The Tudor Court is locked in a power struggle between its nobles and the ambitious, manipulative Cardinal Wolsey, the king’s first minister. When Henry seeks to use Wolsey’s influence in Rome to dissolve his marriage, the cardinal acts in his own best interests, though Queen Katherine is soon tossed aside in favor of Anne Bullen (Boleyne). Famous in its own day as much for its spectacular staging as its psychological insights, this production of Henry VIII, filmed at the reconstructed Globe Theatre, is a gorgeous pageant of fireworks and royal ceremony. With Dominic Rowan (Henry VIII), Ian McNeice (Cardinal Wolsey), and Kate Duchêne (Queen Katherine). Directed by Mark Rosenblatt. (161 minutes)
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