This lush, perfectly cast 1969 drama concerns both a doomed, royal love affair and a pivotal moment in British history. Based on Maxwell Anderson's 1948 play, Anne of the Thousand Days concerns the mess that surrounded King Henry VIII's decision to rid himself of his first wife, Catherine of Aragon (Irene Papas), and marry the young Anne Boleyn (Geneviève Bujold). Anglophiles know what happened next: Henry (Richard Burton) solved his problems with the Vatican's condemnation of divorce by having himself named head of the Church of England (see also A Man for All Seasons), while Anne's perceived problem conceiving a male heir made her vulnerable to plots by the nefarious likes of Oliver Cromwell (John Colicos). Director Charles Jarrott does a splendid job bringing all of these intrigues to life, though the story is ultimately about Anne, a naive young woman who prepares herself to navigate some of the dangers of Henry's court. Bujold and Burton never gave better performances, and this strange, tragic chapter in the history of the kings of England has never been more compellingly told on film. --Tom Keogh

Customer Rating:
Summary: DVD on it's way!!
Comment: I have loved this movie since the first time I saw it when it was released. What acting! Don't you love to hear Richard Burton's voice? And Ms. Bujold...her acting makes the part. Now for some good news I wanted to share. I went to the Universal Movie Studios website, actually to ask them when the TV series Centennial might ever be released on DVD (another absolute favorite of mine) and it says on the site that on Sept. 18, 2007 it will be released on DVD as a 2-movie collection: Anne of The Thousand Days and Mary, Queen of Scots. Did I make anyone else's day like reading that made mine? Hope so.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Anne of the thousand days
Comment: A complete work of art. Great actors, costumes, scenery, history, just AWESOME!!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: A True Classic.
Comment: If you have never seen any adaptation of the Henry VIII story, this is the one to see. It will never be outdated. Genevieve Bujold was the perfect one to play Anne Boleyn and Richard Burton was at his best in the HenryVIII part.

The story is better than most of the things on TV today. Even though it is only available on VHS, the colors are clear and sharp and the audio clear. However, I have never owned or seen any movie that deserves to be on DVD as much as this one.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: A good costume drama
Comment: This is an entertaining costume drama. The biggest plus is Richard Burton. He is also the biggest minus. As Henry VIII he seems to overwhelm Genevieve Bujold as Anne Boleyn. In fact there seems to be no on screen chemistry between the two actors. This is the single biggest drawback of the film.

Anthony Quayle as Cardinal Wolsey is first rate. With his portrayal he shows us in the 20th/21st century he is equivalent to an over comfortable CEO wanting to retain his perquisites than a man of God. You still feel for him when he is dispossesed of his holdings as Henry VIII becomes head of the Church.

John Colicos portrays Thomas Cromwell(not Oliver!!!) well. He transitioned smoothly from the Cardinal's right hand man to Henry VIII's. This actor was much more subtle as a heavy in this movie than in other roles(Klingon Commander in Star Trek, Gaius Baltar in the Original Battlestar Galactica).

The two principals seemed to be uttering their lines more for prosperity than each other; another drawback. If you're not versed in this period of history, it is difficult to follow. It does seem to suffer by comparison to the new Showtime series "The Tudors". The new series, if you watch it from the beginning, you can follow it without being versed in history.

However, anything with Richard Burton is worth watching.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: this movie is my all time fav and needs to be released on DVD
Comment: more of the same as other reviews have said......I am an anglophile of sorts and this film has been my favorite period historical drama since I was a teenager and saw it on tv years ago.
the acting is believable and not corny in any way........my only wish is it be released on DVD

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