Firstly, a massive thank you to our Patreon supporters. These supporters have become the single biggest contributing factor to the survival of DVDBeaver. Your assistance is essential to our survival.

 

What do Patrons receive, that you don't?

 

1) Our weekly Newsletter and Calendar Updates sent to your Inbox!
2) Access to over 100,000 unpublished screen captures in lossless high-resolution format!

 

Please consider keeping us in existence with a couple of dollars or more each month (your pocket change! / a coffee!) so we can continue to do our best in giving you timely, thorough reviews, calendar updates and detailed comparisons. I am indebted to your generosity.


 

Search DVDBeaver

S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

Directed by Anthony Harvey
UK 1968

 

Acting greats Peter O'Toole (Lawrence of Arabia), Katharine Hepburn (The African Queen), Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs) and Timothy Dalton (The Living Daylights) star in this epic masterpiece directed by Anthony Harvey (They Might Be Giants). Behind the great stone walls of an English castle, the world's most powerful empire is in crisis. Three sons struggle to win their father's favor, as well as his crown. King Henry II (O'Toole) and his queen, Eleanor (Hepburn), engage in a battle of royal wits that pits elder son Richard (Hopkins) against his brothers John (Nigel Terry, Excalibur) and Geoffrey (John Castle, Man of La Mancha), while the cunning King Philip of France (Dalton) takes advantage of the internal fracturing in his bid to destroy their kingdom. Nominated for 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Actor (O'Toole), Director (Harvey) and Costume Design (Margaret Furse) and winner of 3 Academy Awards - Best Actress (Hepburn), Adapted Screenplay (James Goldman) and Music Score (John Barry).

***

Stars Katharine Hepburn in her Academy Award winning role as Eleanor of Aquitaine and Peter O’Toole in a powerhouse performance as King Henry II. Anthony Hopkins makes his feature film debut as Richard the Lion Heart and Timothy Dalton stars as Philip II King of France. England, the 12th Century. After the death of his son and heir, King Henry II (Peter O’Toole) is obsessed with finding a new successor, so summons his three remaining sons. Also summoned is his wife, the formidable Eleanor of Aquitaine (Katharine Hepburn), who he has kept imprisoned for the last ten years. As the Royal couple scheme and cajole with their sons their passions turn from tenderness to fury as they determine who should be the future King of England.

Posters

Theatrical Release: October 30th, 1968

Reviews                 More Reviews               DVD Reviews

 

Review: Studiocanal - Region FREE - 4K UHD

Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

Bonus Captures:

Distribution Studiocanal - Region FREE - 4K UHD
Runtime 2:14:29.625        
Video

2.35:1 2160P 4K Ultra HD

Disc Size: 100,026,660,918 bytes

Feature: 95,073,149,952 bytes

Video Bitrate: 84.87 Mbps

Codec: HEVC Video

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate 4K Ultra HD:

Audio

LPCM Audio English 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit
DUB:

LPCM Audio German 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit
Commentary:

DTS Audio English 384 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 384 kbps / 24-bit

Subtitles English (SDH,) German, None
Features Release Information:
Studio:
Studiocanal

 

2.35:1 2160P 4K Ultra HD

Disc Size: 100,026,660,918 bytes

Feature: 95,073,149,952 bytes

Video Bitrate: 84.87 Mbps

Codec: HEVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• Audio Commentary by Anthony Harvey
• NEW - The Heart of a Lion: An Interview with Anthony Hopkins (19:46)
• NEW - Shooting the Stars: An Interview with Camera Assistant Robin Vidgeon (10:33)
• Interview with John Castle (11:45)
• Interview with John Bloom (11:39)
• Behind the Scenes Stills Gallery (0:55)
• 2024 Restoration Trailer (1:01)

Second disc Blu-ray


4K Ultra HD
Release Date: February 17th, 2025

Black 4K Ultra HD Case inside slipcase

Chapters 12

 

 

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray and 4K UHD captures were taken directly from the respective discs.

ADDITION: Studiocanal 4K UHD (February 2025): Studiocanal have transferred Anthony Harvey's The Lion in Winter to 4K UHD. In 2018 we reviewed the Kino Blu-ray of The Lion in Winter HERE. While looking superior to the 1080P I can't help but see imperfections that may be part of the production. It is, mostly, very consistent and Douglas Slocombe’s (The Lavender Hill Mob, Circus of Horrors, The Servant) cinematography paints it stark -frosty vistas that clash with the characters’ hot tempers. Flesh tones cool considerably and there may be smatterings of cropping here and there - most noticeable on  the right edge. Generally the image brightens but the grain can look a shade clunky. The overall visuals are certainly sharper. I suspect without pulling out their magnifying glasses most will see the impressive improvement on their systems. The package includes a Region 'B'-locked Blu-ray that duplicate the feature (but in 1080P) and extras.

It is likely that the monitor you are seeing this review is not an HDR-compatible display (High Dynamic Range) or Dolby Vision, where each pixel can be assigned with a wider and notably granular range of color and light. Our capture software if simulating the HDR (in a uniform manner) for standard monitors. This should make it easier for us to review more 4K UHD titles in the future and give you a decent idea of its attributes on your system. So our captures may not support the exact same colors (coolness of skin tones, brighter or darker hues etc.) as the 4K system at your home. But the framing, detail, grain texture support etc. are, generally, not effected by this simulation representation.

NOTE: We have added 52 more large resolution 4K UHD captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their 4K UHD and Blu-ray, Studiocanal use a linear PCM dual-mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. The Lion in Winter has some aggression with battle - sword clashes - sequences that carry depth. The brassy score is thanks to the iconic John Barry (The Day of the Locust, The Whisperers, Boom, The ChaseSeance on a Wet Afternoon, Deadfall, Midnight Cowboy, Dances With Wolves, Inside Moves and the Bond themes among his many credits.) It supports the film beautifully adding a regal atmosphere and subtle but building tension in the more dramatic flourishes. Studiocanal offer optional English (SDH) or German subtitles on their Region FREE 4K UHD and Region 'B'-locked Blu-ray.

The Studiocanal 4K UHD offers the 2000 audio commentary by director Anthony Harvey who is wonderfully frank about his career, how he got started in editing, he tells a highly interesting story about Stanley Kubrick, and about disliking 'tea breaks', preferring tracking shots to zooming (unless panned), discussion with how he insisted Kate Hepburn play a specific scene - eventually coming to the conclusion that she enjoyed being challenged, the Barry score and what a gentleman he was about his work, having an intermission at the premiere in NY and much more. It has gaps but is well-worth the listen. There is also a new 20-minute interview with 87-year old Anthony Hopkins (The Elephant Man, The Silence of the Lambs, The Remains of the Day,) entitled The Heart of a Lion where he recalls his first major film role as Richard the Lionheart, the eldest surviving son. There is a new 10-minute interview with camera assistant Robin Vidgeon entitled Shooting the Stars. He wor4ked on Event Horizon (1997,) Never Say Never Again (1983,) and Rollerball (1975) among other films. There is a dozen-minute interview with John Castle (Michelangelo Antonioni's Blowup,) who played, Geoffrey, the middle son, and another of similar length interview with the editor of The Lion in Winter John Bloom (Gandhi.) Lastly, are a behind the scenes stills gallery and a 2024 restoration trailer.

Anthony Harvey's The Lion in Winter is a historical drama that "roars with wit, venom, and powerhouse performances." It was adapted from James Goldman’s 1966 play, set in 1183 during a fictional Christmas court at Chinon, where England’s King Henry II (Peter O’Toole) wrangles his scheming family over who’ll inherit his throne. Harvey, an editor-turned-director fresh off cutting Dr. Strangelove, crafts a film that’s less about historical precision and more about human ferocity - Shakespearean in spirit, medieval in grit. Henry, aging but virile, pits his three sons - Richard (Anthony Hopkins), Geoffrey (John Castle), and John (Nigel Terry) - against each other while juggling his estranged wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine (Katharine Hepburn), freshly sprung from prison for the holiday. Richard is rumored gay here, nodding to historical whispers. Add Princess Alais (Jane Merrow - Catacombs, Night of the Big Heat), Henry’s mistress betrothed to Richard, and Philip II of France (Timothy Dalton in his debut), and it’s a chessboard of alliances and betrayals. Everyone’s got a knife behind their smile. Harvey’s direction maintains the air of its theatrical roots. He leans on close-ups - O’Toole’s wild eyes, Hepburn’s sly grins - to let the actors chew the scenery, but he grounds it with a wintry, rugged vibe. Shot at Ireland’s Cahir Castle and France’s Montmajour Abbey, the film’s muddy courtyards and torch-lit halls feel lived-in, perhaps a trifle stagy. It's still a remarkable effort evoking Becket with O'Toole reprising King Henry II. The Lion in Winter is a verbal brawl with swords in reserve. I am pleased that Studiocanal brought it to 4K UHD. Recommended for its royal drama, impressive performances, director commentary inclusion and image upgrade.

Gary Tooze

 


Menus / Extras

 


CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

1) Studiocanal (2018) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) Studiocanal - Region FREE - 4K UHD - BOTTOM

 

 


1) Studiocanal (2018) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) Studiocanal - Region FREE - 4K UHD - BOTTOM

 

 


1) Studiocanal (2018) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) Studiocanal - Region FREE - 4K UHD - BOTTOM

 

 


1) Studiocanal (2018) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) Studiocanal - Region FREE - 4K UHD - BOTTOM

 

 


1) Studiocanal (2018) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) Studiocanal - Region FREE - 4K UHD - BOTTOM

 

 


1) Studiocanal (2018) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) Studiocanal - Region FREE - 4K UHD - BOTTOM

 

 


1) Studiocanal (2018) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) Studiocanal - Region FREE - 4K UHD - BOTTOM

 

 


1) Studiocanal (2018) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) Studiocanal - Region FREE - 4K UHD - BOTTOM

 

 


1) Studiocanal (2018) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) Studiocanal - Region FREE - 4K UHD - BOTTOM

 

 


1) Studiocanal (2018) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) Studiocanal - Region FREE - 4K UHD - BOTTOM

 

 


1) Studiocanal (2018) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) Studiocanal - Region FREE - 4K UHD - BOTTOM

 

  


 

More full resolution (3840 X 2160) 4K Ultra HD Captures for Patreon Supporters HERE

 

 

 
Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

Bonus Captures:

Distribution Studiocanal - Region FREE - 4K UHD


 


 

Search DVDBeaver

S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

 

Hit Counter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DONATIONS Keep DVDBeaver alive:

 CLICK PayPal logo to donate!

Gary Tooze

Thank You!