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DVD Description
England's dark history is revealed in this epic tale charting the defeat of the monarchy in a time of intrigue, power and corruption. England in 1645 is a place of savage treachery, civil war and political unrest. After waging three years of bloody civil war, the rebel New Model Army has finally defeated the Royalist forces of King Charles I. Two heroes emerged from the war, Lord Thomas Fairfax (Dougray Scott) and his loyal, yet ruthless deputy, Oliver Cromwell (Tim Roth). The war may have been won, but their mission is now to unite the country and reform the crown, Cromwell's radical solution is the execution of the King (Rupert Everett) which causes a political storm leading to leadership fights, betrayal and unrest.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
To Kill a King (aka Cromwell and Fairfax) came as quite a surprise - the film's troubled production is a local legend in the UK, the reviews were lukewarm and the film was further scuppered by a dreadful ad campaign and trailer. Then there was the fact that director Mike Barker's feature debut, the insultingly stupid The James Gang, was one of the very worst films I've ever had the misfortune to see. And that's ignoring Rupert Everett's efforts at promoting the movie in the States by describing it as boring rubbish and his performance being the only worthwhile thing in it.
The omens weren't good, to put it mildly, but it actually turned out to be a surprisingly entertaining and ambitious retelling of the troubled relationship between Lord Fairfax and his deputy Oliver Cromwell in the aftermath of the English Civil War. I can't vouch for its historical accuracy, but as drama it works very well, despite the fact that Roth's Cromwell isn't at the top of his game while Scott lacks the voice for the rabble-rousing speeches (although he's much better here than his usual lacklustre screen performances).
It's well-directed and hides the budget problems that saw the picture shut down for a few weeks while they scrambled for money to finish the picture quite admirably. It has a sense of scale both in story and treatment and, though it loses momentum slightly after the king's death, it deserved to find the audience it was denied in cinemas. Certainly a notch above the usual staid British historical picture, it's well worth a look.
The 2.35:1 transfer is good and the disc has a reasonable package of extras - featurette, behind the scenes footage, interviews and the aforementioned terrible trailer, surely one of the worst of all time.
The omens weren't good, to put it mildly, but it actually turned out to be a surprisingly entertaining and ambitious retelling of the troubled relationship between Lord Fairfax and his deputy Oliver Cromwell in the aftermath of the English Civil War. I can't vouch for its historical accuracy, but as drama it works very well, despite the fact that Roth's Cromwell isn't at the top of his game while Scott lacks the voice for the rabble-rousing speeches (although he's much better here than his usual lacklustre screen performances).
It's well-directed and hides the budget problems that saw the picture shut down for a few weeks while they scrambled for money to finish the picture quite admirably. It has a sense of scale both in story and treatment and, though it loses momentum slightly after the king's death, it deserved to find the audience it was denied in cinemas. Certainly a notch above the usual staid British historical picture, it's well worth a look.
The 2.35:1 transfer is good and the disc has a reasonable package of extras - featurette, behind the scenes footage, interviews and the aforementioned terrible trailer, surely one of the worst of all time.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
this film is good as a film but that is it. the writer should have read his history, and then maybe the film would be more enjoyable. Oliver cromwell was not as bad as the film made out. Royalist would love this film.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
A lot of first-rate talent is wasted in this static historical drama. As far as costumes and settings go, the production values are properly first-rate (One cannot get more elegant than Hampton Court or the Tower of London.), but very little happens, and what does, I suspect (based upon dim memory of reading about the era), is of tendentious historicity. This would not matter, if the film had compelling characters that one cared about, or anything resembling pace, but it plods along, except when Cromwell is ranting at the top of his voice. The camera, which is sometimes hand-held, is annoying, as is the music, which seems designed to tug at the heartstrings. The only character who is the least bit sympathetic is Rupert Everett, who, as King Charles I, goes to the scaffold with dignity.
For those who are unfamiliar with the Civil War, or the Cavaliers and the Roundheads, the film is less than enlightening. For those who know their British history, I can imagine, the movie must be infuriating.
Reviewed for Vine; Amazon.com
For those who are unfamiliar with the Civil War, or the Cavaliers and the Roundheads, the film is less than enlightening. For those who know their British history, I can imagine, the movie must be infuriating.
Reviewed for Vine; Amazon.com
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
VERY GOOD
I don't care what the other reviews say, this movie is underrated, it is very good, informative, pretty accurate and tells us things about Charles I that hasn't been covered in... Read more
Published 20 hours ago by C. Lennon
Was Cromwell's hanged skeleton necessary at the end?
1645 is a crucial year but what happened is not clear in this film that concentrates more on personal issues and intimate details than on historical facts. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Jacques COULARDEAU
Great Fun, but not history
I purchased this as I was studying the English Civil Wars. As a guide to history it was very poor, as a costume drama it is probably very good. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Mark H
The one and only Tim Roth.
Tim Roth is FANTASTIC.
As playing the part of Oliver Cromwell, Tim Roth is superb.
The time line is just a wonderous piece of British History. Read more
As playing the part of Oliver Cromwell, Tim Roth is superb.
The time line is just a wonderous piece of British History. Read more
Published 17 months ago by cullodenmist
Interesting but flawed
An interesting film which captures the grubby look of the time. It does give an overview of the English civil war so if your interested in it its worth a look. Read more
Published on 26 Feb 2010 by C. Miller
The Turmoil That Cromwell Wrought
Excellent production values and some good acting make "To Kill a King" an entertaining film for those who like quasi historical dramas. Read more
Published on 5 April 2008 by Alejandra Vernon
Entertaining but inaccurate
The scary thing is that if you knew nothing about the Civil Wars you would think that this is what happened. It is highly inaccurate and pays no attention to History. Read more
Published on 21 Mar 2008 by LJ Schofield
Just Awful
I thought "Cromwell" with Richard Harris was bad enough, but "To Kill A King" is just ghastly. Historically inaccurate to the worst degree, the makers and actors clearly had no... Read more
Published on 8 Mar 2008 by CA Johnson
Sinister little weasel accomplishes regicide
At the opening of TO KILL A KING, English monarch Charles I (Rupert Everett) is under house arrest and the Parliamentary anti-royalist forces embodied in the New Model Army... Read more
Published on 3 Mar 2008 by Joseph Haschka
Barker does a job on Cromwell!
Perhaps no one does histories better than the British, especially when it's a British subject. In "To Kill a King" director Mike Barker takes on the English Civil War and comes... Read more
Published on 28 Feb 2008 by Billy J. Hobbs
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