Becket

From The Movie Snob

Becket (B+). A local theater is showing this rerelease of the 1964 classic starring Peter O'Toole as King Henry II and Richard Burton as Thomas Becket. It is an interesting and well-done historical piece about the friendship between the two and their eventual falling out after Henry made Becket the Archbishop of Canterbury. Becket, who had been a gifted but amoral servant of the crown, suddenly discovered his sense of honor and duty to the Church, to the king's great displeasure and even grief. Burton is excellent, O'Toole is eccentric, and there is plenty of great dialogue, including the fateful line for which Henry is remembered to this day -- "Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?"