A Man for All Seasons (1966) - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray (Columbia Classics Vol. 5)

As I’ve mentioned now in a few different reviews, I’m not much of a religious person. While I wouldn’t go so far as to call myself an Atheist, I’m also not a true believer. But as an open-minded skeptic, I am fascinated by people and characters who have such a belief and faith they’re ready and willing to die rather than bend to the will of others more powerful than they. That’s why since a young age I’ve been fascinated by Fred Zinnemann's 1966 Best-picture winner A Man for All Seasons and the story of St. Thomas More. 

I don’t recall how young I was when I first saw the film, growing up we never owned it, so my father must have rented it at some point. I can't recall the exact year, but I was young enough that I have parallel memories of seeing it around the same time as my first sitting for 1968’s The Lion in Winter. Regardless of when, I was taken with Scofield’s passionate portrayal and enthralled by Robert Shaw’s duplicitous turn as King Henry VIII. 

As our Mr. Kluger previously reviewed the film already, I’ll let that work stand, but I can’t stray away yet without marking my admiration for the film’s staging and performances. Director Fred Zinnemann picked up his Best Director and Best Picture Oscars for this film (alongside Scofield for Best Actor, Screenplay, Cinematography, and Costume Design) and it’s a well-deserved effort. After such hits like the tense High Noon, the war-time classic From Here to Eternity, and the razzle-dazzle of Oklahoma!, Zinneman proved he was a talent that could do it all. In this film, the legendary director trades in a Japanese raid, song and dance numbers, and a climactic gunfight for a courtroom. With every witness called against Thomas More for his unwillingness to bend to the King’s wishes, the film ratchets up the feeling of desperation and tension.

In my opinion, the most wrenching moment comes near the end when More must hear his former protege and friend Richard Rich played to perfection by John Hurt give false evidence against him. In a sly moment, the betrayal begins when Rich seemingly forgets to say “...so help me God” when swearing to the honesty of his testimony. In a film filled with amazing moments, this is the scene that has always stuck with me. But, rather than read my ramblings about it, watch the scene for yourself:

And for those interested, you can read Mr. Kluger's Twilight Time Blu-ray Review Here

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray 
A Man for All Seasons takes a stand on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray as part of Sony’s Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection Volume 5 set. A two-disc 4K UHD + Blu-ray set, the 4k is pressed on a BD100 disc with a BD50 serving up the film in 1080p with the bonus features. Like past Columbia Classics sets, the discs are housed in a two-disc case with set-exclusive slipcovers. The disc loads to a static image main menu with traditional navigation options.

Ted Moore’s Oscar-winning cinematography is brilliantly brought to life on disc with a lovely new 2160p 1.66:1 Dolby Vision transfer. Capturing all of the incredible production design work and amazingly colorful costumes, the film is gifted with a genuinely excellent transfer. One of the things I think I love so much about this film is how bright and colorful the film is against the rather bleak tones and themes. All of the dark betrayal and political machinations aren’t confined to the shadows but done in open sunlight. Robert Shaw and Paul Scofield's meeting in the garden is a highlight moment in that respect. The trial of More is also another great visual highlight as things progress the shadows encroach into the scenes while More sits in his humble adornments and his accusers practically sparkle with a full range of colors.

Details are sharp and clear with a nice naturally cinematic film grain structure. No outward or obvious signs of smoothing. Given the vintage, the visuals take a little clarity hit around the optical transitions and a few optical zooms where things soften a bit and the grain becomes thicker, but that’s always been that way as far as I can remember. The Dolby Vision grade doesn’t dramatically alter the visuals but as designed gives highlights and enhancements to the colors, shadows, and contrast. Black levels don’t always dig into the inky black range, sometimes they hover around a dark coffee brown, but they’re quite impressive all the same. Whites are brilliant and crisp without blooms. Primaries get plenty of show time, especially reds and Orson Welle’s round rosy cheeks. Again, another excellent Sony 4K transfer.

On 4K, A Man for All Seasons enjoys three different audio options, Dolby Atmos, DTS-HD MA 5.1, and DTS-HD MA 2.0 mono. Listening through the tracks, I’ll give plenty of praise to the Atmos mix as it does find some unique usages for the format. The 5.1 track and the 2.0 Mono track sound to me about the same as the Twilight Time offerings. Doing some quick disc flippies, I didn’t notice anything that stood out to tell me they were distinctly different - more on that in a second. To step back to the Atmos mix, I felt it was most effective for the trial sequence with More surrounded by the jury, his accusers, and the presiding Cardinals. There was plenty of space through the channels and the shifting shuffle of fabrics to give you this tight claustrophobic feeling as these scenes moved along. With that, this is another case where I don’t really feel like Atmos added anything to the experience. Much like how I felt about the Atmos for Tootsie, this film doesn’t need that mix to feel “complete.” The 5.1 track was adequate in that realm of surround sound but again I’m more pleased with the 2.0 mono. It’s such a conversational film that there’s not a lot of huge BIG activity to warrant that spread. I also appreciated that Georges Delerue’s should-have-won-an-Oscar score sounds more present and impactful in the Mono mix - those opening credits really are that much more powerful. So again, like Tootsie, I’ll give credit where it's due, it’s a great Atmos track and I appreciate Sony giving fans options for their various setups, but I’ll be sticking with the 2.0 mono from here on out.

On the bonus features front, we have most of the extras from the Twilight Time disc carried over. The only notable missing piece is the excellent isolated score track. Thankfully the great Julie Kirgo, Nick Redman, and Lem Dobs track returns. Even archival, it’s great to hear Redman’s voice again; I miss the insightful and appreciative tone of his commentaries. The same interesting biography of St. Thomas More returns as well. Of the new content, we have a very informative featurette from Bishop Robert Barron discussing the film as well as his appreciation of Fred Zinnemann and how he captured the story. It’s a short piece, but it’s very good and worth the time. 

• Audio Commentary featuring Julie Kirgo, Lem Dobs, and Nick Redman
• Moral Clarity with Bishop Robert Barron (HD 14:35)
• The Life of Saint Thomas More (SD 18:17)
• Theatrical Trailer 

It’s often stated Fred Zinnemann may be the best director no one talks about. Given his career accolades, the films he made, and especially the time in which he made them, he was an incredible talent who could make just about any genre of film he wished. Nominated for ten Academy Awards, he’d bag half of his four career Oscar wins for his work on A Man for All Seasons. A brilliant morality play about a man standing up for law as well as principal, Scofield shines and justifiably earns his own Oscar easily overshadowing the likes of Robert Shaw and Orson Welles and rising talent like John Hurt. It’s a true cinematic triumph that endures to this day - and makes for one beautiful 4K debut as part of Sony’s latest Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collections. The Dolby Vision transfer is another excellent catalog upgrade with three audio options to match. Bonus features might be a tad slim, but they’re well worth your time. Highly Recommended.