Anne of the Thousand Days Review: How I Passed AP European History

Okay, that's not quite the truth. However, in my 11th grade year, I took that course and remarked to my teacher how much easier it was to keep track of all of the European Kings & Queens if you looked at it like a soap opera. 

One of the essays on the AP test I took was on Henry VIII and this movie was responsible for me getting that part right. 

The movie is the story of Henry VIII's second wife, Anne Boleyn. He is obsessed with producing a male heir and has not been able to with his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, who was originally his brother's wife. When his brother died, he became king and took his brother's wife as his bride to keep the peace between England and Spain. 

Anne catches his eye, but she refuses to give herself to him without benefit of marriage. The scenes between Richard Burton - who plays Henry - and Genevieve Bujold - who plays Anne - are some of the best acting I've ever seen. Anne evenly matches Henry in terms of ambition, intelligence and stubbornness as she manipulates him into separating from the Catholic church and divorcing Catherine. Thomas Cromwell, eager to secure his own place in the British Empire, urges Henry to go this route as a means of disposing of the influence of Cardinal Wolsey in the King's Court. 

The title is the length of her rule as England's queen - only a thousand days before Henry has her head separated from her neck. During that time she bears two children: Elizabeth who went onto become one of England's greatest rulers, and a son who is stillborn. 

Henry's head is then turned by the lovely Jane Seymour (no, not the Dr. Quinn actress) and he needs to dispose of Anne. Enter Cromwell again, who now sets up Anne as a traitor to be executed. 

The script is great, but what really makes this movie is the acting. Bujold and Burton have amazing chemistry on the screen and give what is perhaps their best performances. The movie languishes in a few places. For a period piece, it is not nearly as much as some other historical films I've seen. I believe this is again due to the amazing acting job by Bujold and Burton. 

The costuming is great as well. I cannot imagine having to wear the heavy clothes, no matter how beautiful they are. The palace setting is opulent and beautiful, an accurate portrayal of the aristocracy during that time.