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Cromwell (1970)
Rate:
9
Viewed:
8/18, 2/20
8/18:
Think of the great actors who like to shout such as Marlon Brando, Richard Burton, Jack Nicholson, and Oliver Reed.
Then, add Richard Harris to the list. Fiery, bold, and assertive in Cromwell with a strong command of the English
language, the guy can act. This is British history at its finest, and the story of Oliver Cromwell is pretty
much more or less true, at least in spirit. Yet it has many historical inaccuracies which is interesting because director
Ken Hughes read more than 120 books on Cromwell for nine years.
Skipping the Battle of Marston Moor in July 1644 is unforgivable to begin with. "Was not Gideon outnumbered by the Amalekites?"
Not really, it was the Midianites. There's no mention of the Second Civil War or Cromwell's brutal Irish campaign. A lot of
numbers, especially the dates, in the film are wrong as well. Oliver Cromwell ruled as a dictator afterwards and wasn't for
the common people as originally thought, yet he sowed a lot of seeds that would be important in the shaping of democracy.
Yet Cromwell has some of the best acting and most terrific battle scenes ever. Of course, because of the thousands of
extras and warlike atmosphere, it's reminiscent of Braveheart minus a love story. The British production
won the Oscar for Best Costume Design with approximately 4,000 costumes, 16,000 historical props, and thousands of
wigs which were ordered from all over Europe.
Alec Guinness sets the bar so high in terms of how to act like a king that I don't think anyone can match. I often
forget how gifted of an actor he was back then. Skip the Star Wars crap; it's not who he was. His true body of work
lies in the British theater and cinema from the 30's to the 60's.
All in all, Cromwell is a must-see: the story of Oliver Cromwell, the conversion of England's rule
from monarchy to parliamentary democracy, how good of an actor Richard Harris and Alec Guinness were, and the appreciation of
British history and acting.
2/20:
An Oscar winner for Best Costume Design, Cromwell is a thrilling epic with stirring performances by Alec Guinness and
Richard Harris.
A lot of it reminds me of Braveheart. The story of Oliver Cromwell's rise to power and sweep of feudalism to pave the
way for democracy, freedom, and tolerance is more or less true, culminating in the execution of King Charles I, but the film
skips the parts that paint him as a war criminal and an ethnic cleanser, particularly of the Irish people. That being said,
it's a strange choice for Richard Harris, a fierce Irish nationalist, to accept. Nevertheless, he gives a powerful performance.
If not for Alec Guinness, I don't think Cromwell would've worked. He acts how a king should act like. It's a
remarkable display of royalty, and therefore, he should've been nominated for an Oscar. The writing is also excellent which
makes taking sides a difficult endeavor, and the blasphemies such as "God's teeth"
and "in the bowels of Christ" is true of the time. By the way, if you've heard the phrase "warts and all," it originally
came from Oliver Cromwell who sat for a portrait but didn't care what he looked like, so paint away.
All in all, Cromwell is British history at its finest.