Budapest Classic Film Marathon: The Private Life of Henry VIII

Director: Alexander Korda

Screenplay by Lajos Bíró, Arthur Wimperis
Director of photography: Georges Périnal
Music by Kurt Schröder
Cast: Charles Laughton, Robert Donat, Franklin Dyall

The Korda Universe

Introduction: Attila Vörös,MWA, Klang operator, projectionist, National Film Institute - Film Archive

Even before the books of Philippa Gregory, Antonia Fraser and Hilary Mantel, Alexander Korda made his mark in the hall of fame with his film about the much-married English ruler, The Private Life of Henry VIII. London Film studio was created for this reason. However, we shouldn’t consider Korda – who eventually became more English than the English – successful solely as a business entrepreneur. His work is full of epic, dramatic, satirical and poignant scenes, and, despite all its dark associations, this is more an ironic, ingenious film not so much about women but more about power and authority. And we should not forget that the screenplay was the work of Hungarian Lajos Bíró, nor that for many even today, Charles Laughton remains the personification of this English king.

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