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 Chase, Seance 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