Puritan statesman Oliver Cromwell leads England in a civil war against the absolutist and Catholic-sympathetic King Charles I.Puritan statesman Oliver Cromwell leads England in a civil war against the absolutist and Catholic-sympathetic King Charles I.Puritan statesman Oliver Cromwell leads England in a civil war against the absolutist and Catholic-sympathetic King Charles I.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 2 wins & 5 nominations total
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWhen writer / director Ken Hughes said to Richard Harris that no self-respecting Irishman should ever play Oliver Cromwell, Harris laughed.
- GoofsCromwell was not one of the Members of Parliament named for arrest in the King's warrant. Cromwell was not present in Parliament at the time the King and his troops entered the House of Commons. The scene of he alluding that The King is a traitor actually happened with John Elliott some ten years prior.
- Quotes
King Charles: I do swear that hold this England and its laws dearer to my heart than any here. But gentlemen, if you would reduce me to a figurehead - a puppet king, manipulated by parliament - how then would I serve my country? What manner of king would I be?
Oliver Cromwell: I am persuaded, Your Majesty, that England must move forward to a more enlightened form of government, based upon a true representation of a free people. Such an institution is known as... "democracy", sir.
King Charles: Democracy, Mister...
Oliver Cromwell: Cromwell, sir.
King Charles: Democracy, Mister Cromwell, was a Greek drollery based on the foolish notion that there are extraordinary possibilities in very ordinary people.
Oliver Cromwell: It is the ordinary people, my lord, who would most readily lay down their lives in defense of your realm. It is simply that "being ordinary", they would prefer to be asked - and not told.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The 52nd Annual Academy Awards (1980)
However, putting that to one side, the film version of Cromwell's growing involvement in the War is marginally accurate and well done. Richard Harris, as Cromwell, makes a decent effort although I do feel he makes too much of a theatrical job with the role, with far too much posturing, self-smugness, and above all shouting....
I can understand his unhappiness at the Royalists encroachment of the Common People's liberties; and I can understand him fully remonstrating his feelings in the House of Commons, but Harris seems to shout in nearly every scene. So much so that by the end of the movie he is struggling for breath.
Conversely, Alec Guiness's Charles I is far more intelligently done. Underplayed yet convincing & too some extents we feel more sympathetic to his plight. After all he has a rather scheming Cathloic French Queen, the Catholic Church and a lot of other distractions to occupy his mind and usurp his powers.
The battle scenes are convincing but don't carry the same kind of savagery than the more prosaic Braveheart. But the supporting characters do a good job and add a more rounded feel from Harris' turgid performance.
The directing blows hot & cold, sometimes the story drifts & meanders before pulling back into sharp focus; while the choreography is sweeping & rich in content. The musical score, however, seems tacky & amateurish, lacking any depth in conjunction with what's going on in the film.
However, for all its faults and historical inaccuracies, we do get a slightly better insight into a rather grim & dark chapter in England's turbulent history.
Cromwell is a good film but should be taken with a large pinch of salt as far as retelling history is concerned.
***/*****
- Sonatine97
- Aug 19, 2000
- Permalink
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Cromwell - Der Unerbittliche
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- £3,750,000 (estimated)
- Runtime2 hours 19 minutes