1944, 24 mins): documentary short in which the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr William Temple delivers his sermon
Shapes and Forms (George Hoellering, 1950, 21 mins): striking and expressive film in which examples of primitive and modern art are juxtaposed to reveal correspondences
Glasgow Orpheus Choir (George Hoellering, 1951, 13 mins): charming short made after the announcement of the retirement of the choir's conductor, Sir Hugh Roberton
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