There's not a whole lot of value reviewing a 46 year old movie (that was back when they announced proudly that it was shot in Panavision Technicolor), except that this story is pivotal to most of our lives.
In 1066, the pesky Normans defeated the Saxons at Rorke's Drift, er, no, it was Hastings. 100 years later, the tables were turned and Henry II was back marauding in France.
Henry promoted his closest friend, Thomas Becket, first of all to Chancellor, and then to Archbishop of Canterbury.
The dialog is razor-sharp, crisp and clear and doesn't sound like Medieval European or 60s London. It's easy to follow, and worth following too.
Americans - even Tea Partyists - would do well to see how the precarious balance between Church and State was maintained by Thomas Becket, even though it eventually led to his murder.
I've said it before, many times and without the debilitating effect of alcohol, my favorite movies are those that tell stories about, and shed light on real history, even if this light was first shed 46 years ago.
Anyhow, see Becket. It's available through Netflix (I streamed it today), and should be in any classic DVD collection.
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